ABSTRACT
What are the affective, cognitive, and behavioral implications of being stigmatized-of being socially devalued and targeted by negative stereotypes, prejudicial attitudes, and discrimination? This question is central to understanding the phenomenology and effects of stigmatization. Stigma is the possession of, or belief that one possesses, some attribute or characteristic that conveys a social identity that is devalued in a particular social context (Crocker, Major, & Steele, 1998). Although psychologists have long been interested in studying stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, only recently have they begun to examine in earnest the psychological effects of these processes on those who are their targets. As reflected in the chapters in this volume, researchers have begun to investigate a variety of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral consequences of stigmatization, including selfstereotyping, group identification, collective self-esteem, outgroup-directed hostility, task performance, social interactions, and personal self-esteem, among other outcomes.
