Who Considers Themselves Victims of Discrimination?: Individual Difference Predictors of Perceived Gender Discrimination in Women and Men

Drivers of perceived discrimination among older adults in India: an intersectional analysis

Discrimination is harmful action taken against individuals or groups to protect customary relations of power and privilege. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to experiences of discrimination that adversely affect their quality of life. We use data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI; Wave 1; 2017-2018) to examine different contextual forces that shape the experiences of discrimination in older adults in India, specifically gender, caste, and economic condition. We used the theory of intersectionality to hypothesize that economic condition, caste, and gender combine uniquely to engender perceived discrimination in older adults. We first used a concentration index to determine the sample's pre-existing inequality levels. The concentration curve evidenced a disproportionate concentration of discrimination among people with low income. Next, we used a three-way ANCOVA to examine the effects of caste, gender, and economic condition on individuals' experiences of discrimination. A significant interaction effect of caste, gender, and economic condition [F(1, 30,394) = 8.91 p = 0.003] evidenced the compounding effects of inequalities on experiences of discrimination. Finally, we ran a moderation model to test the ameliorating effects of education on experiences of discrimination experienced by marginalized castes. The model was significant (β= -0.192; p < 0.001), thereby supporting the proposition that increased education level can lead to an increased sense of belonging and perceptions of equal treatment, which relate negatively to perceived discrimination. Results are discussed considering intersectionality in peoples' struggles and resilience in India.

Association of Socioeconomic Status With Life's Essential 8 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Effect Modification by Sex

BACKGROUND

Higher scores for the American Heart Association Life's Essential 8 (LE8) metrics, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, sleep, and diet, are associated with lower risk of chronic disease. Socioeconomic status (SES; employment, insurance, education, and income) is associated with LE8 scores, but there is limited understanding of potential differences by sex. This analysis quantifies the association of SES with LE8 for each sex, within Hispanic Americans, non-Hispanic Asian Americans, non-Hispanic Black Americans, and non-Hispanic White Americans.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, years 2011 to 2018, LE8 scores were calculated (range, 0-100). Age-adjusted linear regression quantified the association of SES with LE8 score. The interaction of sex with SES in the association with LE8 score was assessed in each racial and ethnic group. The US population representatively weighted sample (13 529 observations) was aged ≥20 years (median, 48 years). The association of education and income with LE8 scores was higher in women compared with men for non-Hispanic Black Americans and non-Hispanic White Americans (P for all interactions <0.05). Among non-Hispanic Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans, the association of SES with LE8 was not different between men and women, and women had greater LE8 scores than men at all SES levels (eg, high school or less, some college, and college degree or more).

CONCLUSIONS

The factors that explain the sex differences among non-Hispanic Black Americans and non-Hispanic White Americans, but not non-Hispanic Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans, are critical areas for further research to advance cardiovascular health equity.

Personal- vs. Group-Level Discrimination and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes Among Black Adolescents

BACKGROUND

The negative health consequences of personal experiences of racial discrimination (personal-level discrimination) has been well-documented across developmental stages, including adolescence, in Black individuals. There is also some evidence suggesting perceiving other Black individuals experiencing racial discrimination (group-level discrimination) can protect one's health in Black adults.

METHODS

This study examined the role of personal- and group-level discrimination in Black adolescent health. The study was a secondary analysis of survey data collected from 186 Black adolescents that included reports of discrimination, physical function, anxiety, and depression.

RESULTS

Black adolescents who reported greater, as opposed to lower, personal-level discrimination were more likely to experience poorer physical and mental health outcomes. While group-level discrimination was also associated with physical health outcomes, it was not directly associated with mental health outcomes. Importantly, across all three health outcomes, awareness of group-level discrimination mitigated the negative health consequences of personal-level discrimination. Among adolescents who reported low levels of group-level discrimination, personal-level discrimination was associated negatively with physical function and positively with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Among adolescents who reported high levels of group-level discrimination, there was no association between personal-level discrimination and any of the health outcomes.

