<P> While Gordon W. Allport is often credited with the development of the contact hypothesis, the idea that interpersonal contact could improve intergroup relations was not a novel one . For example, in the late 1940s, sociologist, R.M. Williams, described interpersonal collaboration with goal interdependence as a worthwhile strategy to reduce intergroup hostility . Most research on the contact hypothesis resulted from World War II . Due to a shortage of combat troops, General Dwight D. Eisenhower allowed Black soldiers assigned in Europe at that time the option to volunteer for combat duty . The Army was concerned with the troop morale involving White soldiers who would possibly share the battlefield or be integrated into platoons with the Black soldiers . The results of a survey at that time were very polarized . Sixty - two percent of segregated units involving White soldiers said they would dislike the idea of serving in semi-integrated units . White soldiers who were currently serving within semi-integrated units reported only 7% dissatisfaction . This supports the notion that intergroup contact, under the right conditions, can reduce prejudice . </P> <P> Other studies have claimed that contact hypothesis is a very simple and optimistic and that contact would most likely gravitate toward hostility rather than friendship if two competitive parties were involved . If groups with a negative outlook were brought together, it would lead to increases of negative attitudes rather than positive . </P> <P> The positive effects of intergroup contact have been substantially documented across both field and experimental studies, across a variety of contact situations, and between various social groups . Most recently, meta - analytic evidence of 515 separate studies has provided strong evidence to support its claims . Specifically, this extensive analysis found that face - to - face contact between group members significantly reduced prejudice; the more contact groups had, the less prejudice group members reported . Furthermore, the beneficial effects of intergroup contact were significantly greater when the contact situation was structured to include Allport's facilitating conditions for optimal contact . </P> <P> The majority of intergroup contact research has focused on reducing prejudice towards African Americans . For example, in one study, Brown, Brown, Jackson, Sellers, and Manuel (2003) investigated the amount of contact White athletes had with Black teammates and whether the athletes played an individual or team sport . Team sports (e.g., football or basketball), as opposed to individual sports (e.g., track or swimming), require teamwork and cooperative interactions to win . Results showed that White athletes who played team sports reported less prejudice than athletes who played individual sports . </P>

Systems that involve direct face-to-face contact among members are known as