Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interaction of Socio-structural Characteristics Predicts Identity Concealment and Self- Esteem in Stigmatized Minority Group Members

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present research investigated the relationship between socio-structural characteristics of intergroup differences, identity concealment, and self-esteem in members of a stigmatized minority group. Structural equation modeling of survey responses collected at a convention showed that socio-structural characteristics interact to predict concealment strategies as a way of managing perceived stigma. Perceived permeability of intergroup boundaries predicted increased endorsement of concealment, moderated by the legitimacy and stability of intergroup status differences. Interacting socio-structural characteristics also predicted self-esteem, an effect mediated by identity concealment. The results illustrate that socio-structural characteristics can help predict stigmatized minority group members’ endorsement of identity concealment despite its potentially maladaptive effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. One participant selected “other”; their score for this variable was removed from the analysis.

  2. Fifteen participants selected several other options, including “pansexual,” “asexual,” or “other,” and their data were not included for this variable in the following analyses.

  3. Five participants chose the “other” option.

  4. These participants were removed from specific analyses for practical reasons: if, for example, sexual orientation is being used as a covariate, there is no way to meaningfully represent “asexual” or “other” in relation to the 7-point continuum along which the question was constructed. In analyses that did not include the item about sexual orientation (e.g., the structural equation models), participants’ data were used to minimize the number of participants excluded.

References

  • Adams, G., Biernat, M., Branscombe, N. R., Crandall, C. S., & Wrightsman, L. S. (2008). Beyond prejudice: Toward a sociocultural psychology of racism and oppression. In G. Adams, M. Biernat, N. R. Branscombe, C. S. Crandall, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Commemorating Brown: The social psychology of racism and discrimination (pp. 215–246). Washington, DC: APA Books.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, M. Z., Croteau, J. M., Chung, Y. B., & DiStefano, T. M. (2001). Developing an assessment of sexual identity management for lesbian and gay workers. Journal of Career Assessment, 9, 243–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altman, E. S. (2010). Posthum/an/ous: Identity, imagination, and the internet (Unpublished master’s thesis). Boone: Appalachian State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bettencourt, B. A., Dorr, N., Charlton, K., & Hume, D. L. (2001). Status differences and in-group bias: a meta-analytic examination of the effects of status stability, status legitimacy, and group permeability. Psychological Bulletin, 127, 520–542.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boen, F., & Vanbeselaere, N. (2002). The relative impact of socio-structural characteristics on behavioral reactions against membership in a low-status group. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 5, 299–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Branscombe, N. R., Schmitt, M. T., & Harvey, R. D. (1999). Perceiving pervasive discrimination among African Americans: implications for group identification and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 135–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brookey, R. A., & Cannon, K. L. (2009). Sex lives in second life. Criminal Studies in Media Communication, 26, 145–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Button, S. B. (2004). Identity management strategies utilized by lesbian and gay employees. Group & Organizational Management, 29, 470–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J. S. (2007). A study of fan culture: adolescent experiences with animé/manga doujinshi and cosplay in Taiwan. Visual Arts Research, 33, 14–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, S., & Mays, V. (2000). Lifetime prevalence of suicide symptoms and affective disorders among men reporting same-sex sexual partners: results from NHANES III. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 573–578.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeJordy, R. (2008). Just passing through: Stigma, passing, and identity decoupling in the work place. Group & Organization Management, 33, 504–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dressler, W. W., Oths, K. S., & Gravlee, C. C. (2005). Race and ethnicity in public health research: models to explain health disparities. Annual Review of Anthropology, 34, 231–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellemers, N. (1993). The influence of socio-structural variables on identity management strategies. In W. Stroebe & M. Hewstone (Eds.), European review of social psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 27–57). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellemers, N., Wilke, H., & van Knippenberg, A. (1993). Effects of the legitimacy of low group or individual status on individual and collective identity enhancement strategies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 766–778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frable, D. E., Blackstone, T., & Scherbaum, C. (1990). Marginal and mindful: deviants in social interactions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 140–149.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Franklin-Reible, H. (2006). Deviant leisure: uncovering the “goods” in transgressive behaviour. Leisure/Loisir, 30, 55–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, R. C., & Downey, J. (1993). Neurobiology and sexual orientation: current relationships. Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 5, 131–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garstka, T. A., Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., & Hummert, M. L. (2004). How young and older adults differ in their responses to perceived age discrimination. Psychology and Aging, 19, 326–335.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gerbasi, K. C., Paolone, N., Higner, J., Scaletta, L. L., Bernstein, P. L., Conway, S., et al. (2008). Furries from A to Z (anthropomorphism to zoomorphism). Society and Animals, 16, 197–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilovich, T., & Savitsky, K. (1999). The spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency: egocentric assessments of how we’re seen by others. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 165–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. New York: Touchstone.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, S. (1999). Understanding party identification: a social identity approach. Political Psychology, 20, 393–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, P. (1992). From hiding out to coming out: Empowering lesbian and gay educators. In K. M. Harbeck (Ed.), Coming out of the classroom closet (pp. 167–196). Binghamton: Harrington Park Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossberg, L. (1992). Is there a fan in the house?: The affective sensibility of fandom. In L. A. Lewis (Ed.), The adoring audience: Fan culture and popular media (pp. 50–65). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gurley, G. (2001). Pleasures of the Fur. Vanity Fair. Retrieved from http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2001/03/furries200103