DISCUSSION

Consistent with prior research with Black adults, awareness of high group-level discrimination may protect Black adolescents from the negative health consequences of personal-level discrimination. The pattern of the results is also consistent with the literature of the personal-group discrimination discrepancy (PGDD) and psychological wellbeing. Future research should investigate the psychological mechanisms implicated in PGDD (e.g., external attribution of discrimination and intragroup comparison) as potential coping strategies for Black adolescents against the negative health consequences of personal-level discrimination.

The Multiple Meanings of Discrimination

Discrimination is one of the most important concepts for understanding, analyzing, and addressing social inequality. It is a term with many meanings, however, and existing research tells us little about how people understand and use the term. This study analyzes data from interviews with 38 English-speaking adults in the southeastern United States to examine how people use and make sense of the term discrimination. In structured interviews, participants described their experiences of mistreatment, reflected on whether their experiences were instances of discrimination, and explained their reasoning. Many participants expressed uncertainty about the meaning of discrimination and were unsure if it applied to particular situations. When asked to explain why they thought particular situations were or were not instances of discrimination, some participants relied on a legalistic framework, drawing from knowledge they had gained in their formal educational and training. Others foregrounded issues of inequality and social justice, explicitly invoking racism, sexism, and social class when explaining why something was or was not discrimination. A third group of participants, disproportionately but not exclusively White and non-Latinx, considered discrimination to be synonymous with “differential treatment” and unrelated to social inequality. Analyses suggest that these interpretive frameworks reflect participants’ legal consciousness, political consciousness, and their ability to read particular situations as connected to specific systems of inequality—that is, their literacies of particular inequalities.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Consequences and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Women and Men Witnesses and Non-Witnesses

Despite the numerous advances made in Italy over the years in the study of sexual harassment in the workplace (SHW), research has focused exclusively on victims, perpetrators, and their relationships, and not on the consequences that the experience of sexual harassment can produce in witnesses. The present study aims to address this gap by examining how the indirect experience of SHW, in conjunction with variables such as gender, age, self-efficacy, and coping strategies, affects the mental health status of witnesses of SHW. A sample of 724 employees completed a questionnaire that included a modified version of the Sexual Experience Questionnaire (SEQ), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale (RESE). Of the group, 321 participants reported witnessing sexual harassment in the workplace (28.2% of women and 16.2% of men). Results show that witnesses were younger than participants who described themselves as non-witnesses. Results also show that women and men who were witnesses were more likely to suffer the emotional and psychological consequences of the experience than non-witnesses. In addition, female witnesses expressed more positive emotions than men, which enabled them to manage their anxiety and emotional states when triggered in response to sexual harassment in the workplace. Finally, a significant association was found between perceptions of mental health and age, gender, experience with SHW, and self-efficacy strategies. The findings underscore the importance of sexual harassment intervention in the workplace, women and men who witness sexual harassment suffer vicarious experiences, psychological impact, exhaustion, disengagement, and negative feelings.

The Relation Between Gender Identity and Well-Being

Does strong gender identity help or harm one's well-being? Previous research suggests that acceptance of one's social group and feelings of belongingness to the group are positively related to well-being, regardless of the group's social status. However, there are inconsistent findings about the relation between well-being and how central the group is to one's identity (centrality), especially among disadvantaged groups (e.g., women). In Studies 1 to 10 (total N = 5,955), we clarified these relations by controlling for shared variance between distinct gender identity aspects. Acceptance and belongingness were positively related to a range of well-being variables. Centrality was negatively related to well-being. These results were consistent across genders. Studies 11 to 14 (total N = 2,380) found that the negative relation between gender centrality and well-being might be mediated by perceived pressure to conform to the masculine role among men and perceived gender inequality among women. These results uncover a burden of strong gender identity.

Perceived group discrimination based on one's gender and the gender gap in depression in Europe

BACKGROUND

Gender discrimination is one of the most significant psychosocial stressors. This study examined whether the relationship between perceived group discrimination against one's gender (PGD) and the gender gap depression varied by societal levels of gender inequality.

METHODS

The current study used data from three waves (2006, 2012 and 2014) of the European Social Survey and applied multilevel linear regression methods. We assessed depressive feelings through the eight-item version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The sample contained 71,419 respondents living in 22 countries.

