SELECTED PAPERS

Social and physiological context affects the meaning of physiological synchrony.

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Danyluck, C. & Page-Gould, E. (2019)

---

The Biological Perspective on Intergroup Relations

SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE

Page-Gould, E., Danyluck, C. (2016)

MORE RESEARCH

GET INVOLVED

Cross group contact can be an enriching experience— but forming close friendships across group lines isn’t always easy.

Interactions between people from different social groups offer valuable opportunities to share perspectives, build empathy, and strengthen communities. Yet even in North America’s most diverse cities (e.g., Toronto, Montreal), people tend to form their closest, most enduring relationships with others who share their racial background (Aboud, Mendelson & Purdy, 2003; Schneider, Dixon, & Udvari, 2007). While casual contact between groups is common, close cross-group friendships are less frequent than we might expect.

These friendships typically require repeated, meaningful interactions over time with the same person.

When they do develop, they are associated with lower prejudice and greater social cohesion (Page-Gould et al., 2022).

The CUSP Lab examines the social, psychological, and physiological processes involved in the development of cross-group friendships — including the conditions that support them and the barriers that prevent them. We aim to understand what encourages people to move beyond casual contact and what limits the potential for closer connection across group lines.

This research seeks to investigate the conditions under which a cross-race interaction transitions into a meaningful cross-race friendship.