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Metastereotypes, perceived mattering, and well-being among minority groups
Psychology, Health & Medicine
Abstract
Perception of mattering may be especially important for those who are more likely to be the object of negative stereotypes, such as members of minority groups. The present study aimed to analyse the relationship between perceived mattering to family and friends, metastereotypes, and well-being among two minority groups: people living with HIV (PLWHA) and people with disabilities (PWDs). Of 100 participants, 39 were living with HIV and 61 were individuals with disabilities. Multiple regression analyses showed that positive (more than negative) metastereotypes could significantly predict perceived mattering and well-being among both groups. Mattering to both family and friends significantly predicted many dimensions of well-being among both PLWHA and PWDs. These findings show that perception of mattering is related to the well-being of minority group members. Interventions aimed at improving the well-being of individuals who belong to minority groups should focus on positive metastereotypes and the perception of being important to significant others, considering both friends and family members.
... It could also be interesting to deepen the association between mattering and well-being among marginalized groups, given their migration status or ethnicity (e.g., Martinez-Damia et al., 2023) or life conditions such as sexual orientation, gender identity, or those suffering from chronic health conditions (e.g. Matera et al., 2021a;Brandt & Carmichael, 2020). Moreover, only a few studies explored the association between mattering and well-being among adolescents, although for this population mattering could be particularly relevant, as youth is a period of life in which self-concept is developing (Rosenberg, 1985). ...
... Our findings contribute to shifting attention from strictly individual to interpersonal and contextual elements that can affect well-being and positive functioning (Arcidiacono & Di Martino, 2016), which is important, especially in Western societies, where individualism is often considered to be an entirely positive value . The positive association between mattering and well-being that emerged from the present meta-analysis, indicates that the feeling of being important to others affects all aspects of individuals' lives from the self-concept (Rosenberg, 1985) to, in some cases, physical satisfaction (Matera et al., 2021a). Moreover, it emerged how people's positive functioning, flourishing, self-realization and life satisfaction are strictly related to the quality of their interpersonal relationships (Waldinger & Schulz, 2023). ...
Perception of mattering, the feeling of being important to others (Rosenberg & McCullogh in Community Ment Health J 2:163–182, 1981), is receiving increasing attention as a factor that promotes well-being. Individual well-being has been defined in different ways, such as hedonic, as in a deep satisfaction with life (Diener & Lucas in Well-being: Foundations of Hedonic Psychology 213, 1999), eudaimonic, as in the realization of the true self (Ryff in Curr Dir Psychol Sci 4(4):99–104, 1995), and holistic, which is satisfaction across all domains of life (Prilleltensky et al., in J Community Psychol 43(2):199–226, 2015). The present study aims to systematize this body of literature on mattering and well-being to clarify whether the two constructs are linked independently from their conceptualization; to this end, a meta-analysis of 30 studies, following the PRISMA framework, was conducted. A significant medium effect size emerged between mattering and well-being (r = 0.41*** [95% CI 0.33, 0.49]), with eudaimonic well-being showing a higher effect size in association with mattering (r = 0.55*** [95% CI 0.46, 0.64]). The results indicate that mattering is a relevant construct when studying the positive functioning of individuals; in particular, mattering was found to be a key factor in the process of defining one’s sense of worth and purpose in life.
... Research has shown that, in general, activation of positive meta-stereotypes can have positive effects for individuals, asymmetric to the effects of negative meta-stereotypes. That is, positive meta-stereotypes might activate a feeling that one matters to others and lead to positive attitudes about the out-group (Gómez, 2002;Matera et al., 2020). Moreover, research found that, in contrast with avoidance behavior that might follow negative meta-stereotypes, activation of positive meta-stereotypes can be beneficial for interactions with the out-group (Fowler & Gasiorek, 2020;Vezzali, 2017). ...
Women are still underrepresented at the top levels of organizations across Europe and the United States. Scholars have identified obstacles that hinder women’s climb to the top but have overlooked women’s perceptions of job advertisements for top-level positions as a potential barrier to top-level positions. The present study investigated the effects of meta-stereotyped person requirements (positive vs. negative) and their wording (dispositional vs. behavioral) in job ads for top-level executive positions on female candidates’ application intention, as well as the mediating effect of job attractiveness. An experimental field study in a large, Western European governmental organization (Nmain study = 432 female officers), preceded by a pilot study (verbal protocol analysis; Npilot = 19 female executives) showed that compared to positively meta-stereotyped person requirements, negatively meta-stereotyped person requirements reduced female candidates’ attraction to a job and, in turn, their intention to apply for top-level executive positions. The way person requirements were worded in job ads (i.e., in a behavioral versus dispositional way) also affected women’s perceived job attractiveness, yet this depended on the type of requirement. Implications are considered for drafting job ads to encourage more qualified female candidates to apply.