RESULTS

While only a small percentage of people were confronted with PGD, this group consistently reported more depressive feelings. PGD had a similar effect on the mental health of men and women, except for men in more gender-egalitarian societies. When confronted with PGD, the latter group reported more depressive feelings in comparison to men in more gender unequal societies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research found a strong association between PGD and depression. In addition, this relationship varied by societal levels of gender equality. More pronounced gender equality strengthened this relationship in men. Research that ignores this social context might, therefore, be limited in terms of generalization.

Work and Stay: Explaining Perceived Discrimination Among Romanian Labor Migrants

Research dealing with perceptions of discrimination among migrants investigated its consequences on their daily lives. However, little systematic attention had been paid to the determinants of perceived discrimination among migrants. This article aims to explain the causes for which migrants see themselves discriminated against in their country of residence. The statistical analysis uses individual-level data from an original survey conducted in 2018 among Romanian migrants. The results indicate that poor relations with natives, a job below capabilities, and the temporary status of migration contribute to higher perceptions of discrimination.

The impact of sexism on leadership in female-male climbing dyads

We investigated how sexism affected leadership in mixed-gender alpine climbing-dyads. We asked whether benevolent sexism would impair, and hostile sexism would increase (as a form of resistance) women’s leadership; and whether benevolent sexism would increase men’s leadership (as a form of paternalism). A correlational study assessed reported leading behaviour of alpine climbers. Then a vignette-based experiment presented climbers with cross-gender targets, of which three were sexist (non-feminist), and one feminist (non-sexist), and assessed leading intentions depending on targets’ and participants’ gender attitudes. Findings showed that women endorsing benevolent sexism indicated lower leading intentions with targets expressing benevolent sexism (i.e., benevolent and ambivalent men) as compared to hostile sexist men. Moreover, women’s benevolent sexism negatively affected their leading intentions with men endorsing the same gender ideology. Unexpectedly, women with low endorsement of hostile sexism reported higher leading intentions with a hostile sexist man than an ambivalent one, and with an ambivalent than a benevolent man. Conversely, men intended to lead more with female targets who expressed benevolent sexism, accommodating these women’s expectations. Further, men intended to lead more with ambivalent women, than with women deviating from gender stereotypes (i.e., feminist women, or hostile sexist women – who lack expected benevolence based on gender stereotypes). We conclude that benevolent sexism likely reinforces traditional gender roles in a leadership context when men face women who fit the gender stereotype; and when women are benevolently sexist, themselves. Moreover, low hostile sexist women confront men’s hostility with higher leading intentions, as a form of resistance.

Are the Processes Underlying Discrimination the Same for Women and Men? A Critical Review of Congruity Models of Gender Discrimination

Although classic congruity models of gender discrimination (e.g., role congruity theory, lack of fit) predict negative outcomes for both women and men in gender-incongruent domains, the literature has focused almost exclusively on discrimination against women. A number of recent studies have begun to address the question of whether and under what circumstances men can also be the targets of gender discrimination. However, the results of these studies have so far been mixed. Therefore, the question of whether men, like women, also suffer discrimination when in gender incongruent roles and domains remains unclear. The goal of the present paper is to integrate and critically examine the burgeoning literature on gender discrimination against men in order to assess whether the symmetrical predictions of congruity models are supported. Through this close analysis and integration of the literature, I aim to identify remaining gaps in the research on gender discrimination. In particular, I propose that researchers of gender discrimination would benefit from expanding their scope beyond that of paid work.

Gender discrimination, educational attainment, and illicit drug use among U.S. women

PURPOSE

While gender inequality has been a topic of concern for decades, little is known about the relationship between gender discrimination and illicit drug use. Further, whether this association varies by education level is unknown.

METHODS

Among 19,209 women participants in Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2004-2005), we used logistic regression to test the association between gender discrimination (measured with four items from the Experiences of Discrimination instrument) and three outcomes: past-year illicit drug use, frequent drug use, and drug use disorders. We then tested whether associations differed by education level.

