Publications by category
Books
Sindic D, Barreto M, Costa Lopes R (eds)(2014).
Power and Identity. UK, Psychology Press.
Abstract:
Power and Identity
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ryan MK, Schmitt MT (eds)(2009). The glass ceiling in the 21st century., American Psychological Association.
Journal articles
Barreto M, Doyle DM (In Press). Benevolent and hostile sexism in a shifting global context. Nature Reviews Psychology
Pearce E, Barreto M, Victor C, Hammond C, Eccles A, Richins M, O'Neal A, Knowles R, Qualter P (In Press). Choking under pressure: Dos it get easier with age? Loneliness affects social monitoring across the lifespan. International Journal of Behavioral Development
Ciftci E, Barreto M, Doyle D, van Breen J, Darden S (In Press). Distancing or drawing together: Sexism and organizational tolerance of sexism impact women’s social relationships at work. European Journal of Social Psychology
Switsers L, Qualter P, Pan H, Barreto M, De Donder L, Victor C, Dury S, Hammond C, Dierckx E (In Press). Exploring the Demographic and Situational Characteristics of Older British People Experiencing Loneliness as Positive within the BBC Loneliness Experiment.
Aging and Mental HealthAbstract:
Exploring the Demographic and Situational Characteristics of Older British People Experiencing Loneliness as Positive within the BBC Loneliness Experiment
The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of loneliness experienced as positive, by exploring the demographic and situational characteristics of older people who experience loneliness as positive. Two binary logistic regressions were conducted using data from those aged 60+ from the BBC Loneliness Experiment (N= 5250). The first binary logistic regression compared participants who experience loneliness always as positive (N=219) to those participants who never experience loneliness as positive (N=3004). Spending time alone did not emerge as relevant to experiencing loneliness as positive, but enjoying time alone was important (OR = 1.561 (95% CI = 1.313−1.856)). The lonelier older people were, the less likely they experienced loneliness as positive (OR = 0.708 (95% CI =0.644−0.779)). Men were more likely to experience loneliness as positive compared to women (OR = 1.734 (95% CI = 1.269−2.370)). Lastly, the experience of loneliness as positive was likely to decrease when older people had more years of education (OR = 0.887 (95% CI = 0.853−0.921)) but increased with age (OR = 1.067 (95% CI = 1.037−1.098)). The results of the second binary logistic regression comparing participants who indicated loneliness purely as positive with those participants indicate to experience loneliness sometimes as positive (N=2027), are in line with the first regression analyses. The results are critically discussed by emphasizing the role of norms and cultures, gerotranscendence, and severity of loneliness, which might influence the experiences of loneliness. Further qualitative research is needed to elucidate the meanings of these positive experiences of loneliness.
Abstract.
Barreto M, van Breen J, Victor C, Hammond C, Eccles A, Richins MT, Qualter P (In Press). Exploring the Nature and Variation of the Stigma Associated with Loneliness.
Journal of Social and Personal RelationshipsAbstract:
Exploring the Nature and Variation of the Stigma Associated with Loneliness
The current study uses data from the BBC Loneliness Experiment to explore the social stigma of loneliness and how it varies by gender, age, and cultural individualism. We examined stigmatizing judgements of people who are lonely (impressions of those who feel lonely and attributions for loneliness), perceived stigma in the community, and self-stigma (shame for being lonely and inclination to conceal loneliness), while controlling for participants’ own feelings of loneliness. The scores on most measures fell near the mid-point of the scales, but stigmatizing perceptions depended on the measure of stigmatization that was used and on age, gender, and country-level individualism. Multi-level analyses revealed that men had more stigmatizing perceptions, more perceived community stigma, but less self-stigma than women; young people had higher scores than older people on all indicators except for internal vs external attributions; and people living in collectivist countries perceived loneliness as more controllable and perceived more stigma in the community than people living in individualistic countries. Finally, young men living in individualistic countries made the most internal (vs. external) attributions for loneliness. We discuss the implications of these findings for understandings of loneliness stigma and interventions to address loneliness.
Abstract.
Qualter P, Petersen K, Barreto M, Victor C, Hammond C, Arshad S-A (In Press). Exploring the frequency, intensity, and duration of loneliness: a latent class analysis of data from the BBC Loneliness Experiment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Heath S, Rabinovich A, Barreto M (In Press). Exploring the social dynamics of urban regeneration: a qualitative analysis of community members’ experiences. British Journal of Social Psychology
van Breen JA, de Lemus S, Kuppens T, Barreto M, Spears R (In Press). Extending the scope for resistance to gender-based evaluation. European Review of Social Psychology
Pacilli MG, Giovannelli I, Spaccatini F, Pagliaro S, Brambilla M, Barreto M, Sacchi S (In Press). Heroes or traitors? Perception of whistleblowers depends on the self-relevance of the group being reported. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations
Gianella V, Pagliaro S, Barreto M (In Press). Leader’s morality, group prototypicality, and followers’ reactions. Leadership Quarterly
Barreto M, Victor C, Hammond C, Eccles A, Richins MT, Qualter P (In Press). Loneliness Around the World: Age, Gender, and Cultural Differences in Loneliness. Personality and Individual Differences
Vytniorgu R, Cooper F, Jones C, Barreto M (In Press). Loneliness and Belonging in Narrative Environments. Emotion, Space and Society
Honghui P, Qualter P, Barreto M, Stegen H, Drury S (In Press). Loneliness in older migrants: exploring the role of cultural differences in their loneliness experience. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Jefferson R, Barreto M, Verity L, Qualter P (In Press). Loneliness in the school years: How it affects learning and how schools can help. Journal of School Health
van Breen J, Barreto M (In Press). Mind the gap! Stereotype exposure discourages women from expressing the anger they feel about gender inequality. Emotion
Doyle DM, Barreto M (In Press). Relational consequences of stigma: Bridging research on social stigma with relationship science. Journal of Social Issues
Meadows A, Barreto M, Dovidio J, Burkle SE, Wittlin NM, Herrin J, Van Ryn M, Phelan SM (In Press). Signalling hostility: the relationship between witnessing weight-based discrimination in medical school and medical student wellbeing. Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Lewis T, Barreto M, Doyle DM (In Press). Stigma, Identity and Support in Social Relationships of Transgender People throughout Transition: a Qualitative Analysis of Multiple Perspectives. Journal of Social Issues
Maddox L, Barreto M (In Press). “The team needs to feel cared for:” Staff perceptions of compassionate care, aids and barriers in adolescent mental health wards. BMC Nursing
Harrison D, Rowland S, Wood G, Bakewell L, Petridis I, Long K, Vasileiou K, Barnett J, Barreto M, Wilson M, et al (2023). Designing Technology-Mediated Peer Support for Postgraduate Research Students at Risk of Loneliness and Isolation.
ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction,
30(1), 1-40.
Abstract:
Designing Technology-Mediated Peer Support for Postgraduate Research Students at Risk of Loneliness and Isolation
Student mental health and wellbeing have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Postgraduate research (PGR) students are at risk of experiencing mental health concerns and this, with the often isolated and competitive nature of their work, can impact their sense of community and social connectedness. In response to these concerns, we designed Pears, a system to connect PGR students for regular “pearings” (in-person meetings) and provide activities to promote reflection and conversation. A four-week evaluation of Pears with 15 students highlighted its potential to sometimes, but not always, facilitate peer support. Some participants would instead meet formally and according to their needs, others instead used the system to make new social connections. Additionally, some participants who faced work-related difficulties during the study found using the system contributed to their stress levels. We conclude by noting how technologies that encourage peer support can help build social relationships, providing an avenue to share similar PhD experiences and guidance for those new to the experience, while importantly raising awareness and an understanding for the need to take time for self-care. However, these technologies must be utilised carefully, and are not a replacement for other sources of student support in universities.
Abstract.
Victor C, Barreto M, Qualter P (2022). HOW DO LONELY OLDER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LONELINESS? PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE BBC LONELINESS EXPERIMENT. Innovation in Aging, 6(Suppl 1), 155-155.
Victor CR, Rippon I, Barreto M, Hammond C, Qualter P (2022). Older adults’ experiences of loneliness over the lifecourse: an exploratory study using the BBC loneliness experiment. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 102
Doyle D, Qualter P, Victor C, Barreto M (2022). The impact of country-level structural stigma on loneliness and social capital in older and younger LGB individuals in 113 countries. European Journal of Public Health, 32(Suppl 3).
Doyle DM, Barreto M (2022). Toward a More Relational Model of Sexual Minority Identity Concealment. Archives of Sexual Behavior
Doyle DM, Begeny C, Barreto M, Morton T (2021). Identity-Related Factors Protect Well-Being against Stigma for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People.
Archives of Sexual BehaviorAbstract:
Identity-Related Factors Protect Well-Being against Stigma for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People
Relatively little is known about identity-related resilience factors associated with well-being among transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people. Drawing upon theory on stigma-related stress and resilience and work examining group identification as a buffer against discrimination, the aim of the current study was to model perceived discrimination, transgender identification, and gender identity affirmation as predictors of well-being for TGNC people. We also tested whether the positive association between gender identity affirmation and well-being might be explained by the benefits affirmation has for individual self-concept clarity. Participants were 105 TGNC individuals (42% transgender male, 39% transgender female, 19% other gender non-conforming [e.g. non-binary]) recruited through online forums and support groups in the United Kingdom and North America who completed an online survey including self-report measures of key constructs. Results from structural equation models demonstrated that: (1) experiences of discrimination were associated with lower well-being overall, but having a stronger transgender identity moderated this association; (2) after adjustment for discrimination and transgender identification, experiences of gender identity affirmation were independently associated with greater well-being for TGNC people. Secondary analyses demonstrated that gender identity affirmation was linked to well-being through reinforcing a strong, internalized sense of clarity about individual self-concept. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for TGNC health and well-being, particularly with regards to the need for supportive, identity-affirming social environments.
Abstract.
Lewis T, Doyle DM, Barreto M, Jackson D (2021). Social Relationship Experiences of Transgender People and Their Relational Partners: a Meta-Synthesis. Social Science and Medicine
Kahn KB, van Breen J, Barreto M, Kaiser CR (2021). When is women’s benevolent sexism associated with support for other women’s agentic responses to gender-based threat?. British Journal of Social Psychology
O'Leary M, Barreto M, Bowtell J (2019). Evaluating the effect of a home-delivered meal service on the physical and psychological wellbeing of a UK population of older adults—A pilot and feasibility study. Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics
Richins MT, Barreto M, Karl A, Lawrence N (2019). Incidental fear reduces empathy for an out-group’s pain. Emotion
White R, Barreto M, Harrington J, Kapp S, Hayes J, Russell G (2019). Is disclosing an autism spectrum disorder in school associated with reduced stigmatization?. Autism: the international journal of research and practice
Zhang M, Barreto M, Doyle D (2019). Stigma-Based Rejection Experiences Affect Trust in Others.
