Satisfaction of Interpersonal Needs in Ethnically Mixed Groups and Change in Intergroup Relations

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of satisfying three basic interpersonal needs on intergroup attitudes and behaviors within ethnically mixed groups. 726 students from 20 seventh-grade classes in three ethnically mixed junior high schools participated in an intervention program designed to satisfy interpersonal needs according to the ‘three dimensional theory of interpersonal behavior’. Pupils' attitudes and behaviors were assessed using a sociometric questionnaire. Results demonstrate the positive outcomes of the intervention program in the experimental groups, compared with the negative outcomes in the control group, as well as the differential effects of the three interpersonal needs on pupils' attitudes and behaviors.