RESULTS

Gender discrimination was reported by 9% of women and was associated with past-year drug use [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.17-3.29], frequent drug use (aOR = 2.82; CI 1.99-4.00), and past-year drug use disorders (aOR = 3.15; CI 2.16-4.61). All specific domains of gender discrimination (on the job, in public, with institutions, being called a sexist name) were associated with all drug use outcomes. The association between gender discrimination and past-year drug use was stronger among women with less than a high school education (aOR = 6.33; CI 3.38-11.85) compared to those with more education (aOR = 2.45; CI 1.97-3.04; p _interaction < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Gender discrimination is consistently and strongly associated with illicit drug use and drug use disorders among U.S. women, with significantly higher odds for drug use among women with less than a high school education. Future research should examine whether explicitly addressing distress from discrimination could benefit women in drug treatment, especially among clients with lower educational attainment.

Expecting Rejection: Understanding the Minority Stress Experiences of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Individuals

Purpose: Transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals often are the target of enacted or external (i.e., distal) experiences of stigma, discrimination, and violence, which are linked to adverse health, particularly psychological distress. There is limited research, however, examining felt or internal (i.e., proximal) stressors faced by TGNC individuals. This study sought to examine one type of internal stressor, expecting rejection, and aimed to (1) identify how and to what extent rejection expectations operate day-to-day for TGNC individuals and (2) explore how TGNC individuals respond to expectations of rejection.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 participants from 2014 to 2015 who identified as TGNC (mean age=30.4; 60% people of color); data were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research method.

Results: Four thematic categories emerged about expecting rejection: (1) where to expect rejection; (2) thoughts and feelings associated with expectations of rejection; (3) coping strategies used to manage the expectation of rejection; and (4) the intersection of race and ethnicity with rejection expectations.

Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that expecting rejection is a frequent and salient internal stressor for TGNC individuals. We discuss the psychological and cumulative potential health impact of minority stress, and the applicability of Meyer's Minority Stress Model. Therapeutic interventions are needed to address the specific cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses TGNC individuals experience as a result of the stress associated with expecting rejection, including fear, anxiety, and situational avoidance.

Predicting Perceptions of Discrimination among Hispanics and Anglos

In light of the rapid growth of the Hispanic population,accompanied by a recent backlash against affirmative action and claims of reverse discrimination,there is a need to understand the factors that contribute to perceptions of discrimination among Hispanics and among Anglos. The current study expanded on Kobrynowicz and Branscombe’s research on perceptions of discrimination by investigating the relationships between perceived personal and group discrimination and self-esteem,control,individualism/collectivism,and social dominance orientation (SDO) among Hispanics and among Anglos. Correlates of discrimination by gender within ethnicity were also assessed. Among Hispanics,personal self-esteem and personal and interpersonal control were negatively correlated,and collectivism was positively correlated,with perceived personal discrimination. Among Anglos,SDO was positively correlated with perceived group discrimination. Multiple regression indicated that collectivism and personal control were significant predictors of perceived personal discrimination among Hispanics, whereas SDO was a significant predictor of perceived group discrimination among Anglos.

Thanks for the Compliment? Emotional Reactions to Group-Level Versus Individual-Level Compliments and Insults

The current research investigated participants' reactions to positive and negative comments directed toward them as individuals or as members of a social group. Using both perspective-taking (Studies 1 and 2) and actual interaction methodologies (Study 3), three studies found that participants generally responded negatively to negative comments regardless of the level of identity to which the comment was directed. Positive comments were generally viewed positively, except when the comment was directed at the group and was stereotype relevant. When the latter was the case, participants reported increased anger and desires to attack (and avoid) the speaker. Furthermore, these negative feelings and action tendencies were partially mediated by an attribution to prejudice to the speaker.

Responses to Discrimination: The Role of Emotion and Expectations for Emotional Regulation

The present study examined the role of emotion in women’s perceptions of discrimination and their endorsement of behavioral responses to change the status quo. In an experimental simulation involving a situation of sex discrimination, women (N = 108) were primed to experience a particular emotion (sad, angry, control condition) and were subsequently instructed to either suppress or express (or neither) their emotional responses. Women primed to feel sad and told to suppress their emotions reported the least discrimination, whereas angered women who were permitted to express themselves reported the greatest discrimination. Furthermore, when encouraged to express their emotions, women primed to feel sad were more likely to endorse normative actions to rectify the situation, whereas women induced to feel angry were more likely to endorse collective actions to change the status quo. These findings have implications for the role of emotions and expectations regarding their expression on collective action taking.

