Predicting the Strategic Identity Management of Gender and Race

Abstract

Two questionnaire studies examined when people strategically claim (i.e., use positive distinctiveness) or downplay (i.e., use social recategorization) socially devalued identities (gender for women in science in Study 1; race for Black medical students in Study 2). The results of both studies indicated that perceiving one's group to be devalued was related to reported use of both strategies, and identification with the devalued group was related to less social recategorization use and greater positive distinctiveness use. Only the Study 2 results demonstrated that identification with an alternate, socially valued identity (i.e., medical professional) was positively related to social recategorization use. Additional measures included in Study 2 indicated that general impression management concerns were related to the use of both strategies, and that positive distinctiveness use was related to less depression and more positive medical career attitudes. These findings contribute to understanding how different people attempt to manage others' perceptions of their socially devalued group.