How to design mediated contact against anti-immigrant prejudice: a systematic review.

This article systematically reviews experimental research on indirect mediated intergroup contact—specifically parasocial and vicarious contact—as a strategy for reducing anti-immigrant prejudice, integrating insights from persuasive communication theory. Using O'Keefe's classification of persuasion variables (message, recipient, and communicator), the review finds that most studies employ narrative message content aimed at eliciting empathy, with textual interventions predominating and positive portrayals generally reducing prejudice while negative portrayals increase it. Recipient variables such as prior contact and political orientation influence outcomes, but communicator variables like source credibility remain underexplored. The review highlights gaps including the need for more diverse message types (e.g., non-narrative evidence), greater attention to communicator factors, and broader geographical research beyond primarily Western contexts, offering recommendations for future studies and practical applications in migration-related communication.