  • Hammersley, R., Jenkins, R., & Reid, M. (2001). Cannabis use and social identity. Addiction Research & Theory, 9, 133–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haslam, N., & Levy, S. R. (2006). Essentialist beliefs about homosexuality: structure and implications for prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 471–485.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haslam, N., Rothschild, L., & Ernst, D. (2000). Essentialist beliefs about social categories. British Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 113–127.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamer, D. H., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N., & Pattatucci, A. M. (1993). A linkage between DNA markers on the X chromosome and male sexual orientation. Science, 261, 321–327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2011). The social environment and suicide attempts in lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Pediatrics, 127, 896–903.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hemp, P. (2006). Avatar-based marketing. Harvard Business Review, 84, 48–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M. (1991). Stigma, prejudice, and violence against lesbians and gay men. In J. C. Gonsiorek & J. D. Weinrich (Eds.), Homosexuality: Research implications for public policy (pp. 60–80). Newbury Park: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M., Cogan, J. C., Gillis, J. R., & Glunt, E. K. (1997). Correlates of internalized homophobia in a community sample of lesbians and gay men. Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, 2, 17–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herek, G. M., Gillis, J. R., & Cogan, J. C. (1999). Psychological sequelae of hate-crime victimization among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 67, 945–951.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hugenberg, K., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2004). Category membership moderates inhibition of social identities. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 233–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwasaki, Y., MacKay, K. J., MacTavish, J., Ristock, J., & Bartlett, J. (2006). Voices from the margins: stress, active living, and leisure as a contributor to coping with stress. Leisure Sciences, 28, 163–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual poachers: Television fans and participatory culture. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D., Terry, D. J., & Louis, W. R. (2005). Perceptions of the intergroup structure and anti-Asian prejudice among white Australians. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 8, 53–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D. E. (2006). I, avatar: Constructions of self and place in Second Life. gnovis – Georgetown University’s Peer-Reviewed Journal of Communication, Culture & Technology. Accessed online, April 21, 2011, at: http://gnovisjournal.org/files/Donald-E-Jones-I-Avatar.pdf

  • Jones, L., & McCarthy, M. (2010). Mapping the landscape of gay men’s football. Leisure Studies, 29, 161–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, L. (2008). James Bond, Peter Pan, and “A Sticky Night of Love”: Irony and masculinities in amateur animated videos. Journal of Men’s Studies, 16, 124–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, J. D., & Wegner, D. M. (1995). The cognitive consequences of secrecy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mays, V. M., & Cochran, S. D. (2001). Mental health correlates of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1869–1876.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McKenna, K. Y. A., & Bargh, J. A. (1998). Coming out in the age of the internet: identity “demarginalization” through virtual group participation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 681–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda, J., & Storms, M. (1989). Psychological adjustment of lesbians and gay men. Journal of Counseling and Development, 68, 41–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 674–697.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mock, S. E., Plante, C. N., Reysen, S., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2013). Deeper leisure involvement as a coping resource in a stigmatized leisure context. Leisure/Loisir, 37, 111–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mummendey, A., Klink, A., Mielke, R., Wenzel, M., & Blanz, M. (1999). Socio-structural characteristics of intergroup relations and identity management strategies: Results from a field study in East Germany. European Journal of Social Psychology, 29, 259–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, O. (2003). No longer the lonely species: a post-mead perspective on animals and sociology. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 23, 46–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Outley, C. W., & McKenzie, S. (2007). Older African American women: an examination of the intersections of an adult play group and life satisfaction. Activities, Adaptation, & Aging, 31, 19–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pachankis, J. E. (2007). The psychological implications of concealing a stigma: a cognitive-affective-behavioral model. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 328–345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Plante, C. N., Gerbasi, K. C., Reysen, S., & Scaletta, L. L. (2011). International Anthropomorphic Research Project II. Unpublished raw data.