Perceiving Discrimination Against One’s Gender Group has Different Implications for Well-Being in Women and Men

Using structural equation modeling, the authors tested theoretical predictions concerning the effects of perceived discrimination against one’s gender on psychological well-being in women and men. Results were highly supportive of the Rejection-Identification Model, with perceptions of discrimination harming psychological well-being among women but not among men. The results also support the Rejection-Identification Model’s prediction that women partially cope with the negative well-being consequences of perceived discrimination by increasing identification with women as a group. In contrast, perceived discrimination was unrelated to group identification among men. The authors found no support for the hypothesis that perceptions of discrimination have self-protective properties among the disadvantaged. Results are consistent with the contention that the differential effects of perceived discrimination among women and men are due to differences in the groups’ relative positions within the social structure.

The Backlash of Token Mobility: The Impact of Past Group Experiences on Individual Ambition and Effort

Two studies investigated the impact of past ingroup experiences on individual aspirations and effort. Participants were told that in the past, members of their group had either been offered no opportunities (closed), few opportunities (token), or equal opportunities (open) to achieve a desired outcome. The results show that past group experiences determine responses to current opportunities and affect the perceived feasibility of individual success as well as individual performance. Exposure to a token system has different effects, depending on whether the group is historically advantaged or disadvantaged. Whereas those with a collective history of success see token mobility as a challenge and show superior performance, the same situation constitutes a threat to members of a historically disadvantaged group, who fail to take advantage of the opportunities offered to them and perform suboptimally.

Gender, gender identification and perceived gender discrimination

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of gender and strength of gender identification on employees’ perception of gender discrimination. It also explores whether gender comparison and perceived gender bias against women act as mediators in the above relationships. It aims to advance the understanding of the processes leading to individual’s perception of gender discrimination in the Chinese workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 362 workers via an employee survey in three large companies in China. The human resource staff helped us to distribute a self-administered questionnaire to the employees, and the authors assured them of confidentiality and protected their anonymity. To test the hypotheses, the authors employed structural equation modeling. The authors first conducted confirmatory factor analysis on the measurement model, and then the authors estimated three nested structural models to test the mediating hypotheses.

Findings

– The results reveal that gender and strength of gender identification are related to perceived gender discrimination. The authors further found that gender comparison and perceived gender bias against women partially mediated the relationship between gender and perceived gender discrimination, while gender comparison fully mediated the relationship between strength of gender identification and perceived gender discrimination.

Practical implications

– The study helps managers understand why and how their subordinates form perceptions of gender discrimination. Given the findings, they should be aware of the importance of gender identity, gender comparison, and gender bias in organizational practices in affecting such perceptions.

Originality/value

– This study is the first exploration of the complex relationships among gender, gender identification, gender comparison, perceived gender bias against women, and perceived gender discrimination. It shows the salient role of gender comparison and gender bias against women in shaping employees’ perceptions of gender discrimination, apart from the direct effects of gender and strength of gender identification.

Gender Discrimination and Work Engagement: Moderating Role of Future Time Perspective

This article examines the contribution of perceived gender discrimination to work engagement; the contribution of future time perspective (FTP) to work engagement and more importantly, the moderating role of FTP on the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and work engagement. Based on a social cognitive frame work, it was hypothesized that FTP is positively related to work engagement. Further, it was also expected that FTP would work as a compensatory motivational resource and weaken the negative relationship between gender discrimination and work engagement. These questions were examined using a sample of female employees working in textile and apparel companies in the Chennai and Puducherry regions of India ( N = 234). Results indicate that FTP has a positive relationship with physical, cognitive as well as emotional engagement of the respondents. It also moderates significantly the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and cognitive as well as emotional dimensions of work engagement. However, no significant moderating effect appears for the relationship between gender discrimination and physical engagement of these employees.

