Positive intergroup contact reliably reduces prejudice, yet little is known about the metacognitive processes involved in recalling prior contact experiences and their impact on outgroup tolerance. The present research examined whether contact interventions that rely on the recollection of past contact experiences can be susceptible to ease of retrieval effects, and the potential impact on intergroup attitudes. Specifically, we tested whether manipulating the number of contact memories participants were asked to recall (five vs. one) impacts on outgroup tolerance, and whether this effect is contingent upon participants’ prior contact experiences. Results of two experiments (N = 220) revealed a moderated mediation effect of contact recollection on outgroup tolerance via perceived ease of retrieval, dependent upon levels of prior contact. Recalling more (five) versus fewer (one) contact memories was perceived as more difficult, and this, in turn, decreased tolerance, specifically for individuals low in prior contact. Countering this negative indirect effect, however, recalling more contact experiences had a positive direct effect. Therefore, greater cognitive effort appears to act as a suppressor of the positive effect of contact recall. Our findings provide insight into meta-cognitive processes involved in recalling autobiographical contact memories, and the resulting impact on intergroup relations.

中文翻译：

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回忆过去的接触：当群际接触元认知降低外群容忍度时

积极的群体间接触可靠地减少了偏见，但人们对回忆先前接触经历所涉及的元认知过程及其对外群体容忍度的影响知之甚少。本研究检验了依赖于过去接触经历的回忆的接触干预是否容易受到检索效应的影响，以及对群体间态度的潜在影响。具体来说，我们测试了操纵参与者被要求回忆的联系记忆的数量（五对一）是否会影响外群容忍度，以及这种影响是否取决于参与者之前的接触经历。两次实验的结果（N= 220) 揭示了接触回忆对外群体容忍度的调节作用，通过感知检索的容易程度，取决于先前接触的水平。回忆更多（五个）与更少（一个）接触记忆被认为更困难，这反过来又降低了容忍度，特别是对于先前接触较少的个体。然而，为了应对这种负面的间接影响，回忆更多的接触经历具有积极的直接影响。因此，更大的认知努力似乎可以抑制接触回忆的积极影响。我们的研究结果提供了对涉及回忆自传接触记忆的元认知过程的洞察，以及由此产生的对群体间关系的影响。