... A percepção de mattering pode amortecer vários estressores da vida (Flett, 2022) e promover o bem-estar e a saúde mental (Flett & Heisel, 2021;Haizlip et al., 2020;Mohamed et al., 2022). Grupos minoritários podem se sentir protegidos contra os estereótipos negativos por meio desta percepção (Matera et al., 2021). Indivíduos que não se sentem importantes podem ter autoconceito negativo, apego inseguro, desconexão social e vulnerabilidade pessoal (Flett, 2022;Flett et al., 2012). ...
Mattering is the personal sense of feeling significant and valued by other people, a vital construct and psychological resource central to the human condition, which can buffer stressors. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Organizational Mattering Scale, composed of the Competence and Recognition factors. The research had 137 female participants, 65% ofwhom were public servants – armed forces, police, firefighters, and municipal guards. Participants’ scores were examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results revealed a very good fit of the empirical data to the theoretical model, evidencing the validity of the instrument’s internal structure. The internal consistency coefficients also provided strong evidence of the measure’s reliability. This scale can be an important resource for evaluating female professionals in a traditionally stereotyped work context. Studies with larger and more representative samples are suggested, aiming to generate more robust evidence of external validity for the instrument.
... 460). Moreover, feeling valued has been empirically correlated to the wellbeing of underprivileged groups such as adults with HIV or disabilities (Matera et al., 2021) and rural or Black adolescents (Jones, 2018;Schmidt et al., 2020). ...
Community participation can be a potential strategy to increase the degree of the subjective wellbeing of immigrants within receiving societies. This study aims to analyze the relationship between immigrants' community participation and their subjective wellbeing, testing the two dimensions of sense of mattering (feeling valued and adding value) and psychological sense of community as potential mediators of this relationship. A total of 308 first-generation immigrants living in Northern Italy filled out a questionnaire (45.1% were members of a migrant community-based organization). We found that immigrants who are members of a migrant organization show a higher level of subjective wellbeing, sense of mattering, and psychological sense of community than those who are not members. We also found that the sense of adding value and the psychological sense of community serve as mediators of the relationship between community participation and subjective wellbeing. The findings suggest that active participation is positively related to immigrants' feeling useful and capable of contributing to society and their feeling of belonging, which, in turn, are positively related to their subjective wellbeing. Practical implications are presented, focusing on the need for generative social policies to move beyond the welfarist perspective in which immigrants only "receive" to embrace an active perspective in which immigrants can also "give."
... Matera and colleagues (2020) found that mattering resulted to be associated with different life domains depending on which group mattering was referred to: mattering to family predicted interpersonal and economic well-being, while mattering to friends predicted overall, community, occupational, psychological, and economic well-being. Matera et al. (2021) explored the association between mattering to family and friends and well-being in some minority groups, finding that mattering to family predicted interpersonal, psychological, physical, and economic well-being, while mattering to friends predicted all well-being domains. ...
Objective: The present study aimed to examine the protective
role of perceived mattering to family and friends on psychological well-being in the Italian context during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering the mediating role of emotion regulation.
Design: Data were collected during the first lockdown (March–April, 2020; time 1) and in other two moments (August and November, 2020; times 2 and 3). Cross-sectional analyses were conducted considering participants who completed the first wave (N=457), while longitudinal analyses were performed on participants who completed the three waves (N=109). Main outcome measures. Participants were administered the Mattering to Others Questionnaire, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and a short form of the Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale.
Results: Results of correlational analyses supported the hypothesised link between perceived mattering and psychological well-being, which was mediated by difficulties in emotion regulations. Results of multilevel SEMs showed that individuals who experienced more mattering to family than others across a 9 months period, reported also lower levels of difficulties in emotion regulation and higher psychological well-being than others.
Conclusion: Our findings clearly show that the perception of being important for family and friends could favour emotion regulation, thus protecting individuals from the negative psychological consequences of social isolation.
... For example, institutional racism in the United States (Griffith et al., 2007) may result in settings which are insufficiently proactive in fostering mattering for ethnic minority groups. Given recent findings connecting mattering to the well-being of minority groups (Matera et al., 2020), this represents a fruitful area of study for researchers and policymakers. ...
Mattering is defined as experiences of feeling valued and adding value in different domains of life: self, relationships, work, and community. Mattering is a construct with great relevance across psychological and social issues. Research has suggested there may be value in understanding group differences in mattering. Following the recent validation of a scale which measures mattering across multiple domains of life (MIDLS), the present study analyzed a representative US sample to identify demographic group differences in domain-specific mattering. Despite the presence of few differences in Overall Mattering, significant differences were found among all domains and between groups for each demographic variable. Overall, high incomes, advanced degrees, and employment were most consistently associated with higher mattering across domains. In addition, individuals across demographic groups and domains were more likely to report adding value than feeling valued. Age, gender, ethnicity, and marital status correlations were found in certain domains. These results demonstrate the value of a multidimensional conception of mattering and provide initial insight into demographic differences in mattering in a United States, English-speaking sample.
