In recent years, a multitude of intergenerational contact programmes and interventions has emerged to counteract ageism among young adults. Research on these programmes and its supposed effect on ageism often start from the assumption that intergenerational contact follows a largely linear process in which a high level of encounters, in the right setting, decreases ageism and negative stereotyping. The purpose of this article is to critically examine this assumption by focussing on the underlying process of intergenerational contact, rather than examining the positive or negative outcome. Using in-depth interviews with 35 young adults, we found that although conditions and mediating factors during the contact do play a role in the outcome of intergroup contact, the process of contact is rather varied and does not follow a linear path. The results reveal that whether or not a positive contact experience translates into a changed group image of older people is related to the positioning of such experience within the young adults' personal frame of reference. We found that this has to do with the young adults having diverse and both positive and negative previous experiences, their grandparent-grandchild relationship, stories from others and personal characteristics. With this study, we point to the complexity of intergenerational contact and highlight potential pathways leading to varying group images of ‘the old’.

近年来，出现了许多代际接触计划和干预措施，以抵消年轻人的年龄歧视。对这些计划及其对年龄歧视的假设影响的研究通常始于这样一种假设，即代际接触遵循一个主要的线性过程，在这个过程中，在正确的环境中，高水平的相遇会减少年龄歧视和负面的刻板印象。本文的目的是通过关注代际接触的潜在过程，而不是检查积极或消极的结果，批判性地检验这一假设。通过对35名青年人的深度访谈，我们发现，虽然接触过程中的条件和中介因素确实对群际接触的结果有影响，但接触的过程却是多种多样的，并没有遵循线性路径。结果表明，积极的接触体验是否转化为老年人群体形象的改变，与这种体验在年轻人个人参考框架中的定位有关。我们发现，这与年轻人的过去经历、祖孙关系、他人故事和个人特征有关。通过这项研究，我们指出了代际接触的复杂性，并强调了导致“老年人”不同群体形象的潜在途径。我们发现，这与年轻人的过去经历、祖孙关系、他人故事和个人特征有关。通过这项研究，我们指出了代际接触的复杂性，并强调了导致“老年人”不同群体形象的潜在途径。我们发现，这与年轻人的过去经历、祖孙关系、他人故事和个人特征有关。通过这项研究，我们指出了代际接触的复杂性，并强调了导致“老年人”不同群体形象的潜在途径。