Social Psychological and Personality Science,
11(3), 308-316.
Abstract:
Stigma-Based Rejection Experiences Affect Trust in Others
Rejection experiences are likely to influence individuals’ subsequent feelings about others and their behavior in social interactions. The present study specifically examined whether stigma-based rejection leads to decreased trust in others, compared to rejections that are not stigma based. Trust was assessed behaviorally with an online task where the interaction partner was preprogrammed. Participants showed less trust after stigma-based rejection than after a nonstigma-based rejection. This research provides the first experimental evidence that stigma-based rejection uniquely influences trust in others.
Abstract.
Victor C, Qualter P, Barreto M (2019). WHAT IS LONELINESS: INSIGHTS FROM THE BBC LONELINESS EXPERIMENT. Innovation in Aging, 3(Supplement_1), s373-s373.
Vasileiou K, Barnett J, Barreto M, Vines J, Atkinson M, Long K, Bakewell L, Lawson S, Wilson M (2018). Coping with loneliness at university: a qualitative interview study with students in the UK. Mental Health and Prevention
Richins MT, Barreto M, Karl A, Lawrence N (2018). Empathic Responses Are Reduced to Competitive but Not Non-Competitive Outgroups. Social Neuroscience
Bakewell LL, Vasileiou K, Long KS, Atkinson M, Rice H, Barreto M, Barnett J, Wilson M, Lawson S, Vines J, et al (2018). Everything we do, everything we press: Data-driven remote performance management in a mobile workplace.
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings,
2018-AprilAbstract:
Everything we do, everything we press: Data-driven remote performance management in a mobile workplace
This paper examines how data-driven performance monitoring technologies affect the work of telecommunications field engineers. As a mobile workforce, this occupational group rely on an array of smartphone applications to plan, manage and report on their jobs, and to liaise remotely with managers and colleagues. These technologies intend to help field engineers be more productive and have greater control over their work; however they also gather data related to the quantity and effectiveness of their labor. We conducted a qualitative study examining engineers' experiences of these systems. Our findings suggest they simultaneously enhance worker autonomy, support co-ordination with and monitoring of colleagues, but promote anxieties around productivity and the interpretation of data by management. We discuss the implications of datadriven performance management technologies on worker agency, and examine the consequences of such systems in an era of quantified workplaces.
Abstract.
Hinchliffe S, Jackson M, Wyatt K, Barlow A, Barreto M, Clare L, Deplege M, Durie R, Fleming L, Groom N, et al (2018). Healthy publics: Enabling cultures and environments for health. Palgrave Communications, 4, n/a-n/a.
Pagliaro S, Lo Presti A, Barattucci M, Giannella VA, Barreto M (2018). On the effects of ethical climate(s) on employees' behavior: a social identity approach.
Frontiers in Psychology,
9(JUN).
Abstract:
On the effects of ethical climate(s) on employees' behavior: a social identity approach
The spread and publicity given to questionable practices in the corporate world during the last two decades have fostered an increasing interest about the importance of ethical work for organizations, practitioners, scholars and, last but not least, the wider public. Relying on the Social Identity Approach, we suggest that the effects of different ethical climates on employee behaviors are driven by affective identification with the organization and, in parallel, by cognitive moral (dis)engagement. We compared the effects of two particular ethical climates derived from the literature: an ethical organizational climate of self-interest, and an ethical organizational climate of friendship. Three hundred seventy-six workers completed measures of Ethical Climate, Organizational Identification, Moral Disengagement, Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs), and Counterproductive Work Behaviors (CWBs). Structural equation modeling confirmed that the two ethical climates considered were independently related to organizational identification and moral disengagement. These, in turn, mediated the effects of ethical climates on OCBs and CWBs. We discuss results in light of the social identity approach, and present some practical implications of our findings.
Abstract.
Giovannelli I, Pacilli MG, Pagliaro S, Tomasetto C, Barreto M (2018). Recalling an Unfair Experience Reduces Adolescents’ Dishonest Behavioral Intentions: the Mediating Role of Justice Sensitivity.
Social Justice Research,
31(1), 23-40.
Abstract:
Recalling an Unfair Experience Reduces Adolescents’ Dishonest Behavioral Intentions: the Mediating Role of Justice Sensitivity
Injustice experiences are likely to have a strong impact on—adolescents' life. However, individuals differ in how they perceive and respond to injustice depending on their justice sensitivity. Whereas several studies analyzed the relationships between justice sensitivity and antisocial behaviors in adult samples, little is known about this relationship among adolescents. The aim of the present experimental study is to expand knowledge on the antecedents and effects of justice sensitivity from the Victim (i.e. JS-Victim) and Others (i.e. JS-Observer, Perpetrator, and Beneficiary) perspective, particularly with regard to its relationship to willingness to act in dishonest behavioral intentions (e.g. stealing money or objects from classmates, teachers, or strangers). The study involved 369 Italian students (52% males; Mage = 16.64, SD = 1.78). We examined the role of justice sensitivity in the relationship between the recall of unfair, fair, or neutral episodes, and the consequent willingness to perform dishonest behaviors. Results demonstrate that recalling unfair (vs. fair or neutral) episodes leads to an increase in JS-Others, which in turn decreased willingness to behave dishonestly. Conversely, JS-Victim did not mediate the relationship between the recall of unfair episodes and intentions to behave dishonestly. The present findings suggest that during adolescence JS-Others might act as a protective factor against dishonest behaviors.
Abstract.
