Perceiving systemic discrimination harms well-being while situational bias protects it

Evidence

On the one hand, attribution to discrimination can be seen as an “external” causality, in that this type of explanation can be made independent of, or even as opposed to, the actor’s personal attributes. Indeed, claiming discrimination for a negative outcome, rather than blaming the self, may alleviate the potential damage to self-esteem (Crocker & Major, 1989). On the other hand, attribution to discrimination is likely to heighten the awareness on the part of the rejected person concerning the fact that he or she belongs to a stigmatized group. Arguably, such category-based self-concept may imply an “internal” causality. Indeed, a study by Schmitt and Branscombe (2002) demonstrated that the locus of causality with regard to discrimination can be perceived as both internal and external at the same time. As a consequence, attribution to discrimination may not necessarily be a remedy to damaged self-esteem but may instead hurt self-esteem even more than other kinds of attributions (Schmitt & Branscombe, 2002, Study 2). — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 129 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Perceived discrimination helps or harms depending on whether it is situational or pervasive; Attributing failure to group discrimination both relieves and harms the self; Systemic long-term discrimination is internalized while situational bias is discounted (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Attributing rejection to discrimination can damage self-esteem rather than protect it #corroborates (0.92) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 129
• Vigilance about bias can be adaptive and self-esteem protective #complicates (0.80)