Misperceptions, Intergroup Prejudice, and the Varied Encounters Between European Citizens and Non-EU Foreigners.

This article examines how interpersonal exposure to non-European Union (non-EU) immigrants influences native-born European citizens' attitudes toward immigrants and their perceptions of immigrant population size, using data from the 2017 Eurobarometer survey. Drawing on Intergroup Contact Theory (ICT), which predicts that positive intergroup contact reduces prejudice, and research on population innumeracy, which suggests exposure may increase overestimation of immigrant numbers, the study finds that exposure through primary social networks and cooperative activities (e.g., sports, volunteering) is associated with more positive attitudes toward immigrants. Conversely, exposure in neighborhoods and workplaces—contexts characterized by frequent but often superficial encounters—is linked to inflated perceptions of immigrant population size. The findings highlight that different types of intergroup exposure can simultaneously reduce prejudice while exacerbating demographic misperceptions, underscoring the importance of context in shaping intergroup relations and informing future research on diversity and social cohesion.