Atheism as a Concealable Stigmatized Identity: Outness, Anticipated Stigma, and Well-Being

Abstract

In a preliminary exploration of atheists using a concealable stigmatized identity framework, we investigated outness, identity magnitude, anticipated stigma, and psychological and physical well-being. Atheists (N = 1,024) in the United States, completed measures of outness, atheist identity magnitude, anticipated stigma, and psychological and physical wellbeing online. Consistent with predictions, we found small but significant associations between (a) anticipated stigma and well-being, (b) social components of atheist identity magnitude and outness as well as well-being, and (c) outness and well-being. A significant and moderate association was found between anticipated stigma and outness. There were significant, small indirect effects of ingroup ties, a social component of atheist identity magnitude, on psychological and physical well-being via outness; and of ingroup affect, another social component of magnitude, on psychological well-being via disclosure of atheist identity. Implications for research, practice, and training are offered.

Cumulative consequences of stigma: Possessing multiple concealable stigmatized identities is associated with worse quality of life

“…Indeed, the methods for quantifying intersectionality are largely not agreed upon (see Else‐Quest & Hyde, ). In addition, in determining CSIs, participants were provided a researcher‐generated list of possible identities to check off (see Table ), and therefore we may not have captured every CSI that every participant possessed or was important to them (e.g., [non]religious identification; Abbot & Mollen, ). Finally, our sample was predominantly White, educated, and, as this research was conducted through online collection systems, internet savvy.…”

The psychology of nonbelievers

“…Similarly, ingroup-related aspects of atheist identification were associated with higher physical and mental well-being among atheists [53].…”

Mapping Religion's Other: A Review of the Study of Nonreligion and Secularity

“…Gervais's research also provides a potential solution for this prejudice—a perception that atheism is widespread (Gervais ). This finding has led to initiatives among secular groups for more atheists to “come out” (Abbott and Mollen ), under the assumption that contact with atheists and other nonbelieving or nonreligious individuals will reduce prejudice toward those who fall within religion's other (Allport ).…”

“…A few studies have examined another side to the issue of prejudice and the social stigma that atheists and other nonreligious individuals face: how they differentially conceal, disclose, and manage this stigma and negotiate relationships with family, friends, and others. For instance, Abbot and Mullen's () study of atheists found significant associations between their anticipation of social stigma, their level of openness, and their psychological well‐being. Scheitle et al.…”