The hypothesis of contact in nursing: a narrative review of the literature

In Social Psychology, in relation to the effects of contact, there are two theoretical strands apparently fighting against each other: to one side, the contact hypothesis of Allport according to which, the meeting between members of different groups can, if managed in favorable conditions, reduce prejudice, on the other side, the Social Identity Theory of Tajfel and Turner, according to which the comparison between people belonging to different groups may actually generate an attitude of ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination. The aim of this review was to analyze how the literature has dealt with the problem of contact with people from different cultures in relation to its outcomes taking into account the environment of nursing.