Denying or concealing a stigma is psychologically costly yet commonly attempted

Evidence

One way in which targets of prejudice may distance themselves from a devalued ingroup is to deny membership in the stigmatized group. Allport (1954/1979) argued, “Perhaps the simplest response a victim can make is to deny his membership in a disparaged group” (p. 145). This response, however, is also perhaps the most psychologically costly a target of prejudice can make. People who deny or conceal a stigma from close others may experience more distress that those who do not deny or conceal it (Major & Gramzow, 2000). … Targets of prejudice may also distance themselves from their group by altering their self-definitions. For example, when warned of the possibility of being negatively evaluated by a sexist evaluator, women subsequently described themselves as less stereotypically feminine compared to women who were not threatened with the possibility of being a target of prejudice (Kaiser & Miller, 2001). Similarly, African Americans whose race was made salient in the context of an intellectual test described themselves in less stereotypical ways than those whose race was not made salient (Steele, Spencer, & Aronson, 2002). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 956 (#expands, via linked claim)

One way in which targets of prejudice may distance themselves from a devalued ingroup is to deny membership in the stigmatized group. Allport (1954/1979) argued, “Perhaps the simplest response a victim can make is to deny his membership in a disparaged group” (p. 145). This response, however, is also perhaps the most psychologically costly a target of prejudice can make. People who deny or conceal a stigma from close others may experience more distress that those who do not deny or conceal it (Major & Gramzow, 2000). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 956 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Bureaucratic contact stigmatizes even people officially cleared or acquitted — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of…, 528; Denying or concealing a stigma causes more distress than acknowledging it — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 956; Concealing a stigmatized identity causes more distress than revealing it — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 956 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Denying or concealing a stigma causes more distress than acknowledging it #expands (0.95) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 956
• Concealing a stigmatized identity causes more distress than revealing it #expands (0.92) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 956
• Victims’ defenses against prejudice can protect rather than damage mental health #complicates (0.78)
• Working harder against stigma can physically harm the striver #complicates (0.72)