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This study examined the association between congruence in the two partners' perceptions and their relationship satisfaction. We considered congruence between metaperception and partner‐perception (meta‐partner) and between metaperceptions and self‐rated personality (meta‐self). The participants were 236 heterosexual couples. Each couple member reported couple satisfaction and personality traits (in terms of self‐perception, partner‐perception, and metaperception). The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) revealed that individuals who believed to be viewed by their partner as more agreeable, conscientious, or emotionally stable than their partner saw them, were less likely to have a partner who was satisfied with the relationship. When metaperceptions of “Agreeableness” were higher than self‐perceptions, relationship satisfaction for both the actor and the partner was higher. These findings may help to guide therapeutic and clinical interventions aimed at promoting relationship satisfaction in the context of family and couple therapy.
While the importance of having self-esteem is widely recognized and has been studied extensively, another core component of the self-concept has been relatively neglected—a sense of mattering to other people. In the current article, it is argued that mattering is an entirely unique and complex psychological construct with great public appeal and applied significance. The various ways of assessing mattering are reviewed and evidence is summarized, indicating that mattering is a vital construct in that deficits in mattering are linked with consequential outcomes at the individual level (i.e., depression and suicidal tendencies), the relationship level (i.e., relationship discord and dissolution), and the societal level (i.e., delinquency and violence). Contemporary research is described which shows that mattering typically predicts unique variance in key outcomes beyond other predictor variables. Mattering is discussed as double-edged in that mattering is highly protective but feelings of not mattering are deleterious, especially among people who have been marginalized and mistreated. The article concludes with an extended discussion of key directions for future research and an overview of the articles in this special issue. It is argued that a complete view of the self and personal identity will only emerge after we significantly expand the scope of inquiry on the psychology of mattering.
Stereotypes typically have negative impacts on stigmatized minority groups, especially when endorsed by members of that group. This paper examines the prevalence and consequences of stereotype endorsement on well-being within the gay community. Specifically, we explored how gay men’s self-stereotype (i.e., personal beliefs about the stereotypes pertaining to one’s in-group) and meta-stereotype (i.e., believing that out-group members endorse stereotypes pertaining to one’s in-group) endorsement would be related to mental and cognitive well-being. The sample of 253 gay male participants (aged 18 - 78 years; M = 38.25, SD = 13.51) completed an online questionnaire assessing demographics, self- and meta-stereotype endorsement, mental well-being (depression, anxiety, stress), and cognitive well-being (life satisfaction, self-worth) measures. We found evidence that our sample endorsed both self- and meta-stereotypes, with meta-stereotypes being endorsed more strongly than self-stereotypes. Regression analyses revealed a unique pattern of findings about the consequences of endorsing stereotypes: increases in self-stereotyping predicted decreases in mental well-being, whereas increases in meta-stereotyping predicted decreases in cognitive well-being. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Date : 3 dicembre 2018 Il mondo delle persone disabili, nel nostro paese, è per molti aspetti invisibile e sconosciuto, scarsamente sostenuto da servizi specifici e oggetto di pregiudizi e di una visione ancora fortemente discriminatoria. A partire dal 1999, l'Istat ha costruito il sito Disabilità in cifre, per documentare le condizioni di vita delle persone con disabilità: un impegno per la loro inclusione e la loro partecipazione, a sostegno dei loro diritti. E' uno strumento di facile accesso, che mette a disposizione dei ricercatori, dei decisori, degli stakeholder, delle associazioni e dei cittadini un grande patrimonio informativo, in evoluzione, per corrispondere sempre più efficacemente al bisogno di conoscere in modo approfondito, tempestivo e affidabile la condizione delle persone con limitazioni. L'informazione statistica contribuisce a restituire un quadro ampio e complesso, nel quale gli aspetti medici si integrano con quelli della famiglia, dei servizi, del benessere quotidiano, dello studio, del lavoro, delle relazioni sociali, del tempo libero, della partecipazione ai media digitali, della qualità complessiva della vita. Dal concetto di disabilità al concetto di limitazione. Quante sono, in Italia, le persone con disabilità? Rispondere a una domanda in apparenza così semplice e diretta presuppone scegliere una definizione tra le molte che circolano. Quella medico-legale si riferisce alla disabilità come deficit di salute fisica, psichica o sensoriale, certificato da una commissione di esperti. In base a questa accezione, presso il Casellario dei beneficiari di pensioni erogate dall'Inps risultano circa 4 milioni e 360 mila persone in condizione di disabilità (Cfr. Tavola 1). Dal punto di vista dell'implementazione statistica della definizione di persona con disabilità, nell'ambito del sistema delle statistiche europee, l'Istat ha inserito in alcune indagini sociali un unico quesito, predisposto in collaborazione con Eurostat. Il quesito rileva le persone che, a causa di problemi di salute, lamentano limitazioni, gravi e non gravi, che durano da almeno 6 mesi nelle attività che svolgono abitualmente. In questa formulazione, il quesito si rifà al "Global Activity Limitation Index" e permette la comparabilità internazionale delle statistiche sulla disabilità. In base a questo strumento, con i dati dell'indagine Istat sugli "Aspetti della vita quotidiana" si stima che
Background:
The objective of this study is to present the psychometric and cultural adaptation of the I COPPE scale to the Italian context. The original 21-item I COPPE was developed by Isaac Prilleltensky and colleagues to integrate a multidimensional and temporal perspective into the quantitative assessment of people's subjective well-being. The scale comprises seven domains (Overall, Interpersonal, Community, Occupation, Psychological, Physical, and Economic well-being), which tap into past, present, and future self-appraisals of well-being.
