Have some confidence in contact: Self‐efficacy beliefs among children moderate the associations between cross‐group friendships and outgroup attitudes.

We investigated how and when individuals transform existing cross‐group interactions into more positive attitudes towards outgroups. Specifically focusing on the context of Syrian immigration to Turkey, we examined whether native children's cross‐group friendship self‐efficacy beliefs—the perception of their abilities about building successful cross‐group interactions—moderated the direct and indirect associations between cross‐group friendship quantity (measured by the number of Syrian friends), cross‐group friendship positivity and negativity, and attitudinal outcomes (outgroup attitudes, intergroup anxiety, and social distance). Analyses of correlational data (5th graders, N = 746) demonstrated that direct and indirect (through cross‐group friendship positivity) associations between cross‐group friendship quantity and positive intergroup outcomes were stronger among children who held greater self‐efficacy beliefs. Importantly, quantity of such friendships was related to more negative intergroup outcomes through negative contact experiences among children who reported lower self‐efficacy beliefs. Theoretical implications of the findings and possible interventions targeting self‐efficacy beliefs in intergroup contact strategies were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]