A field study was conducted with majority and minority group members to test whether the effects of optimal contact conditions and of intergroup contact generalize across situations, and extend to the support of intergroup equality in terms of agreement with social policies benefitting the minority group. Participants were 163 Italian and 129 immigrant workers in three corporate organizations. Results from structural equation modelling analyses revealed that, for the majority group, positive contact stemming from optimal contact conditions was indirectly associated, via reduction in negative stereotypes, with more positive behavior that generalized across situations. For both majority and minority groups, positive contact stemming from optimal contact conditions was associated with less negative stereotypes, and in turn with greater support for social policies favoring the minority. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, also in relation to the significance of the present results for research investigating the relation between intergroup contact and social change.

对多数和少数群体成员进行了一项实地研究，以测试最佳接触条件和群体间接触的影响是否在不同情况下泛化，并扩展到在与有利于少数群体的社会政策一致方面支持群体间平等。参与者是三个企业组织的 163 名意大利工人和 129 名移民工人。结构方程模型分析的结果表明，对于大多数群体而言，源自最佳接触条件的积极接触通过减少负面刻板印象与更多在各种情况下推广的积极行为间接相关。对于多数群体和少数群体，源自最佳接触条件的积极接触与较少的负面刻板印象相关，反过来，更多地支持有利于少数群体的社会政策。讨论了理论和实践意义，还涉及当前结果对调查群体间接触与社会变化之间关系的研究的意义。