Sindic D, Morais R, Costa-Lopes R, Klein O, Barreto M (2018). Schrodinger’s immigrant: the political and strategic use of (contradictory) stereotypical traits about immigrants. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Ramos M, Barreto M, Ellemers N, Moya M, Ferreira L (2018). What hostile and benevolent sexism communicate about men’s and women’s warmth and competence.
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations,
21(1), 159-177.
Abstract:
What hostile and benevolent sexism communicate about men’s and women’s warmth and competence
Ambivalent sexism theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996) distinguishes between two interrelated forms of sexism: Hostile and benevolent. Although this theory motivated a large body of work examining how endorsement of these views impacts on social interactions and women’s performance, no research has yet examined what these forms of sexism are seen to communicate about men and women. We report three studies examining the image that benevolent and hostile sexist messages are seen to describe (Studies 1 and 2) and prescribe for men and women (Study 3). Results show that both benevolent and hostile sexism were seen to convey that women are and should be less competent than men. Additionally, benevolent sexism was seen as describing and prescribing women to be warmer than did hostile sexism. Across all studies men and women agreed about what the messages communicate about men and women. We discuss the implications of these results for the understanding of how stereotypical beliefs are perpetuated.
Abstract.
Long K, Bakewell L, McNaney R, Vasileiou K, Atkinson M, Barreto M, Barnett J, Wilson M, Lawson S, Vines J, et al (2017). Connecting those that care: Designing for Transitioning, Talking, Belonging and Escaping. Computers and Human Interaction
Vasileiou K, Barnett J, Barreto M, Vines J, Atkinson M, Lawson S, Wilson M (2017). Experiences of loneliness associated with being an informal caregiver: a qualitative investigation.
Frontiers in Psychology,
8(APR).
Abstract:
Experiences of loneliness associated with being an informal caregiver: a qualitative investigation
Although providing care to a family member or friend may provide psychological benefits, informal (i.e. unpaid) caregivers also encounter difficulties which may negatively affect their quality of life as well as their mental and physical health. Loneliness is one important challenge that caregivers face, with this psychological state being associated with morbidity and premature mortality. Although previous research has identified loneliness as an issue associated with being an informal caregiver, there is a paucity of evidence that attempts to understand this phenomenon in depth. This study aimed to examine informal caregivers' reflections on, and accounts of, experiences of loneliness linked to their caregiving situation. As part of a cross-sectional, qualitative study, sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 spousal caregivers, 4 daughters caring for a parent, 3 mothers caring for a child (or children), and 1 woman looking after her partner. The cared-for persons were suffering from a range of mental and physical health conditions (e.g. dementia, frailty due to old age, multiple sclerosis, depression, autism). Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Experiences of loneliness were described by reference to a context of shrunken personal space and diminished social interaction caused by the restrictions imposed by the caregiving role. Loneliness was also articulated against a background of relational deprivations and losses as well as sentiments of powerlessness, helplessness, and a sense of sole responsibility. Social encounters were also seen to generate loneliness when they were characterized by some form of distancing. Though not all sources or circumstances of loneliness in caregivers are amenable to change, more opportunities for respite care services, as well as a heightened sensibility and social appreciation of caregivers' valued contributions could help caregivers manage some forms of loneliness.
Abstract.
Newheiser AK, Barreto M, Tiemersma J (2017). People like me don’t belong here: Concealing a stigmatized identity is associated with negative workplace experiences. Journal of Social Issues, 73, 341-358.
Heath SC, Rabinovich A, Barreto M (2017). Putting identity into the community: Exploring the social dynamics of urban regeneration.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
47(7), 855-866.
Abstract:
Putting identity into the community: Exploring the social dynamics of urban regeneration
The present paper adopts a social identity perspective to examine the relationship between community-based identification and well-being, resilience and willingness to pay back in the context of urban regeneration. A sample of 104 residents across five deprived urban areas in the southwest of England that have recently undergone or are about to undergo regeneration projects completed a survey. The results demonstrate that areas where a more community-centred, bottom-up, approach to regeneration was taken (i.e. ‘culture-led’) showed higher levels of community cohesion than areas where the community dynamics were ignored (i.e. a ‘top-down’ approach to regeneration). Increased community identification was linked to greater perceived social support, community-esteem, personal self-esteem and self-efficacy. These psychological processes were, in turn, linked to increased resilience and well-being, as well as a stronger willingness to pay back to the community. The results are consistent with the social identity approach. Implications for urban regeneration strategies are discussed.
Abstract.
Steentjes K, Kurz T, Barreto M, Morton T (2017). The Norms Associated with Climate Change: Understanding Social Norms through Acts of Interpersonal Activism. Global Environmental Change, 43, 116-125.
Zaal M, Saab R, O'Brien K, Jeffries C, Barreto M, Van Laar C (2017). You’re either with us or against us! Moral conviction determines how the politicized distinguish friend from foe.
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations,
20(4), 519-539.
Abstract:
You’re either with us or against us! Moral conviction determines how the politicized distinguish friend from foe
© 2015, © the Author(s) 2015. Three studies investigated how politicized collective identification affects individuals’ reactions towards others. We hypothesized that a strong politicized identity tends to be accompanied by a moral conviction about the politicized cause, which in turn determines how the politicized respond to those less committed to their cause. Consistent with this, Study 1 showed that politicized (feminist) identification is associated with lower identification with women who place moderate (vs. high) moral value on gender equality. Study 2 showed that politicized identification was associated with negative emotions towards people who disagree with this cause and this was mediated by the extent to which participants saw supporting the activist goal as morally obligatory. Study 3 showed that politicized identification, to the extent to which it implied holding a moral conviction about the activist cause, is associated with a desire for more social distance to an attitudinally dissimilar other, but not from an attitudinally similar other.
