When We Observe Stigmatized and "Normal" Individuals Interacting: Stigma by Association

The stigmatization process might differ as a function of whether "marked" individuals are viewed within a context of other marked individuals or in the context of positively viewed "normals. "Several alternative impression outcomes seem plausible the destigmatization by association of marked individuals, the stigmatization by association of normal individuals, a contrast effect, or no influence of context. Two experiments produced evidence only for stigma-by-association effects-heterosexual male targets were denigrated when viewed with their homosexual friends. Moreover, this effect survived attempts both to make the heterosexual target similar to the subjects and to present him as an individual of high achieved status. More generally, these data highlight the risk of researching social cognitive phenomena within circumscribed social contexts: Crucial naturally occurring processes are too easily overlooked.