Enhancing Commonality:The Effect Of Imaginary Contact On Common In-group Identity And Mechanisms Of Action

With the globalization of the economy,various types of groups based on different thinking habits,cultural traditions,behavior patterns and social norms are emerging.In the process of contact between different types of groups there are cultural clashes and integration of ideas,but in the process of contact there are many prejudices arising from the lack of understanding between different groups.Intergroup contact is undoubtedly an important part of improving intergroup relations." The beauty of harmony lies in combining differences",in order to achieve the purpose of beauty and commonwealth,we need to strengthen interaction and exchange,build an open and inclusive world,and promote the building of a community of human destiny.The theory of the unity of the Chinese nation is a scientific theory for understanding the structure of the entire Chinese nation,but how do ordinary people living in a pluralistic society construct a psychological identity of "pluralism" and "unity" ? So far,little attention has been paid to this issue.Based on this,this study shifts the perspective from "group" to "individual",and tries to investigate the influence of imaginary contact on the common in-group identity of college students in a multicultural environment,and the mechanism of felt understanding,and the role of cultural ideologies in it,so as to explore the psychological mechanism of "pluralistic identity" and elaborate the pluralistic identity from the perspective of psychology,and then to forge the sense of Chinese national community.Study 1 used questionnaire survey method to investigate the influence and internal mechanism of imaginal contact on common in-group identity with 920 students from ethnic universities in Northwest China,including Han and ethnic minority students;Study 2 conducted an experimental study with 360 students from ethnic universities in Northwest China through experimental method to test the causal relationship between imaginal contact and common in-group identity,the and the moderating role of cultural ideologies in it and the mediating role of felt understanding,focusing on the effects of different types of imaginal contact and cultural ideologies on common in-group identity,and again testing whether the results of Study 1 are consistent across methods.The findings suggest that(1)imaginal contact positively influences common ingroup identity;(2)felt understanding mediates between imaginal contact and common ingroup identity;(3)both multiculturalism and polyculturalism moderate the effects of imaginal contact on felt understanding and imaginal contact on common ingroup identity;(4)the role of different types of imaginal contact and cultural ideologies was different across the model,with the fine imaginal contact and polyculturalism inducing the highest perceived understanding,the standard imaginal contact the second highest,and the control group the lowest,and this felt understanding mediating between imaginal contact and common in-group identity;while in the multiculturalism model,this effect was weakened.This study tries to apply the theory of imaginal contact and the model of common in-group identity to explore the positive predictive role of imaginal contact on common in-group identity and the mediating role of perceived understanding,and further finds that this positive influence will be enhanced as the level of cultural convergenceism and multiculturalism increases,which has important theoretical significance for enriching the theory of ethnic relations in China,and for casting a firm sense of Chinese ethnic community It is also of practical guidance value for education and guiding the practice of ethnic work.