Abstract.
Ramos M, Barreto M, Ellemers N, Moya M, Ferreira L, Calanchini J (2016). Exposure to sexism can decrease implicit gender stereotype bias. European Journal of Social Psychology, 46, 455-466.
Pagliaro S, Ellemers N, Barreto M, Di Cesare C (2016). Once Dishonest, Always Dishonest? the Impact of Perceived Pervasiveness of Moral Evaluations of the Self on Motivation to Restore a Moral Reputation.
Frontiers in Psychology,
7Abstract:
Once Dishonest, Always Dishonest? the Impact of Perceived Pervasiveness of Moral Evaluations of the Self on Motivation to Restore a Moral Reputation
Four studies specify how moral evaluations of the self regulate behavior aimed at restoring a moral reputation. We propose that people care about evaluations of themselves as moral or immoral because these are perceived as more consequential than other types of information. Therefore people are more inclined to restore their image after being negatively evaluated in terms of morality rather than competence. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that moral information was perceived as having a more enduring impact on one’s reputation, and was more strongly related to anticipate intra-group respect and self-views, than competence and sociability information. This perceived pervasiveness of moral (vs. competence) evaluations mediated intentions to justify and explain one’s behavior (Study 3). Study 4 finally showed that being seen as lacking in morality elicited threat and coping responses, which induced subsequent tendencies to repair one’s moral reputation.
Abstract.
Dorrough A, Leszczynska M, Barreto M, Glockner A (2016). Revealing side effects of quota rules on group cooperation. Journal of Economic Psychology, 57, 136-152.
Ramos MR, Hewstone M, Barreto M, Branscombe N (2016). The Opportunities and Challenges of Diversity: Explaining its Impact on Individuals and Groups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 46, 793-806.
Kahn KB, Barreto M, Kaiser CR, Silva Rego M (2016). When do high and low status group members support confrontation? the role of perceived pervasiveness of prejudice.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
55, 27-43.
Abstract:
When do high and low status group members support confrontation? the role of perceived pervasiveness of prejudice
This paper examines how perceived pervasiveness of prejudice differentially affects high and
low status group members’ support for a low status group member who confronts. In
Experiment 1 (N = 228), men and women read a text describing sexism as rare or as
pervasive and subsequently indicated their support for a woman who confronted or did not
confront a sexist remark. Experiment 2 (N = 324) specified the underlying process using a
self-affirmation manipulation. Results show that men were more supportive of confrontation
when sexism was perceived to be rare than when it was pervasive. By contrast, women
tended to prefer confrontation when sexism was pervasive relative to when it was rare.
Personal self-affirmation decreased men’s and increased women’s support for confrontation
when prejudice was rare, suggesting that men’s and women’s support for confrontation when
prejudice is rare is driven by personal impression management considerations. Implications
for understanding how members of low and high status groups respond to prejudice are
discussed.
Keywords: prejudice, confrontation, sexism, self-affirmation
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2015). Detecting and Experiencing Prejudice: New Answers to Old Questions.
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology,
52, 139-219.
Abstract:
Detecting and Experiencing Prejudice: New Answers to Old Questions
This contribution reviews the state of the art of research on the effects of prejudice on its targets. We structure this review around ongoing debates and core questions that have been guiding this field of research and how these are addressed by recent evidence. We address five central themes that have characterized research on the way prejudice emerges in modern societies, and the impact this has on its targets. First, we examine whether members of devalued groups tend to over- or under-estimate the extent to which they are targeted by discrimination. Second, we assess the self-protective and harmful effects of perceived discrimination on well-being. Third, we consider whether concealable stigmas are less problematic than visible stigmas. Fourth, we examine whether individual success is helpful or harmful for the disadvantaged group. Finally, as a fifth theme, we review evidence of the social costs of confronting prejudice and highlight the more neglected social benefits of confrontation. The research evidence we present in this way aims to resolve a number of common misunderstandings regarding the presence and implications of prejudice in modern societies.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2015). Modern discrimination: How perpetrators and targets interactively perpetuate social disadvantage.
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences,
3, 142-146.
Abstract:
Modern discrimination: How perpetrators and targets interactively perpetuate social disadvantage
Stereotypes and discriminatory behavior do not necessarily imply that people are
explicitly devalued or actively excluded from attractive positions in society. Instead, these
often implicitly communicate that any social disadvantages are due to individual
shortcomings. Recent research has uncovered a number of mechanisms that explain how
individuals may come to enact stereotypical expectations of others. Modern expressions of
stereotypes are not easily recognized or perceived as discriminatory. Attempts to distance the
self from the disadvantaged group to avoid discrimination are likely to backfire in different
ways. Countering common beliefs, people are quite reluctant to confront discrimination or to
claim unequal treatment. For all these reasons, modern discrimination tends to induce a cycle
of self-fulfilling mechanisms that perpetuate group-based social disadvantage.
Abstract.
Newheiser A-K, Barreto M, Ellemers N, Derks B, Scheepers D (2015). Regulatory focus moderates the social performance of individuals who conceal a stigmatized identity.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
54, 787-797.
