Lecture 17: Experiencing Discrimination l Flashcards
the trajectory from stigma to discrimination
having stigma -> perceiving discrimination -> responding to discrimination -> the impact of discrimination on life outcomes
stigma
Possessing (or being believed to possess) a characteristic that conveys a devalued social identity
3 types of stigma according to Goffman
- Physical
- Mental
- Tribal
tribal stigma
belonging to a devalued outgroup
five dimensions of stigma
- Visibility
- Controllability
- Disruptiveness
- Aesthetic qualities
- Peril
(video, CD, AP)
visibility
The ease with which one’s identities can be inferred
effect of visibility on stigmatization
Visible stigmas are easy to be judged by
perception of stigma for people with visible vs. concealable stigma
- People with visible stigma know that others are judging them based on that stigma
- People with concealable stigma may hide their stigmas
when are stigmas controllable?
- The individual is responsible for their condition
- The stigma could be eliminated by the behaviour of the stigmatized individual
effect of controllable stigmas on discrimination
People with stigmas that are perceived to be controllable are more likely to be discriminated against
People with stigmas that are perceived to be controllable are more likely to:
Try to escape the stigma by changing their behaviour
People with stigmas that are perceived to be uncontrollable are more likely to:
- Focus on self-acceptance
- Confronting people who express prejudice
hiring manager and controllability study
Subjects felt less negativity toward a hiring manager who discriminated against a candidate based on features that were deemed more controllable
disruptiveness
How much a condition makes social interaction less predictable or more uncertain
effect of familiarity on disruptiveness
Familiarity decreases disruptiveness over time
aesthetic qualities
How much a given characteristic makes an individual upsetting to others
effect of aesthetic qualities on stigma
More attractive= less stigma
effect of familiarity on aesthetic qualities
Familiarity decreases the impact of aesthetic qualities
peril
Degree of danger that the stigmatizing condition poses to others
effect of peril on non-stigmatized individuals
Danger reminds people of their vulnerability
effect of peril on disrcimination
Stigmatized identities that are perceived to be more dangerous are discriminated against more
stigma by association
Associating with a stigmatized individual can lead to stigmatization
man in painting and stigma by association
The man in a painting was rated as less attractive when presented next to a person who was less physically attractive
white vs. Black job applicants and stigma by association
The white applicant was rated as less qualified when viewed sitting next to a Black vs. a white employee
The problem with perceiving discrimination
most discrimination is blatant
Attributional ambiguity
the difficulty that stereotyped groups have in interpreting feedback
example of attributional ambiguity
movie crash
female applicants and attributional ambiguity study
Women who were evaluated unfavourably by a blatantly prejudiced evaluator experienced less negative affect than women who were rated unfavourably by an unbiased evaluator
attractive participants and attributional ambiguity study
Attractive participants were less likely to believe positive interpersonal feedback than were unattractive participants
virtual reality and attributional ambiguity study
Participants were more likely to attribute the feedback to discrimination when their avatar was made to look Latinx vs. White. Similar patterns emerged in a follow-up study that gave positive feedback, meaning attributional ambiguity buffered against negative feedback, but also reduced the benefits of positive feedback
when is discrimination more likely to happen
If it’s an outgroup member
In a context linked to negative stereotypes
When you identify more with your ingroup
Having stigma consciousness
When it’s blatant
stigma consicousness
The belief that your group is being judged based on stereotypes
effect of stigma consciousness on discrimination
Higher stigma consciousness -> more perceptions of discrimination
effect of perceived discrimination on health
Feelings of low control and increased feelings of exclusion that are associated with pervasive discrimination are likely to undermine physical health
what forms of discrimination produce the most stress?
Minor forms of discrimination may produce more stress because of their ambiguous nature
what physical health risks are associated with racial discrimination?
- Self-reported health
- Blood pressure
- Smoking
- Alcohol use
what mental health risks are associated with racial discrimination?
- Worse well-being
- Self-esteem
- Control over life
- Depression
- Anxiety
Racial Discrimination in Online Dating study
The only consistent predictors of a swipe decision were: Physical attractiveness & Whether the target belonged to the same race as the participant
Personal/group discrimination discrepancy (PGDD)
the tendency for stigmatized group members to report higher levels of discrimination against their group in general than against themselves personally as members of their group
cognitive mechanisms of the PGDD
- identification
- accessibility
- comparison standard
identification
easier to identify generaL patterns across many people than to identify discrimination with any specific case
accessibility
group-level examples of discrimination are more accessible in the mind than individual-level examples of discrimination
comparison standard
- Our group: “is our group discriminated against compared to other groups?”
- Ourselves: “am I being discriminated against compared to other group members?”
motivational mechanisms of PGDD
- denial
- distancing
- affiliation
denial
we’re motivated to deny or minimize our own experiences with discrimination due to our belief in a just world
Belief in a just world
individuals have a need to believe that they live in a world where people generally get what they deserve and deserve what they get
distancing
motivated to distance ourselves from negative attributes associated with our ingroup
affiliation
claiming discrimination may harm relationships with others
Experience Sampling Procedure
Using a text-messaging service to sample participants repeatedly throughout days, weeks, etc. Allows for participants to respond ”in the moment”.
’Daily Diary’ Method
Have participants write down aspects of their day at the end of each day. Allows for more longitudinal data collection but is prone to biases in participants’ own memories.