The relationship between perceived discrimination and psychotherapeutic and illicit drug misuse in Chicago, IL, USA

Based on several stress-coping frameworks, recent studies have suggested that perceived experiences of discrimination, a psychosocial stressor, may be associated with various risky health behaviors. The 2001 Chicago Community Adult Health Study (n = 3,101), a face-to-face representative probability sample of adults in Chicago, IL, USA, was used to examine the relationship among lifetime everyday discrimination, major discrimination, and the use of illicit and psychotherapeutic drugs for nonmedical reasons. We used negative binomial logistic and multinomial regression analyses controlling for potential confounders. Approximately 17 % of the respondents reported using one or more illicit drugs and/or misusing one or more psychotherapeutic drug. Adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, other stressors and various personality-related characteristics, results from negative binomial regression suggest that respondents who experienced moderate to high levels of everyday discrimination misused on average 1.5 different kinds of drugs more than respondents that experienced relatively low levels of everyday discrimination (p < 0.05). Similarly, an increase in one lifetime major discrimination event was associated with an increase of misusing 1.3 different drugs on average regardless of experiences of everyday discrimination (p < 0.001). When examining the types of drugs misused, results from multinomial logistic regression suggest that everyday discrimination was only associated with illicit drug use alone; however, lifetime major discrimination was associated with increased odds of using any illicit and both illicit/psychotherapeutic drugs. Mental health and substance use clinical providers should be aware of these potential relationships and consider addressing the harmful effects of perceived discrimination, in all patients not only among racial/ethnic minority patients.

Interpersonal discrimination and depressive symptomatology: examination of several personality-related characteristics as potential confounders in a racial/ethnic heterogeneous adult sample

BACKGROUND

Research suggests that reports of interpersonal discrimination result in poor mental health. Because personality characteristics may either confound or mediate the link between these reports and mental health, there is a need to disentangle its role in order to better understand the nature of discrimination-mental health association. We examined whether hostility, anger repression and expression, pessimism, optimism, and self-esteem served as confounders in the association between perceived interpersonal discrimination and CESD-based depressive symptoms in a race/ethnic heterogeneous probability-based sample of community-dwelling adults.

METHODS

We employed a series of ordinary least squares regression analyses to examine the potential confounding effect of hostility, anger repression and expression, pessimism, optimism, and self-esteem between interpersonal discrimination and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Hostility, anger repression, pessimism and self-esteem were significant as possible confounders of the relationship between interpersonal discrimination and depressive symptoms, together accounting for approximately 38% of the total association (beta: 0.1892, p < 0.001). However, interpersonal discrimination remained a positive predictor of depressive symptoms (beta: 0.1176, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

As one of the first empirical attempts to examine the potential confounding role of personality characteristics in the association between reports of interpersonal discrimination and mental health, our results suggest that personality-related characteristics may serve as potential confounders. Nevertheless, our results also suggest that, net of these characteristics, reports of interpersonal discrimination are associated with poor mental health.

Do You See What I See? Perceptions of Gender Microaggressions in the Workplace

Although blatant expressions of sexism in the American workforce appear on the decline, many researchers note that discrimination is not disappearing but is instead becoming more subtle and ambiguous. Drawing from Sue et al.’s construct of microaggressions, which examines manifestations of prejudice ranging from subtle to overt, the present research provides the first known empirical investigation of gender differences in third-party perceptions of microaggressions against women at work. Undergraduate women and men read vignettes describing interactions between male supervisors and female subordinates, which portrayed potentially discriminatory supervisor behavior, ranging in explicitness from subtle to blatant. Results indicate that although both men and women perceive differences in microaggression explicitness, women tend to detect greater discrimination than men, particularly when instances are subtle in nature. Both genders expect microaggressions to generate more negative work outcomes as explicitness increases. We discuss practical implications of our research, including the importance of raising awareness of workplace gender microaggressions, especially its most subtle forms, and of developing supporting programs to help observers of discrimination, who may be more likely to be women in cases of perceived microaggressions against women. Future research directions for addressing the broad range of discrimination facing working women today are also explored.

The Stigma of Being Overweight

In a job context, we investigated whether controllability of a stigma influences the self-protective effects of attributions to discrimination. Eighty overweight females read a vignette and imagined being rejected for a job because of their (1) personal abilities, (2) sex, (3) being overweight due to a disease, or (4) being overweight from personal causes. Results showed that when the rejection was gender-based, participants blamed themselves less and had higher performance self-esteem than when it was due to personal abilities. Importantly, when being overweight had a personal background – and was hence controllable – women blamed themselves more for the rejection and reported lower performance self-esteem than did participants in the overweight condition with a disease background. The results support the dependency of self-protective effects of discrimination attributions on controllability.