Abstract:
Regulatory focus moderates the social performance of individuals who conceal a stigmatized identity
People often choose to hide a stigmatized identity to avoid bias. However, hiding stigma can disrupt social interactions. We considered whether regulatory focus qualifies the social effects of hiding stigma by examining interactions in which stigmatized participants concealed a devalued identity from non-stigmatized partners. In the Prevention Focus condition, stigmatized participants were instructed to prevent a negative impression by concealing the identity; in the Promotion Focus condition, they were instructed to promote a positive impression by concealing the identity; in the Control condition, they were simply asked to conceal the identity. Both non-stigmatized partners and independent raters rated the interactions more positively in the Promotion Focus condition. Thus, promotion focus is interpersonally beneficial for individuals who conceal a devalued identity.
Abstract.
Jehn KA, Wit F, Barreto M, Rink F (2015). Task Conflict Asymmetries: Effects on expectations and performance. International Journal of Conflict Management, 26, 172-191.
Becker JC, Barreto M, Kahn KB, Oliveira Laux SH (2015). The collective value of 'me' (and its limitations): Towards a more nuanced understanding of individual and collective coping with prejudice. Journal of Social Issues, 71, 497-516.
Newheiser AK, Barreto M (2014). Hidden costs of hiding stigma: Ironic interpersonal consequences of concealing a stigmatized identity in social interactions.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
52, 58-70.
Abstract:
Hidden costs of hiding stigma: Ironic interpersonal consequences of concealing a stigmatized identity in social interactions
People who possess a concealable stigmatized identity (e.g. minority sexual orientation; history of mental illness) often hide this identity from others in order to avoid bias. Despite the possible benefits of this identity management strategy, we propose that instead of increasing acceptance, hiding a stigmatized identity can result in a lowered sense of belonging and even actual social rejection. Across four studies, we show that although individuals living with concealable stigmatized identities report a preference for hiding (vs. revealing) the identity during social interactions, hiding in fact reduces feelings of belonging-an effect that is mediated by felt inauthenticity and reduced general self-disclosure (i.e. disclosure of self-relevant information not limited to the stigmatized identity). Furthermore, the detrimental interpersonal effects of hiding (vs. revealing) a stigmatized identity are detected by external observers and non-stigmatized interaction partners. Implications for understanding the predicament of people living with stigmatized social identities are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.
Abstract.
Cihangir S, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2014). Men as allies against sexism: the positive effects of a suggestion of sexism by male (vs. female) sources.
SAGE Open,
4(2).
Abstract:
Men as allies against sexism: the positive effects of a suggestion of sexism by male (vs. female) sources
© the Author(s) 2014. Sexism is often expressed in subtle and ambiguous ways, causing targets to doubt their own capabilities or to show stereotypeconfirming behavior. This research examines whether the self-confidence and stereotype (dis-)confirming behavior of targets of sexism can be bolstered when other male versus female sources suggest that sexism may have played a role. Both Study 1 (N = 78) and Study 2 (N = 90) show that a suggestion of sexism has more beneficial effects when it is made by male sources than when it is made by female sources. When males suggested that sexism had taken place, targets reported more self-confidence (less self-handicapping and higher personal performance state self-esteem) and showed less stereotype confirmation (less self-stereotyping and better task performance) than when sexism was suggested by a female source. Study 2 additionally revealed that targets are more likely to file a complaint when men suggest that sexism took place than when this same suggestion was made by women. These results indicate that men can constitute important allies against sexism if they speak out when sexist treatment takes place.
Abstract.
Becker J, Barreto M (2014). Ways to go: Men's and women's support for aggressive and non-aggressive confrontation of sexism as a function of gender identification. Journal of Social Issues, 70(4), 668-686.
Ellemers N, Pagliaro S, Barreto M (2013). Morality and behavioural regulation in groups: a social identity approach.
European Review of Social Psychology,
24(1), 160-193.
Abstract:
Morality and behavioural regulation in groups: a social identity approach
In recent years social psychologists have displayed a growing interest in examining morality-what people consider right and wrong. The majority of work in this area has addressed this either in terms of individual-level processes (relating to moral decision making or interpersonal impression formation) or as a way to explain intergroup relations (perceived fairness of status differences, responses to group-level moral transgressions). We complement this work by examining how moral standards and moral judgements play a role in the regulation of individual behaviour within groups and social systems. In doing this we take into account processes of social identification and self-categorisation, as these help us to understand how adherence to moral standards may be functional as a way to improve group-level conceptions of self. We review a recent research programme in which we have investigated the importance of morality for group-based identities and intra-group behavioural regulation. This reveals convergent evidence of the centrality of moral judgements for people's conceptions of the groups they belong to, and demonstrates the importance of group-specific moral norms in identifying behaviours that contribute to their identity as group members. © 2013 © 2013 European Association of Social Psychology.
Abstract.
Cihangir S, Scheepers D, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2013). Responding to gender-based rejection: Objecting against negative and disproving positive inter-group differentiation.
Social Psychological and Personality Science,
4, 151-158.
Abstract:
Responding to gender-based rejection: Objecting against negative and disproving positive inter-group differentiation.
We examined whether women (N ¼ 87) who are exposed to blatant discrimination show different responses depending on
whether they are rejected with reference to positively (‘‘this is something for men’’) or negatively (‘‘this is nothing for women’’)
phrased intergroup differentiation. Based on current insights on responses to discrimination, we predicted and found that those
who are exposed to negative differentiation will tend to object to those who rejected them, while positive differentiation is more
likely to induce efforts to disprove the validity of the rejection. Female participants facing negative differentiation objected against
the discriminatory nature of their rejection and showed cardiovascular reactivity more indicative of threat (and less of challenge)
than participants in the positive differentiation condition. In addition, positive differentiation caused participants to disprove the
validity of these group-based expectations by claiming the possession of relatively more masculine (and less feminine) traits.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Kingma L, Van den Burgt J, Barreto M (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility as a source of organizational morality, employee commitment and satisfaction.
