Effects of Ingroup and Outgroup Celebrities on Asian American and Hispanic Teens’ Self-Esteem and Ingroup Judgments

Abstract

ABSTRACT Do ingroup celebrities yield psychological benefits or costs for marginalized youth? Might outgroup celebrities prompt a sense of connection and thereby also yield benefits? In two experiments (the latter a replication six years later with different exemplars), Asian American (n1 = 85, n2 = 205) and US Hispanic (n1 = 135, n2 = 220) teens were randomized to see ingroup celebrity profiles, outgroup celebrity profiles, or no-exposure control. In both studies, ingroup celebrities (vs. control) increased Asian American teens’ self-esteem, but not via hypothesized effects on ingroup warmth or pride. In Study 1, Hispanic teens showed no experimental effects of ingroup celebrities; in Study 2, they showed a single moderated effect on perceptions of Hispanic school achievement. Both samples, in both studies, showed minimal effects of outgroup celebrities. Non-experimental associations with perceptions of ingroup celebrities were largely positive. Results highlight the complexity of identity-related effects, including differences between marginalized groups.