Methods:
The Italian adapted version of the I COPPE scale underwent translation and backtranslation procedure. After a pilot study was conducted on a local sample of 683 university students, a national sample of 2432 Italian citizens responded to the final translated version of the I COPPE scale, 772 of whom re-completed the same survey after a period of four months. Respondents from both waves of the national sample were recruited partly through on-line social networks (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and SurveyMonkey) and partly by university students who had been trained in Computer-Assisted Survey Information Collection.
Results:
Data were first screened for non-valid cases and tested for multivariate normality and missing data. The correlation matrix revealed highly significant correlation values, ranging from medium to high for nearly all congeneric variables of the I COPPE scale. Results from a series of nested and non-nested model comparisons supported the 7-factor correlated-traits model originally hypothesised, with factor loadings and inter-item reliability ranging from medium to high. In addition, they revealed that the I COPPE scale has strong internal reliability, with composite reliability always higher than .7, satisfactory construct validity, with average variance extracted nearly always higher than .5, and and full strict invariance across time.
Conclusions:
The Italian adaptation of the I COPPE scale presents appropriate psychometric properties in terms of both validity and reliability, and therefore can be applied to the Italian context. Some limitation and recommendations for future studies are discussed.
Objective:
This study examines the role of mattering to others as an intrapersonal construct that may mediate the relationship between social support and 2 separate criterion variables: recovery and internalized stigma associated with living with a serious mental health condition. Adults living with serious mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, face numerous social challenges that may leave them feeling isolated, stigmatized, and that they do not matter to others, thus thwarting the potential for recovery. Theorists and researchers conceptualize the sense of mattering to others as the perception that 1 is valued, recognized by others along with the feelings that others are concerned about our well-being.
Method:
Clubhouse members (N = 119) completed 1-hr, in-depth personal interviews assessing perceived social support, experiences of mental health recovery, and stigma associated with living with a mental health condition as well as a sense of mattering to others.
Results:
Mediation analyses revealed the significant effects of mattering to others as explaining the relationship between social support and recovery as well as the relationship between social support and internalized stigma.
Conclusions and implications for practice:
The findings illuminate our understanding as to how social support interventions can enhance recovery and reduce stigma associated with living with a psychiatric condition by attention to perceptions of whether one is valued and recognized by others. Mattering to others among consumers of social and health care interventions can serve to engage individuals who may withdraw from supports or internalize negative self-stereotypes based on internalized stigma. (PsycINFO Database Record
We examined the relationship between contact of police officers with citizens, their (meta-) stereotypes about citizens, and their work-related well-being. Ninety-three police officers from 4 police stations in low and high crime regions in France completed the questionnaire. As expected, negative well-being of police officers is predicted by negative contact with citizens and their belief that police officers are stereotyped negatively by citizens. Moreover, the relationship between negative contact and negative well-being was mediated by police officers’ beliefs that police officers are perceived negatively by citizens, while their perceptions of citizens did not mediate this relationship. Interestingly, level of crime did not influence these relationships. Together, this research shows the important role of beliefs about how one’s group is stereotyped when in contact with another group as it may have consequences for people’s well-being.
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale of perceptions of well-being in key areas of life. We developed the I COPPE Scale, which incorporates overall as well as Interpersonal, Community, Occupational, Physical, Psychological, and Economic well-being. A total of 426 U.S. participants provided online responses to the I COPPE Scale and relevant comparison instruments. We used exploratory structural equation modeling to examine the factor structure of responses and document convergent validity by comparing I COPPE Scale scores with comparison instrument scores. We found strong empirical evidence to support the theorized factors. This study fully and reliably assessed the underlying constructs of the I COPPE Scale and provided psychometric evidence of construct validity. The ability of this scale to assess the domains in a single, easy to administer instrument is a potential contribution to the growing body of literature on well-being. C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Abstract This cross-sectional European study assessed self-reported HIV-related discrimination and its associated factors in health care settings. Socio-demographics, health status, support needs relating to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and self-reported HIV-related discrimination were measured using an anonymous survey in a sample of 1549 people living with HIV from 14 countries. Thirty-two per cent of the participants had experienced HIV-related discrimination during the previous 3 years; almost half of them felt discriminated against by health care providers. For this type of discrimination, logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations with not being a migrant (OR: 2.0; IC 1.0-3.7; p<0.05), having been forced into sexual activities (OR: 1.6; IC 1.2-2.2; p<0.001), reporting lack of time to discuss SRH during service provision (OR: 1.7; IC 1.0-2.7; p<0.05), and insufficient openness among service providers to discuss SRH (OR: 2.0; IC 1.1-3.4; p<0.05). Other significant associations related to unmet support needs on safer sex practices (OR: 1.8; IC 1.0-3.2; p<0.05), partner communication about sexuality (OR: 2.0; IC 1.1-3.4; p<0.05), and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (OR: 1.7; IC 1.0-3.0; p<0.05). Female gender had a protective effect (OR: 0.2; IC 0.0-0.9; p<0.05). Being denied the opportunity to discuss SRH may translate in feelings of discrimination. Improving health care providers' communication skills, and fostering openness about SRH topics in HIV care could contribute to destigmatization of PLHIV.
