Do You See What I See?: Similarities And Differences In Victims' And Observers' Perceptions Of Discrimination

Abstract

The present study examines whether victims and observers use similar decision rules when deciding whether an action reflects discrimination. Forty-six victim-observer pairs were asked to indicate whether discrimination occurred in situations in which victims received negative feedback and in which discrimination was certain or ambiguous. Predictors of victims' and observers' individual judgments and predictors of victim-observer agreement were identified. The results suggest that victims and observers use similar, yet not identical, processes when making their individual judgments. Both victims and observers were more likely to say the negative feedback was due to discrimination when discrimination was more certain and when the perpetrator violated the norm of social responsibility. Differential predictors also emerged: Victims perceived discrimination when they were surprised by the negative evaluation. Observers perceived discrimination when they were not concerned with their social image. Victim-observer agreement was related to the gender of the observer: Same-sexed observers made similar judgments as victims, whereas opposite-sex observers did not. Opposite-sex observers were more reluctant to interpret the negative evaluation as discrimination. Social and theoretical implications are discussed.