Date of Award

5-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts - Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Steven Estrada

Second Advisor

Scott Drury

Third Advisor

Dusty Jenkins

Fourth Advisor

Scott Pruitt

Abstract

The researcher examined self-concept/self-image and self-concept maintenance processes in response to self-image threat. Replicating previous research, the researcher hypothesized that those who had self-image threatened would not engage in derogatory behavior in order to maintain self-concept (Fein & Spencer, 1997). Participants completed a false intelligence test giving negative, neutral, or positive feedback and were given an opportunity to evaluate members of a locally stereotyped or locally nonstereotyped social group for a hypothetical job position. No significant main effects or interactions were found for feedback or applicant social group on participant evaluations of applicants, indicating that derogation did not influence judgements in the current sample. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that emotion variables would explain more variance in participant evaluations of applicants following feedback than previously used self-concept variables. Neither self-esteem nor emotion were found to significantly predict derogation; however, stability in general self-concept, a measure not used in previous work examining factors affecting derogation, was found to significantly predict derogation, consistent with theory.

Keywords: self-concept, self-image, derogation, self-image maintenance, stereotype

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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