Sources of Self-Categorization as Minority for Mixed-Race Individuals: Implications for Affirmative Action Entitlement |
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology
Volume 16, Issue 4 (October 2010)
Pages 453-460
DOI: 10.1037/a0020128
Jessica J. Good, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina
George F. Chavez
Department of Psychology
Rutgers University
Diana T. Sanchez, Associate Professor of Psychology
Rutgers University
Multiracial individuals are in the unique position of being able to categorize themselves as members of multiple racial groups. Drawing on self-categorization theory, we suggest that similarity to the minority ingroup depends on self-perceptions of physical appearance and connectedness to the minority ingroup. Moreover, we argue that similarity to the ingroup determines self-categorization as minority, which predicts category-based entitlements such as perceived eligibility for minority resources (e.g., affirmative action). Using path analysis, we found support for this model on a convenience sample of 107 mixed-race minority–White participants. The results suggest that affective processes rather than observable characteristics such as prototypical physical appearance better predict self-categorization among mixed-race individuals.
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Tags: Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Diana Sanchez, Diana T. Sanchez, George Chavez, George F. Chavez, Jessica Good, Jessica J. Good