Intergroup contact informs children's perceptions of social inequalities

Applying intergroup contact theory to children's thinking about social inequalities, this study investigated whether and why 8- to 12-year-old American children (N = 379, 50% girls, 48% white, SSS M = 6.92, in 2023-2024) who experienced more direct or indirect intergroup contact with immigrants also treated immigrants more fairly in a scenario reflecting a social inequality. Older children and children with more indirect intergroup contact were more likely to detect and negatively evaluate discrimination, because they knew more about what it means to be an immigrant and had stronger social preferences for immigrants, respectively; βs .39-.16. Children who perceived immigrants faced more barriers in society distributed more resources to immigrants; β = .10. Intergroup contact can inform children's thinking about societal intergroup relations.