Attributions to Discrimination and Self-Esteem: The Role of Group Identification and Appraisals

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that appraisals of discrimination (i.e. its perceived severity, global aspects, stability, and uncontrollability) mediate the relationship between attributions to discrimination and personal self-esteem. It also tested three models of how ethnic group identification is related to discrimination attributions, discrimination appraisals, and personal self-esteem. In a cross-sectional study of 160 Latino-American students, group identification was positively related to attributing ambiguous negative events to discrimination. Discrimination attributions were related to appraising discrimination as more global and severe. These latter appraisals, in turn, were related to lower self-esteem. No direct relationships were observed between self-esteem and either group identification or discrimination attributions. Results illustrate the importance of appraisals in understanding the relationship between perceived discrimination and self-esteem.

Living with a concealable stigmatized identity: The impact of anticipated stigma, centrality, salience, and cultural stigma on psychological distress and health.

“…To our knowledge, all other previous research on the role of centrality in psychological distress has focused on visible identities (primarily race). In both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, greater centrality of ethnic identity has been related to lower levels of psychological distress among African Americans (e.g., Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003;Sellers, Smith, Shelton, Rowley, & Chavous, 1998;Yip, Seaton, & Sellers, 2006 Eccleston & Major, 2006;Major, Quinton, & Schmader, 2003;McCoy & Major, 2003).In the current research we predicted that greater centrality of the identity would be related to increased psychological distress. While previous research has suggested that identities that are more central to the self may have benefits for psychological well-being because they offer people a source of social support and can provide external attributions for negative events (e.g., Bourguignon, Seron, Yzerbyt, & Herman, 2006;Crocker & Major, 1989;Cross, 1991), we predicted that this is not the case for those whose identity is concealable.…”

“…In both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, greater centrality of ethnic identity has been related to lower levels of psychological distress among African Americans (e.g., Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003;Sellers, Smith, Shelton, Rowley, & Chavous, 1998;Yip, Seaton, & Sellers, 2006). On the contrary, work examining other stigmatized identities, including women and Latinos, as well as some additional work done with African Americans, has shown either a negative or null relationship between centrality-also called identity importance or group identification -and psychological well-being (e.g., Eccleston & Major, 2006;Major, Quinton, & Schmader, 2003;McCoy & Major, 2003).…”

“…To our knowledge, all other previous research on the role of centrality in psychological distress has focused on visible identities (primarily race). In both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, greater centrality of ethnic identity has been related to lower levels of psychological distress among African Americans (e.g., Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003;Sellers, Smith, Shelton, Rowley, & Chavous, 1998;Yip, Seaton, & Sellers, 2006 Eccleston & Major, 2006;Major, Quinton, & Schmader, 2003;McCoy & Major, 2003).…”

Perceiving Discrimination in “Real Life”: Distinguishing Negative Events From Discrimination Attributions

“…Future studies should further investigate the contradictory effects of these attributions on self-esteem in "real life" by examining the different pathways underlying them (cf. Eccleston & Major, 2006). These studies could also look at the social costs of making attributions to discrimination (Kaiser & Miller, 2003).…”

The Dynamic Nature of Coping with Gender Discrimination: Appraisals, Strategies and Well-being Over Time

“…Instead, the experiences and effects of discrimination are most often examined in experimental paradigms, whereby a lab simulation of discrimination is portrayed to participants (Foster, 2001;Foster & Tsarfati, 2005;Kaiser, Major & McCoy, 2004;Mallet & Swim, 2005;Schmitt, Branscombe & Postmes, 2003) or it is examined at one point in time with questionnaires (e.g., Branscombe et al, 1999;Clark, 2006;Eccleston & Major, 2006;Foster, 2000;Lightsey & Barnes, 2007;Kaiser & Miller, 2004;Peters, 2006;Schmitt, Branscombe, Kobrynowicz & Owen, 2002;Scott & House, 2005). Indeed, such methodologies are important for clarifying causation and how the recall of past events can currently affect us.…”