Understanding stigma consciousness: A multilevel analysis across diverse stigmatized groups

Abstract

Members of stigmatized groups differ in how they perceive, reflect on and cope with their stigmatized group status. One potential variable explaining these differences is stigma consciousness: the extent to which individuals expect to be stigmatized based on their group membership (Pinel, J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 76, 1999, 114). However, theorizing and research on predictors of interindividual and between-group variance in stigma consciousness are limited so far. The present research systematically investigated several variables potentially contributing to differences in stigma consciousness at the individual, stigma, and group levels. Multilevel regression modelling using data collected from N = 3969 members of 18 different stigmatized groups revealed that stigma consciousness varies primarily between individuals and less between groups and is largely predicted by individual-level factors, including discrimination experiences, ingroup identification and ideological beliefs. Our findings help to refine the conceptualization of stigma consciousness as an individual psychological characteristic, shaped primarily by individual perceptions and experiences rather than group memberships. Future research directions are discussed, highlighting further individual-level predictors as well as outcomes of stigma consciousness.