Journal of Organizational Moral Psychology,
1, 97-124.
Abstract:
Corporate Social Responsibility as a source of organizational morality, employee commitment and satisfaction.
Two studies (a) explored the role of pervasiveness of discrimination (pervasive vs.
rare) in determining targets’ responses to discrimination, and (b) examined the extent
to which threats to participants’ worldview can account, in part, for detrimental
effects of pervasive discrimination. As predicted, across both studies, pervasiveness
of discrimination moderated the relationship between attributions to prejudice for
failure to obtain a job and psychological well-being (depressed affect and state selfesteem).
When discrimination was presented as pervasive, attributions to prejudice
related to lower state self-esteem and greater depressed affect. When discrimination
was portrayed as rare, attributions to prejudice were related to higher state self-esteem
and unrelated to depressed affect. Study 2 further showed that being able to affirm the
world as just countered the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination, whereas
it did not influence responses to discrimination that was perceived as rare.
Abstract.
Stroebe KS, Dovidio J, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2011). Is the world a just place? Countering the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination by affirming the world as just.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
50, 484-500.
Abstract:
Is the world a just place? Countering the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination by affirming the world as just.
Two studies (a) explored the role of pervasiveness of discrimination (pervasive vs.
rare) in determining targets’ responses to discrimination, and (b) examined the extent
to which threats to participants’ worldview can account, in part, for detrimental
effects of pervasive discrimination. As predicted, across both studies, pervasiveness
of discrimination moderated the relationship between attributions to prejudice for
failure to obtain a job and psychological well-being (depressed affect and state selfesteem).
When discrimination was presented as pervasive, attributions to prejudice
related to lower state self-esteem and greater depressed affect. When discrimination
was portrayed as rare, attributions to prejudice were related to higher state self-esteem
and unrelated to depressed affect. Study 2 further showed that being able to affirm the
world as just countered the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination, whereas
it did not influence responses to discrimination that was perceived as rare.
Abstract.
Pagliaro S, Ellemers N, Barreto M (2011). Sharing moral values: Anticipated ingroup respect as a determinant of adherence to morality-based (but not competence-based) group norms.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
37(8), 1117-1129.
Abstract:
Sharing moral values: Anticipated ingroup respect as a determinant of adherence to morality-based (but not competence-based) group norms.
This research examines how moral values regulate the behavior of individual group members. It argues that group members behave in line with moral group norms because they anticipate receiving ingroup respect when enacting moral values that are shared by ingroup members. Data from two experimental studies offer evidence in support. In Study 1 (N = 82), morality-based (but not competence-based) ingroup norms determined whether members of a low-status group opted for individual versus collective strategies for status improvement. This effect was mediated by anticipated ingroup respect and emerged regardless of whether group norms prescribed collectivistic or individualistic behavior. These effects were replicated in Study 2 (N = 69), where no comparable effect was found as a result of moral norms communicated by a higher status outgroup. This indicates that social identity implications rather than interdependence or more generic concerns about social approval or importance of cooperation drive these effects.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Fiske ST (2010). "What did you Say, and Who do you Think you Are?" How Power Differences Affect Emotional Reactions to Prejudice.
Journal of Social Issues,
66(3), 477-492.
Abstract:
"What did you Say, and Who do you Think you Are?" How Power Differences Affect Emotional Reactions to Prejudice
Three studies examine how power differences between targets and sources of prejudice affect targets' emotional reactions to prejudice. Study 1 first demonstrates that people do not expect powerful others to be prejudiced. Studies 2 and 3 then examine what happens when targets encounter prejudice, as a function of the source's power. Targets notice and recall prejudiced statements from powerful sources, irrespective of whether they are personally dependent on the source. However, results also demonstrate that personal dependency on the source determines how much targets attend to and are emotionally affected by prejudice. Emotional reactions to prejudice as a function of source power were mediated by negative expectations about future interactions. © 2010 the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). Current issues in the study of social stigma.
Journal of Social Issues,
66, 431-445.
Abstract:
Current issues in the study of social stigma
This contribution identifies some of the major themes and controversies in current
research on stigma and social disadvantage, paying particular attention to the
perspective of the stigmatized. We examine the social contextual and interactive
nature of stigmatization that determines its impact and consequences for thosewho
are stigmatized. We outline some areas of research where different findings seem
incompatible or have remained unresolved. Specifically, we identify moderators of
the consequences of social stigma for the self, of the role of identification with the
stigmatized group as a source of vulnerability or of resilience, as well as of how
stigma affects task performance. In this way, we provide a thematic framework
outlining the different ways in which the articles in this special issue contribute
to the resolution of current controversies and debates in the literature on social
stigma.
Abstract.
Stroebe K, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). Experiencing Discrimination: How Members of Disadvantaged Groups can be Helped to Cope with Discrimination.
SOCIAL ISSUES AND POLICY REVIEW,
4(1), 181-213.
Author URL.
Stroebe KS, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). Experiencing discrimination: How members of disadvantaged groups can be helped to cope with discrimination.
Social Issues and Policy Review,
4, 181-213.
