Perceiver Threat in Social Interactions With Stigmatized Others

The extent to which stigmatized interaction partners engender perceivers' threat reactions (i.e., stigma-threat hypothesis) was examined. Experiments 1 and 2 included the manipulation of stigma using facial birthmarks. Experiment 3 included manipulations of race and socioeconomic status. Threat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2001-02, Vol.80 (2), p.253-267
Main Authors: Blascovich, Jim, Mendes, Wendy Berry, Hunter, SarahB, Lickel, Brian, Kowai-Bell, Neneh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Cardiovascular Reactivity
Cues
Dyads
Ethnic Groups
Experiments
Facial Features
Fear - physiology
Fear - psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hemodynamics
Human
Humans
Interpersonal Interaction
Interpersonal perception
Models, Psychological
Multivariate Analysis
Perception
Perception of others
Perceptions
Prejudice
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology
Race
Racial and Ethnic Attitudes
Skin Abnormalities
Social attribution, perception and cognition
Social interaction
Social Perception
Social psychology
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomic Status
Stereotyped Attitudes
Stereotyping
Stigma
Threat
Threats
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Summary:The extent to which stigmatized interaction partners engender perceivers' threat reactions (i.e., stigma-threat hypothesis) was examined. Experiments 1 and 2 included the manipulation of stigma using facial birthmarks. Experiment 3 included manipulations of race and socioeconomic status. Threat responses were measured physiologically, behaviorally, and subjectively. Perceivers interacting with stigmatized partners exhibited cardiovascular reactivity consistent with threat and poorer performance compared with participants interacting with nonstigmatized partners, who exhibited challenge reactivity. In Experiment 3, intergroup contact moderated physiological reactivity such that participants who reported more contact with Black persons exhibited less physiological threat when interacting with them. These results support the stigma-threat hypothesis and suggest the utility of a biopsychosocial approach to the study of stigma and related constructs.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.80.2.253