In contrast to everyday use of the term discrimination, we propose that discrimination can be appraised as either illegitimate or legitimate, and a comprehensive analysis of responses to discrimination needs to account for both ways of experiencing discrimination. We examine how perceived pervasiveness of discrimination and legitimacy appraisals affect group commitment among women in academia (Study 1) and tobacco smokers facing an upcoming smoking ban (Study 2). We found support for our hypothesis that legitimacy of discrimination appraisals moderates the effect of pervasiveness of discrimination. In both studies, group identification and collective action intentions were undermined most when the ingroup claimed that discrimination against them was legitimate and discrimination was perceived as pervasive. In both studies, group identification mediated the effects on collective action intentions. The results highlight the important role of legitimacy appraisals in understanding disadvantaged group members' responses to discriminatory treatment.
Hypotheses drawn from Tajfel and Turner's (1986) Social Identity Theory and a hypothesized``need for distinctiveness'' predict that attention to how two groups differ, as opposed to how they are similar, should reduce prejudice. Previous research, however, indicates that a self-awareness manipulation is needed for prejudice reduction to occur (ZaÂrate et al., 2000). It is possible, however, that the previous self-awareness manipulations acted as self-af®rmation procedures, which may complicate any interpretations. Research by Fein and Spencer (1997)
based on Self-Af®rmation Theory show that self-af®rmation procedures enhance self-concept, which acts to reduce expressed prejudice. The present studies test hypotheses concerning a need for distinctiveness and the role of the self in prejudice reduction.Participants were asked to focus on between-group similarities or between-group differences, after which participants performed a self-af®rmation task (Experiment 1) or a negative self-awareness task (Experiment 2). Results demonstrate that attention to group differences, in conjunction with a self-awareness manipulation, reduces prejudice. The ®ndings are discussed for the relevance to various theories of prejudice and for models of cultural pluralism.
Predictions derived from models of cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation were tested. Previous research has shown that highlighting differences between ethnic groups, in conjunction with self-focus, can reduce prejudice. The presented research tested the following questions: (a) does highlighting differences function to reduce prejudice between groups that are dissimilar to each other as well as between those that are highly similar, (b) is prejudice reduction due to distinctiveness a function of the lessened ingroup positivity or lessened outgroup negativity, (c) does making distinctiveness salient reduce prejudice toward only the distinctive outgroups or to outgroups more generically, and (d) does the manipulation equally impact African American, Mexican American, Mexican National, and White American participants? Results demonstrated that highlighting differences while simultaneously focusing on the self reduces prejudice, although similarity mediates the relationship with those who are perceived as more different. Distinctiveness also reduced outgroup negativity and generalized to other outgroups. Finally, the manipulation reduced prejudice only for White Americans, Mexican Americans, and Mexican Nationals.
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