Why didn’t desegregation work the way everyone hoped? In this episode of The Psychology Undergrad, we unpack the social psychology behind one of the most important — and disappointing — experiments in real life: the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education. The hosts walk through Gordon Allport’s Contact Hypothesis, explaining why simply putting students from different backgrounds in the same classroom didn’t erase prejudice or raise self-esteem.

From failed “equal status” classrooms and competitive learning environments to the breakthrough of Elliot Aronson’s Jigsaw Classroom, this episode digs into how cooperation and interdependence can reshape prejudice, empathy, and self-concept. Along the way, the hosts draw parallels to modern workplaces, online collaboration, and even spiritual ideas about unity and interdependence — showing that empathy isn’t just learned, it’s structured.

If you’ve ever wondered why good intentions fall flat in social reform, this episode breaks it down with humour, insight, and heart — reminding us that proximity isn’t the same as connection.#socialpsychology #psychologyundergrad #contacthypothesis #prejudice #empathy #education #jigsawclassroom #cooperation #behaviorchange #psychologypodcast