Self-protective coping strategies used by targets of discrimination

Targets of social stereotypes chronically face the possibility of being discriminated against by others who do not share their stigma. In order to defend themselves from unfair treatment due to the prejudice of others, targets may use various self-protective strategies before or during interactions with members of the outgroup that are suspected to harbor prejudice. Use of these self-protective coping efforts may offset the potential harm from discriminatory treatment, or restore the opportunity for fair treatment by the other person. The present research proposes a model of the self-protective processes used to guard against stress, particularly stress due to discriminatory treatment by others. It integrates past models of stress and coping in order to predict the experience of negative arousal from a potential stressor, as well as efforts to engage or disengage from a stressor. Two studies tested the feasibility of this model. Study I tested the overall operation of the process using a daily diary format with heavy women and African Americans and Study 2 further experimentally manipulated appraisals and observed coping of heavy women. There were some mean differences in primary and secondary appraisals, along with the experience of negative arousal by group. Heavy women perceived more harm, fewer resources, and experienced more negative arousal from discriminatory stressors than did African Americans. Overall, the process of coping proposed in the model was supported. Appraisals of potential harm from discriminatory stressors were more important than appraisals of resources for predicting the experience of negative arousal and selection of coping behaviors. Both perceived harm and resources predicted the experience of negative arousal and selection of coping behaviors for non discriminatory stressors. Implications for self-protective coping with discriminatory stressors are discussed.