Cooperation in an objective conflict of interest? Testing two psychological approaches

This article investigates psychological factors that might cause actors to pursue more cooperative policies in the midst of an international conflict. Two theoretical areas are considered: the effect of intergroup contact and the effect of individual-difference variables on cooperative policy preferences. Experimental methodology involving small-group processes is used in conjunction with an international conflict simulation. The study finds that intergroup contact did not affect policy preferences, either at the level of the decision-making group or at the level of the individual. Intergroup contact did, however, favorably alter images of the outgroup. The individual-difference variables produced a model that is effective at predicting policy preferences.