This article examines the implications of perceived negativity from members of a dominant outgroup on the world views and perceived relative group worth of members of disadvantaged groups. We hypothesized that concerns about the negative opinions a dominant outgroup is perceived to hold of the ingroup (i.e., meta-stereotypes) would undermine group members' views about societal fairness. We expected this trend to be mediated by recall of previous personal experiences of discrimination. We further hypothesized that members' views about societal fairness would predict their perception of the ingroup's worth relative to the outgroup - such that undermined views about societal fairness would be associated with lower perceived ingroup worth relative to the outgroup. Taken jointly, results from two studies using two real intergroup contexts support these hypotheses and are discussed in terms of their implications for the social mobility of members of disadvantaged groups.
This research examined whether normal-weight people who believe they are overweight expect that other people negatively stereotype them when their appearance becomes relevant. moreover, it was examined whether these negative "meta-stereotypes" in turn make people feel worthless. Indeed, the first study showed that body weight dissatisfied women automatically activated negative meta-stereotypes about being overweight when they thought their appearance was evaluated. study 2 revealed that only meta-stereotypes about being overweight, and not traits that are unrelated to the meta-stereotype, mediate the relation between body weight dissatisfaction and self-evaluation. study 3 replicated this finding by manipulating body weight dissatisfaction. finally, study 4 revealed that body weight dissatisfied women are especially likely to feel negative about themselves as a result of applying negative meta-stereotypes when their body is visible.
Although the perception of mattering to others has been described as important for psychosocial well-being (Coopersmith, 1967; Rosenberg, 1985), very little attention has been given to the empirical study, measurement, and evaluation of this construct. The present project employed Loevinger's (1957) three-component model for construct validation to examine the construct validity of perceived mattering to mothers, fathers, and friends. Findings provide support for theoretical inferences about the characteristics of perceived mattering. For example, purpose for life and a sense of relatedness are positively associated with perceived mattering and perceived mattering appears to be a distinct construct from global self-esteem
People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Thailand face tremendous challenges, including HIV-related stigma, lack of social support, and mental health issues such as depression. This study aims to examine complex relationships among demographics, HIV-related stigma, and social support and their impact on depression among PLWHA in Thailand.
This study uses data collected in northern and northeastern Thailand. A total of 408 PLWHA were recruited and interviewed in 2007. HIV-related stigma was measured by two subscales: "Internalized Shame" and "Perceived Stigma." Based on correlation analyses, hierarchical multiple regression models were used to examine the predictors of depression, social support, and HIV-related stigma, controlling for demographic characteristics.
Correlational analysis revealed that depression was significantly associated with both dimensions of stigma: internalized shame and perceived stigma. Self-reported emotional social support was negatively associated with depression. We found that internalized shame and emotional social support were significant predictors of depression after controlling for gender, age, income, and education.
HIV-related stigma has a negative impact on psychological wellbeing of PLWHA in Thailand, and emotional social support remains a protective factor against depression. Intervention developers and clinicians working with PLWHA may find it useful to incorporate the association between stigma and depression into their programs and treatments, and to address social support as a protective effect for the mental health of PLWHA.
This research deals with the concept of self-stereotyping, which is analysed in relation to the concepts of national identity and favouritism towards the ingroup. The hypothesis is that the stronger the identification with one¿s nationality, the more positive will be the auto-stereotypes attributed to the national group. Furthermore, it is predicted that high levels of national identification are associated with an interdependent, rather than an independent, self-concept. We use the Spanish version of the European Opinion Survey (EOS), whose psychometric properties were tested. The questionnaire was completed by 263 Spanish students. Findings support the validity and reliability of EOS, even though the self-concept scale shows some problems concerned with construct validity. The two hypotheses tested were confirmed. In relation to auto-stereotyping, it was observed that the way in which the Spanish represent themselves has changed over a period of time, and that the trait ¿fun-loving¿ was indicated as particularly representative of the Spanish national population. These findings are quite different from those obtained by Sangrador in a study conducted in Spain in 1996, due both to the relevant political changes that have characterized Spain in the last few years, and to the particular comparative context elicited by the EOS. Stereotypes are not rigid structures, but depend on the context in which they take form
Stereotype threat is being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group. Studies 1 and 2 varied the stereotype vulnerability of Black participants taking a difficult verbal test by varying whether or not their performance was ostensibly diagnostic of ability, and thus, whether or not they were at risk of fulfilling the racial stereotype about their intellectual ability. Reflecting the pressure of this vulnerability, Blacks underperformed in relation to Whites in the ability-diagnostic condition but not in the nondiagnostic condition (with Scholastic Aptitude Tests controlled). Study 3 validated that ability-diagnosticity cognitively activated the racial stereotype in these participants and motivated them not to conform to it, or to be judged by it. Study 4 showed that mere salience of the stereotype could impair Blacks' performance even when the test was not ability diagnostic. The role of stereotype vulnerability in the standardized test performance of ability-stigmatized groups is discussed.
Three studies demonstrated that meta-stereotypes held by members of dominant groups about how their group is viewed by a lower status group have important implications for intergroup relations. Study 1 confirmed that White Canadians hold a shared negative meta-stereotype about how they are viewed by Aboriginal Canadians; Studies 2 and 3 extended these results to people's beliefs about an individual out-group member's impressions of them. Feeling stereotyped was associated with negative emotions about intergroup interaction as well as decreases in current self-esteem and self-concept clarity. The perceptions of low- and high-prejudiced persons (LPs and HPs) diverged in a manner consistent with their distinct personal values and group identifications. LPs held a more negative meta-stereotype than did HPs. However, in a one-on-one interaction, HPs sensed that they were stereotyped, whereas LPs felt that they conveyed a counterstereotypical impression.
The present study aimed to examine the link between metastereotypes of international students and their intergroup intentions and adjustment within the receiving country, considering the role of intercultural communication apprehension with host majority members. Participants were 191 international PhD students in Italy. All of them completed a questionnaire measuring positive and negative metastereotypes referred to their group (i.e., international students), intercultural communication apprehension, psychological adjustment, self-disclosure, and contact intentions with Italian majority members. Path analysis showed that the effects of positive and negative metastereotypes were not completely symmetrical. Positive metastereotypes were directly linked to self-disclosure and intended contact, while negative metastereotypes presented a direct link to psychological adjustment. Nevertheless, both of them were related to intercultural communication apprehension, which in turn was associated with psychological adjustment and willingness to communicate personal information and to have contacts with Italians. These findings proved that metastereotypes can be implicated in international students’ intergroup relations and adjustment, with some differences between negative and positive beliefs. It is also the latter that interventions should address to improve international students’ psychological well-being and intergroup relations within the receiving country.
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Negative images of old age can harm older individuals’ cognitive and physical functioning and health. Yet, older people may be confronted with age stereotypes that are inconsistent with their own personal beliefs. We examine the implications for older people's wellbeing of three distinct elements of age stereotypes: their personal beliefs about their age group, their perception about how others generally perceive older people ( i.e. their meta-stereotypes) and the societal age stereotypes that are empirically widely shared in society. Using measures from the Stereotype Content Model and survey data of older people from the United Kingdom (UK) (Study 1, N = 171), we found only partial overlap between older people's personal beliefs and their meta-stereotypes. Personal beliefs were unrelated to wellbeing, but positive meta-stereotypes of older people's competence were linked to higher wellbeing. These findings were largely replicated with a sample of baby-boomers from Switzerland (Study 2, N = 400) controlling for socio-demographics. Study 3 used representative survey data (N = 10,803) across 29 European countries, to test and confirm that the link between positive competence meta-stereotypes and wellbeing can be generalised to different cultures, and that positive warmth meta-stereotypes were an additional predictor. At the country level, societal age stereotypes about competence were positively related to the wellbeing of older people, but only in countries that provide greater opportunities for competence attainment.
This research examined the construct of perceived mattering, defined as the individual perception of being important for other people, and its relationship with self-esteem and well-being. A total of 134 Italian participants (mean age = 32.10, SD = 10.58) completed a questionnaire aimed at assessing the variables of interest. Perceived mattering was found to mediate the relationship between self-esteem and well-being. Notably, perceived mattering to family and friends and self-esteem – even though significantly interrelated – were found to differently contribute to individuals’ well-being. Overall, these research findings confirm that perceived mattering should receive greater attention as a relevant psychosocial construct, with significant implications for individuals’ general functioning. From a practical viewpoint, besides self-esteem, interventions to improve individuals’ well-being might focus on the perception of mattering, which was found to be a more direct predictor of such a positive outcome.
An experimental study was conducted to analyse if perceived concordance on intergroup contact and culture maintenance might influence the attitudes and behavioural investment of international students toward the majority members. The mediating role of metastereotypes and some intercultural communication factors (self-disclosure, contact avoidance, and certainty) were investigated. The participants were 114 international students in Italy (mean age = 22.83), who were categorized into different levels of concordance with respect to culture maintenance and intercultural contact. Our findings showed that perceived concordance with respect to culture maintenance influenced international students’ desire for contact with majority members. Conflict avoidance mediated the relationship between concordance with respect to culture maintenance and behavioural investment. No other mediational relationships were statistically significant. This research is one of a small number of studies examining how concordance of acculturation preferences can influence the intergroup attitudes and intentions of international students. Specifically, the most positive outcomes were produced when majority members were perceived as sharing ideas concerning culture maintenance with international students. Interventions that aim to improve majority–minority relations should consider not only the preferences of minority members with respect to acculturation, but also the way minority members perceive the expectations of majority members and, more notably, the interplay between preferences and perceptions.
Link https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1WAS9XTi-z3PB
No studies have investigated the relationship between self-reported stigma and multiple health outcomes in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). The association between self-reported stigma and symptoms of anxiety and depression (psychological distress), quality of life, service utilisation and adherence to treatment were examined.
Cross sectional study of 229 participants with ID (without mental illness) recruited from 12 centres in England.
Self-reported stigma was positively associated with psychological distress, and number of contacts with services, particularly contact with community intellectual disability services and the police, and negatively associated with quality of life. It was not associated with adherence to treatment. Self-reported stigma was also associated with refusal of at least one service in the last six months. The relationship between stigma and quality of life and stigma and service use were mediated by psychological distress.
The Cross-sectional design of this study prevents inferences being made about the direction of causality. IQ was not formally assessed but was based on clinical data.
This study provides evidence that stigma may contribute to poor psychological health in people with ID, may be a burden on services due to higher service utilisation but may also prevent people from accessing appropriate services. Services should consider screening people at risk of psychological distress due to stigmatising treatment and provide appropriate support. There is an urgent need to develop evidence-based interventions to reduce societal stigma against people with ID and to reduce the impact of stigma when it is experienced by individuals with ID.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
In the present paper we aimed at investigating the role of metastereotypes and gender on hearing people's attitudes towards people with deafness. Ninety-six Italian hearing adults participated in a 2 X 2 experimental study. Participants were presented with the results of a fictitious but apparently real survey concerning opinions people with deafness have of hearing people. Metastereotypes (positive vs. negative) were manipulated through this presentation. Results showed that metastereotypes interacted with participants' gender in determining their attitudes towards people with deafness: when positive metastereotypes were activated, women's attitudes appeared more favourable towards people with deafness if compared to the negative metastereotypes condition. No effect of metastereotypes was observed among male participants. In conclusion, the activation of metastereotypes can be a useful means to intervene for improving attitudes towards people with deafness.
Stereotype threat, the concern about being judged in light of negative stereotypes, causes underperformance in evaluative situations. However, less is known about how coping with stereotypes can aggravate underperformance over time. We propose a model in which ongoing stereotype threat experiences threaten a person's sense of self-integrity, which in turn prompts defensive avoidance of stereotype-relevant situations, impeding growth, achievement, and well-being. We test this model in an important but understudied population: the physically disabled. In Study 1, blind adults reporting higher levels of stereotype threat reported lower self-integrity and well-being and were more likely to be unemployed and to report avoiding stereotype-threatening situations. In Study 2's field experiment, blind students in a compensatory skill-training program made more progress if they had completed a values-affirmation, an exercise that bolsters self-integrity. The findings suggest that stereotype threat poses a chronic threat to self-integrity and undermines life outcomes for people with disabilities.
Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) are severely affected by the HIV epidemic, yet research on the
relationship between HIV stigma and status disclosure is relatively limited among this population. Within this epidemic, internalized HIV stigma, the extent to which people living with HIV/AIDS endorse the negative beliefs associated with HIV as true of themselves, can negatively shape interpersonal outcomes and have important implications for psychological and physical health. In a sample of HIV-positive BMSM (N�156), the current study examined the effect of internalized stigma on HIV status disclosure to sexual partners, which can inform sexual decision-making in serodiscordant couples, and HIV status disclosure to family members, which can be beneficial in minimizing the psychological distress associated with HIV. Results revealed that greater internalized stigma was associated with less HIV status disclosure to participants’ last sexual partner and to family members. Findings from this study provide evidence that internalized negative beliefs about one’s HIV status are linked to adverse interpersonal consequences. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to prevention and intervention efforts to reduce HIV stigmatization.
describes [the author's] despair at watching talented African-American college students fall by the wayside as the full weight of racial stigma becomes evident to them / more than half of African-American college students fail to complete their college degrees for reasons having little to do with ability / draws on empirical findings and examples to show how the stigma of race leads Black students to disidentify with their college and to see intellectual achievement as increasingly irrelevant to their self-esteem / shows that when school atmospheres reduce racial stigma, achievement among African Americans is enhanced (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Explored adolescents' beliefs that they matter to their parents. Data from 4 large-scale surveys completed by 6,568 junior and senior high school students were analyzed using the research strategy of theoretical replication. Results indicate that "parental mattering" was related to global self-esteem and that this relationship was not attributable to Ss' beliefs that their parents held positive or negative attitudes toward them. Ss' feeling that they mattered to their parents was also associated with a number of fundamental dimensions of mental health independent of self-esteem (e.g., depression, anxiety, and negative affective states). Males who felt they mattered little to their parents were more likely to be delinquent. The relationship between significance and mattering is discussed, and social and cultural influences of parental mattering (idiosyncratic factors, socioeconomic status, sibling structure, and religion) are reviewed. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This research examined how Dutch Moroccan teenagers in the Netherlands deal with the negative stereotype that they believe the Dutch have about their group. We hypothesize that Moroccans act in line with this negative image when they are prejudiced against the Dutch and feel personally meta-stereotyped. A survey study among 88 Dutch Moroccan teenagers revealed that Moroccan teenagers who felt negative about the Dutch and thought that they were personally negatively stereotyped, expressed attitudes in line with this negative “meta-stereotype.” That is, they act in line with the outgroup's negative image by legitimizing criminality, aggression, loitering teenagers, and Muslim extremism. These findings suggest that being confronted with a negative stereotype about one's group might sometimes lead to a reaction that is both harmful for the stereotyped group as well as society in general. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This research examined the prediction that group members' levels of identification with the in-group would be influenced by the valence of salient metastereotypes. Specifically, we expected those group members who activate negative metastereotypes to report lower levels of identification with the in-group compared with those who activate positive metastereotypes. We further expected the above effect to be mediated by fluctuations in self-view: Those group members who activate negative metastereotypes should experience lowered self-view (or self-esteem), which would then lead them to downplay their membership of the negatively valued in-group. In addition, we expected this mediated effect to be particularly visible among those who were less strongly identified with the in-group to begin with. Results obtained across two studies in which metastereotype valence was manipulated support the predicted main effect and the moderated mediation hypothesis. Discussions highlight the need for a positive social image when concern about the negative connotations of one's social group membership is raised. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HIV-related stigma may negatively impact the health, quality of life, social support and well-being of people living with HIV (PLHIV). Previous studies have used diverse samples and a multitude of measurement instruments to examine demographic and health correlates of HIV-related stigma, highlighting the importance of synthesizing findings across different studies to gain a better understanding of these associations. This study examined the relationships between HIV-related stigma and a range of demographic, social, physical and health characteristics. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the overall strength and direction of these relationships. Twenty-four studies of PLHIV, conducted in North America and published in peer-reviewed journals between January of 2000 and November of 2007, were examined and their findings integrated. The heterogeneity of reported results was also assessed and examined. Our review revealed substantial variability in the ways researchers measure participants' HIV-related stigma as well as their physical, emotional and mental health. In spite of this variability, high stigma level was consistently and significantly associated with low social support (r = -0.369, p<0.0005), poor physical health (r = -0.324, p<0.0005), poor mental health (r = -0.402, p<0.0005), age (-0.066, p<0.05) and income (-0.172, p<0.005). These correlations were of a medium size, which would be recognized by the individual in daily life. Health and mental health professionals working with individuals and families impacted by HIV could benefit from an enhanced understanding of correlates of HIV-related stigma, which will inform assessments, interventions and treatment plans. The association between HIV-related stigma and physical health has potential implications for treatment, care and support for people at different stages of HIV infection. AIDS Service Organizations are also encouraged to integrate findings into HIV stigma interventions and social support programs. Additionally, HIV-related stigma scales should be developed and validated, so that future studies using them are able to report findings that are operationally and conceptually consistent.
Recent research has begun to examine people's expectations for how they are viewed in intergroup contexts, yet little work has considered how these metaperceptions relate to those that emerge in interpersonal contexts. As we extend research on metaperceptions into the intergroup realm, we must address several important conceptual issues. In this article, we provide a general overview of research on interpersonal metaperceptions, along with many factors that are likely to affect whether peo-ple think they are viewed as individuals or as group members. We also consider how metaperceptions are likely to be formed differently in interpersonal and inter group contexts, and depending on the group membership of the perceiver We then explore the consequences of different kinds of metaperceptions for intergroup relations, and how they relate to strategies we might use to improve intergroup relations, to suggest future directions for research on metaperceptions in intergroup contexts.
The pattern of human concerns
- H Cantril
Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. Rutgers University Press.
Aging and feeling valued versus expendable during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A review and commentary of why mattering is fundamental to the health and well-being of older adults
- G L Flett
- M J Heisel
Flett, G. L., & Heisel, M. J. (2020). Aging and feeling valued versus expendable during the
COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A review and commentary of why mattering is fundamental
to the health and well-being of older adults. International Journal of Mental Health and
Addiction, 1-27. 10.1007/s11469-020-00339-4
Quando sento di valere: Primi dati sulla validazione italiana del "Mattering to Others Questionnaire
- C Matera
- N Bosco
- A Guazzini
- P Meringolo
Matera, C., Bosco, N., Guazzini, A., & Meringolo, P. (2017, December 1). Quando sento di valere:
Primi dati sulla validazione italiana del "Mattering to Others Questionnaire" [Paper presented].