  • Plante, C. N., Reysen, S., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2011). International Anthropomorphic Research Project I. Unpublished raw data.

  • Plante, C. N., Gerbasi, K. C., Roberts, S., & Reysen, S. (2012). International Anthropomorphic Research Project: Anthrocon 2012. Unpublished raw data.

  • Plante, C. N., Roberts, S., Reysen, S., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2013). “One of Us”: Engagement with fandoms and global citizenship identification. Psychology of Popular Media Culture.

  • Quinn, D. M., & Chaudoir, S. R. (2009). Living with a concealable stigmatized identity: the impact of anticipated stigma, centrality, salience, and cultural stigma on psychological distress and health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 634–651.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, S., Plante, C. N., Gerbasi, K. C., & Reysen, S. (2013). Clinical interaction with anthropomorphic phenomenon: Notes for health professionals about interacting with clients who possess this unusual identity. Health & Social Work.

  • Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothbart, M., & Taylor, M. (1992). Category labels and social reality: Do we view social categories as natural kinds? In G. R. Semin & K. Fielder (Eds.), Language and social cognition (pp. 11–36). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Kobrynowicz, D., & Owen, S. (2002). Perceiving discrimination against one’s gender group has different implications for well-being in women and men. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 197–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schouten, J. W., & McAlexander, J. H. (1995). Subcultures of consumption: an ethnography of the new bikers. Journal of Consumer Research, 22, 43–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sedlovskaya, A., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Eibach, R. P., LaFrance, M., Romero-Canyas, R., & Camp, N. P. (2013). Internalizing the closet: concealment heightens the cognitive distinction between public and private selves. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104, 695–715.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smart, L., & Wegner, D. M. (1999). Covering up what can’t be seen: concealable stigma and mental control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 474–486.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snider, J., Lloyd, J., Reysen, S., Plante, C., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2011). Exploring the boundaries and display of furry group membership. Poster presented at the 9th annual Pathways Student Research Symposium, College Station, TX.

  • Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test-performance of African-Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797–811.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey: Brooks/Cole.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Ingen, C. (2004). Therapeutic landscapes and the regulated body in the Toronto front runners. Sociology of Sport Journal, 21, 253–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verkuyten, M., & Reijerse, A. (2008). Intergroup structure and identity management among ethnic minority and majority groups: the interactive effects of perceived stability, legitimacy, and permeability. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38, 106–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wann, D. L., & Branscombe, N. R. (1993). Sports fans: measuring degree of identification with their team. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24, 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wicklund, R. A., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (1982). Symbolic self-completion. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, D. J. (2008). Contemporary vampires and (blood-red) leisure: should we be afraid of the dark? Leisure/Loisir, 32, 513–539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woods, J. D. (1994). The corporate closet: The professional lives of gay men in America. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshino, K. (2002). Covering. The Yale Law Journal, 111, 769–939.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ysseldyk, R., Matheson, K., & Anisman, H. (2010). Religiosity as identity: toward an understanding of religion from a social identity perspective. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 14, 60–71.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zuiker, A. E., Stahl, J., & Lewis, R. (2003). Fur and loathing in Las Vegas [Television series episode]. In J. Bruckheimer (Ed.), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Los Angeles: CBS Paramount Network Television.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Courtney N. Plante

  2. Renison University College, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Sharon Roberts

  3. Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, USA

    Stephen Reysen

  4. Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, USA

    Kathleen Gerbasi

Authors
  1. Courtney N. Plante
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sharon Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stephen Reysen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kathleen Gerbasi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Courtney N. Plante.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Plante, C.N., Roberts, S., Reysen, S. et al. Interaction of Socio-structural Characteristics Predicts Identity Concealment and Self- Esteem in Stigmatized Minority Group Members. Curr Psychol 33, 3–19 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-013-9189-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-013-9189-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation