Ally confrontations as identity-safety cues for marginalized individuals |
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Authors: | Laura K. Hildebrand Celine C. Jusuf Margo J. Monteith |
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Affiliation: | 1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA;2. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA |
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Abstract: | Three studies and an integrative data analysis (N = 1,017) demonstrated that confrontations (speaking up against a stereotypical or prejudiced statement), when affirmed by bystanders, serve as an effective safety cue for targets of bias. In Studies 1 and 2, Chinese-American and White women witnessed anti-Asian and sexist remarks, respectively. Results revealed that a lone confronter (i.e., a confronter not affirmed by others) was unable to boost identity-safety (e.g., belonging, safety) compared to when the bias was not confronted, regardless of confronter identity (i.e., ally vs. ingroup confronter). Study 2 demonstrated that other people in the interaction group (i.e., bystanders) must affirm the confrontation for it to serve as an effective safety cue. Study 3 replicated and extended these results among White women for confrontation of sexism and Black women for confrontation of racism. Overall, these studies suggest that confrontations, when affirmed, can serve as a safety cue. |
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Keywords: | belonging bias confrontation prejudice safety cues stereotyping |
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