The Power of a Smile to Move You

Extending evidence that nonverbal complementary behavior can occur in dyads to the intergroup domain, the authors predicted that women assume a relatively submissive (narrow) posture when confronted with a male instructor adopting a dominant (broad) posture, but only when he smiles (affiliation motive) and when gender is salient. Male affiliation (smiling vs. not smiling) and gender salience were manipulated in Study 1 by focusing on sex differences (vs. individual differences) in presentation style, strengthened by the instructor making a sexist remark. As predicted, women adopted a more submissive posture when gender was salient and the male instructor smiled. In Study 2, male posture was manipulated (dominant vs. submissive) to examine postural complementarity in women. Study 3 replicated the postural effect, especially when the sexist remark is present. This effect was mediated by the instructor’s perceived warmth. Implications for gender, benevolent sexism, and intergroup power relations are discussed.

Balancing Multicultural Competence With Social Justice

To identify a multivariate configuration of feminist beliefs best associated with optimal psychological functioning, 215 mostly White college women completed an online survey measuring their feminist beliefs (Feminist Perspectives Scale, Attitudes toward Feminism and the Women’s Movement, sense of common fate, and Feminist Identity Composite) and 13 measures of well-being with liberation, encompassing individual (e.g., well-being), interpersonal (e.g., egalitarianism), and societal (e.g., collective esteem) levels of analysis. A canonical correlation analysis revealed a significant multivariate association and yielded three distinct functions: established feminism (the strongest, most positive predictor) and its opposite (antifeminism), awakening feminism (negatively linked to individual well-being), and nonfeminist but woman-identified traditionalism (with some compromised well-being). The configuration of feminist beliefs that a woman holds, does not hold, and rejects makes a difference for her psychological functioning as well as for the roles counseling psychologists adopt to achieve multicultural competence along with social justice.

Opposition to redistributive employment policies for women: The role of policy experience and group interest

We examined whether group interest affected ideological beliefs and attitudes towards redistributive policies among men and women. We found that group interest influenced meritocratic and neo-sexist beliefs and support for gender-based affirmative action and comparable worth policies. Men and women differed in their ideological beliefs and support for the redistributive policies only when they had conscious experience with these policies. Those with policy experience expressed policy attitudes that corresponded with their gender group's interests, while those lacking such experience did not. We also noted group interest effects within each gender: men who had conscious experience with the policies expressed more opposition and greater neo-sexism and meritocratic beliefs than did men who were not consciously experienced with these policies. In contrast, consciously experienced women expressed more policy support than did their not consciously experienced counterparts. Overall, our findings indicate that group interest is an important determinant of policy attitudes and related ideological beliefs.

“We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore”: Anger self-stereotyping and collective action

What can motivate members of disadvantaged groups to take action on behalf of their group? This research assessed a model in which measured perceptions of (study 1) and manipulated information about (study 2) other women’s anger influenced female participants’ group-based anger, their subsequent appraisals of instances of possible discrimination, and finally their collective action tendencies. Consistent with Intergroup Emotions Theory, the results suggested that emotional self-stereotyping is one mechanism by which group members can become motivated to respond to possible discrimination, a process supported by group-based anger-driven appraisals about specific discrimination events.

`They Don't Like Our Kind': Consequences of Being Ostracized While Possessing a Group Membership

Individuals are ostracized nearly on a daily basis, which thwarts the satisfaction of fundamental needs and is painful (Williams, 2007). While facing prejudice or discrimination, possessing a group membership can be self-protective (Crocker & Major, 1989) or harmful, depending on group identification (Schmitt & Branscombe, 2002a). How will individuals react to ostracism when a group membership attribution is available? Participants were ostracized or included during Cyberball, a virtual online ball-tossing game, while possessing a temporary, permanent, or no group membership. Participants reported need satisfaction and mood during the game and after a short delay to assess recovery. Initially, ostracized participants felt equally distressed. Possessing a permanent group membership resulted in slower recovery compared to possessing a temporary group membership.