Felt understanding is a key determinant of positive inter-personal relations, but its role and potential benefits in intergroup relations have been neglected. In the first multi-study, pre-registered test of its intergroup effects, we manipulated intergroup felt understanding (understood vs. misunderstood by an outgroup) in six studies (N = 1195) and meta-analyzed its effects. The results in most intergroup contexts supported the prediction that feeling understood (vs. misunderstood) would lead to more positive intergroup orientations (r = 0.25) and action intentions (r = 0.12). These effects were distinct from the effects of feeling liked by an outgroup, which was also manipulated in each study. An important caveat was that the felt understanding manipulation's effect reversed when the outgroup was stereotypically low in competence, but high in warmth (older adults). Overall, the findings indicate the value of incorporating felt understanding into models of intergroup relations and how those relations can be improved.

感觉的理解是积极的人际关系的关键决定因素，但人们对它的作用和在群体间关系中的潜在利益却被忽略了。在第一个对其组间效应进行的预先研究的多项研究中，我们在六项研究（N  = 1195）中操纵了组间感觉的理解（被外群理解或误解），并进行了荟萃分析。大多数群体间情境的结果支持以下预测：感觉理解（相对于误解）将导致更积极的群体间取向（r  = 0.25）和行动意图（r = 0.12）。这些影响与外来群体喜欢的感觉不同，后者在每项研究中均得到了控制。一个重要的警告是，当外来群体的能力通常定型较低，但温暖度较高（老年人）时，感觉理解操纵的作用就会逆转。总体而言，研究结果表明将人们的理解纳入团体间关系模型以及如何改善这种关系的价值。