Investigating the associations of positive and negative intergroup contact with normative and nonnormative collective action among advantaged group members: the mediating role of common ingroup identity and outgroup morality

We conducted one study to investigate the associations of positive and negative contact with normative and nonnormative collective action among advantaged group members. We also differentiated collective action intentions and support, to further investigate the emergence of differential contact effects. Common ingroup identity and outgroup morality were tested as mediators. Participants were Italian adults (N = 391) and the target outgroup was immigrants. Results revealed that positive contact was positively associated with normative collective action intentions and support, while the associations were of opposite valence in the case of negative contact; the effects of positive contact were of greater magnitude than those of negative contact. For nonnormative collective action, positive associations emerged between positive contact and collective action support, and between negative contact and collective action intentions (for the latter measure, the effect of negative contact was stronger than that of positive contact). Common identity and outgroup morality mediated the effects of both positive and negative contact on normative (but not on nonnormative) collective action. Results are discussed in terms of deepening our knowledge of the effects of contact on nonnormative collective action and of expanding our understanding of mediating and moderating processes