Does Interethnic Contact Change How We Choose Partners? Deprovincializing Intermarriage Preferences in Japan

This study investigates how interethnic contact influences partner preferences, focusing on the phenomenon of deprovincialization, the idea that contact with ethnic out-groups leads not only to improved attitudes toward others but also a reevaluation of one’s own in-group. While previous research hints at the effect of contact in intermarriage behavior, studies have yet to explore how contact shapes individual preferences, and whether effects are universal or group specific. Using a conjoint experiment with 1,364 unmarried Japanese participants, I examine how both structural and individual-level contact with foreigners affect evaluations of hypothetical marriage candidates of different nationalities. Results show that exposure is linked to reduced preference for co-ethnic Japanese candidates, consistent with the deprovincialization hypothesis. However, openness to foreign candidates varies by nationality. Contact is associated with increased acceptance of some groups, but not others and in some cases even reinforces negative views. These findings extend contact theory into the domain of intimate preferences, giving insight into how partner preferences are socially shaped rather than fixed.