Cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy: A new predictor of cross-ethnic friendships among children

This research identifies ways to encourage diverse friendships (‘cross-group friendships’). The research helps us understand what promotes cross-group friendship, and how we can encourage these essential relationships can be supported in schools .  Here we focus on a new predictor of cross-group friendship, ‘cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy’, which is confidence in one’s ability to form and maintain friendships with someone from a different ethnic group to you. We wanted to know whether young people with more cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy went on to have more cross-ethnic friendships, and higher quality cross-ethnic friendships. We also examined the role of parents and their friendships in boosting young people’s confidence in their ability to hold cross-ethnic friendships.

Diverse friendships or ‘cross-group friendships’ (friendships between members of different groups, such as race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion) have multiple benefits. Individuals with more diverse friendships are less prejudiced, more open-minded to other cultures, less anxious about interacting with people who are different, , and more inclusive in friendships and more likely to think discrimination is wrong. They also report increased self-esteem, well-being and resilience. However, some young people do not have an opportunity for diverse friendship groups because they live in a mono-cultural area. And in many diverse areas, young people self-segregate, choosing friendships with others from the same background as them, rather than their cross-group peers. In order to harness the power of cross-group friendships, and capitalise on the potential benefits of these important relationships, we need to understand the conditions that promote such friendships. In this research, we draw on psychological theories and evidence, and test a new construct that we think will be an important predictor of cross-group friendship, ‘cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy’. Do children with more cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy hold more cross-ethnic friendships, or a higher quality? What is driving this effect? And what are the implications for schools?

Across two studies, in total 363 young people completed a survey to measure their cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy, the belief that one can successfully form and maintain high quality cross-ethnic friendships. They also completed measures of potential sources of cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy, which could boost this self-belief (prior experiences of contact, social norms for friendships and anxiety about interacting with others who belong to different groups. Study 2 also asked young people about the quality of their parents cross-ethnic friendship to see if this also boosted children’s beliefs about their own ability to form cross-ethnic friendships.

We found that young people had greater confidence in their ability to hold cross-ethnic friendships when they have more prior experience of interacting with members of other groups, perceived more positive social norm for friendship, and believed their parents had more high quality cross-ethnic friendships. Young people with more confidence in their ability to hold cross-ethnic friendships had higher quality cross-ethnic friendships.

If we want young people to hold better quality cross-ethnic friendships, we need them to be more confident in their ability to do this. We can increase confidence in holding cross-ethnic friendships by providing more opportunities for positive interactions with other ethnic groups, exposing young people to more examples of cross-ethnic friendships through their peers, and other education materials, in order to support and normalise such friendships. Finally, the research highlighted the important role of parents as role models for positive and high quality cross-ethnic relations. Providing opportunities for parents to model good interactions that cross ethnic boundaries is a potential means of boosting cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy.