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Perceived discrimination as worldview threat or worldview confirmation: implications for self-esteem.

Brenda Major¹, Cheryl R Kaiser, Laurie T O'Brien

¹Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA. major@psych.ucsb.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

|June 6, 2007

Summary

Belief in a meritocracy worldview influences how perceived discrimination affects self-esteem in devalued groups. Endorsing meritocracy can lower self-esteem when discrimination is perceived, while rejecting it may buffer against negative impacts.

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Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Sociology
Psychology

Background:

Perceived discrimination significantly impacts self-esteem, particularly within devalued groups.
Individual worldviews may play a crucial role in moderating this relationship.
Understanding these moderating factors is essential for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether an individual's worldview moderates the effect of perceived discrimination on self-esteem.
To examine how endorsing or rejecting a meritocracy worldview influences self-esteem following experiences of discrimination.
To explore the psychological mechanisms linking perceived discrimination, worldview, and self-esteem.

Main Methods:

Three studies were conducted involving participants from devalued groups, including Latino Americans and women.
Methodologies included surveys assessing perceived discrimination, self-esteem, and endorsement of a meritocracy worldview.
Experimental manipulations exposed participants to information about discrimination against their ingroup.

Main Results:

Endorsing a meritocracy worldview was associated with lower self-esteem when discrimination was perceived, whereas rejecting it was linked to higher self-esteem.
Exposure to ingroup discrimination decreased self-esteem and increased vulnerability among meritocracy believers, but increased self-esteem among non-believers.
Belief in a meritocracy worldview moderated the association between perceived discrimination and self-esteem, as well as ingroup blame.

Conclusions:

An individual's worldview, specifically belief in meritocracy, significantly moderates the psychological impact of perceived discrimination.
Perceiving discrimination challenges the worldview of meritocracy believers, negatively affecting self-esteem.
Rejecting a meritocracy worldview may offer a protective buffer against the detrimental effects of discrimination on self-esteem.