How can ethnic reconciliation be achieved in conflict settings where populations are physically separated? We address this question by examining the role of “extended contact”—a form of indirect contact which entails learning about the contact experiences of others—in the context of Cyprus’s frozen conflict. We field a survey experiment in order to test two pathways through which extended contact works: (1) by helping build a common identity; and (2) by activating empathy. We find that our treatments are associated with greater trust in the outgroup and greater support for cross-ethnic interaction, but only among segments of the population that are initially less favorable toward reconciliation.

在人口实际分离的冲突环境中，如何实现种族和解？我们通过研究“扩展接触”的作用来解决这个问题——一种间接接触的形式，需要了解其他人的接触经历——在塞浦路斯冻结的冲突背景下。我们进行了一项调查实验，以测试扩展接触起作用的两种途径：（1）帮助建立共同身份；(2) 通过激活同理心。我们发现我们的治疗与对外群体的更大信任和对跨种族互动的更大支持有关，但仅限于最初不太倾向于和解的人群。