Abstract:
Experiencing discrimination: How members of disadvantaged groups can be helped to cope with discrimination
Instances of discriminatory treatment are often ambiguous. Nevertheless, for policy
makers to effectively combat discrimination, its targets first need to see that it
takes place. Different motives determine whether or not targets see their negative
outcomes as resulting from discrimination: to see the world as a just place where
people are treated fairly, and to maintain a positive view of the self. We argue
that the type of policy needed to combat discrimination is different, depending on
which of these motives plays a role. Based on relevant literature and our own recent
research, we develop a framework that specifies how different types of threat
and different motives are raised when discrimination is perceived as rare or pervasive.
We describe the pitfalls associated with each type of threat and the coping
strategies people use to deal with rare versus pervasive discrimination. We also
outline how policy makers can take advantage of this knowledge to tailor specific
measures to the different motives we distinguish, to optimize the effectiveness of
their interventions designed to combat discrimination.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Piebinga L, Moya M (2010). How nice of us and how dumb of me: the effect of exposure to benevolent sexism on women's task and relational self-descriptions.
Sex Roles: a Journal of Research,
62, 532-544.
Abstract:
How nice of us and how dumb of me: the effect of exposure to benevolent sexism on women's task and relational self-descriptions.
This research demonstrates how women assimilate
to benevolent sexism by emphasizing their relational
qualities and de-emphasizing their task-related characteristics
when exposed to benevolent sexism. Studies 1
(N=62) and 2 (N=100) show, with slightly different
paradigms and measures, that compared to exposure to
hostile sexism, exposure to benevolent sexism increases the
extent to which female Dutch college students define
themselves in relational terms and decreases the extent to
which they emphasize their task-related characteristics.
Study 3 (N=79) demonstrates that benevolent sexism has
more pernicious effects when it is expressed by someone
with whom women expect to collaborate than when no
collaboration is expected with the source of sexism. The
implications of these results are discussed.
Abstract.
Pagliaro S, Ellemers N, Barreto M, Leach CW (2010). Individual vs. collective identity management strategies: the role of group norms and personal gain.
Psicologia Sociale,
5(3), 387-401.
Abstract:
Individual vs. collective identity management strategies: the role of group norms and personal gain
The present study examined the role of personal incentives and group norms on individual vs. collective status improvement among members of low-status groups. Our results show that both group norms and personal incentives are strong guidelines for group members behavior. Furthermore, we found evidence that when personal incentives and group norms are in conflict, this creates a dilemma, as people need more time to choose between indi- vidual and collective status improvement strategies. Results are discussed in terms of social influence and identity management strategies.
Abstract.
Cihangir S, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). The dark side of ambiguous discrimination: How state self-esteem moderates emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous discrimination.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
49, 155-174.
Abstract:
The dark side of ambiguous discrimination: How state self-esteem moderates emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous discrimination.
Two experiments examine how experimentally induced differences in state self-esteem
moderate emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous
discrimination. Study 1 ðN ¼ 108Þ showed that participants who were exposed to
ambiguous discrimination report more negative self-directed emotions when they have
low compared to high self-esteem. These differences did not emerge when participants
were exposed to unambiguous discrimination. Study 2 ðN ¼ 118Þ additionally revealed
that self-esteem moderated the effect of ambiguous discrimination on self-concern,
task performance, and self-stereotyping. Results show that ambiguous discrimination
caused participants with low self-esteem to report more negative self-directed
emotions, more self-concern, an inferior task performance, and more self-stereotyping,
compared to participants in the high self-esteem condition. Emotional and behavioural
responses to unambiguous discrimination did not depend on the induced level of selfesteem
in these studies.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Fiske S (2010). The power of prejudice: How power of source affects the experience of prejudice.
Journal of Social Issues,
66, 477-492.
Abstract:
The power of prejudice: How power of source affects the experience of prejudice.
Three studies examine how power differences between targets and sources of prejudice
affect targets’ emotional reactions to prejudice. Study 1 first demonstrates
that people do not expect powerful others to be prejudiced. Studies 2 and 3 then
examine what happens when targets encounter prejudice, as a function of the
source’s power. Targets notice and recall prejudiced statements from powerful
sources, irrespective of whether they are personally dependent on the source.
However, results also demonstrate that personal dependency on the source determines
how much targets attend to and are emotionally affected by prejudice.
Emotional reactions to prejudice as a function of source power were mediated by
negative expectations about future interactions.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Scholten W, Smith H (2010). To be or not to be: the impact of implicit versus explicit inappropriate social categorizations on the self.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
49, 43-67.
Abstract:
To be or not to be: the impact of implicit versus explicit inappropriate social categorizations on the self
This paper investigates how targets respond to treatment that is explicitly or implicitly
based on a contextually inappropriate social categorization. In three different
experimental studies, a team member appeared to use participants’ gender and not
participants’ personal preference to assign a proofreading task. Targets reported more
negative self-evaluations in response to implicit categorical treatment in comparison to
explicit categorical treatment. In contrast, explicit categorical treatment increased
target’s resistance to the treatment received. The pattern of results across the three
studies shows that treatment based on a contextually inappropriate category is
problematic even when the categorization is ambiguous or associated with attractive
and positive outcomes.
Abstract.
Stroebe KS, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). When searching hurts: the role of information search in reactions to gender discrimination.
Sex Roles: a Journal of Research,
62, 60-76.
Abstract:
When searching hurts: the role of information search in reactions to gender discrimination
Two laboratory studies conducted with Dutch
students explored women’s motivation to search for
evidence of gender discrimination and its effects on
psychological well-being. Study 1 (N=161) considered
situational self-relevance of one’s personal outcomes
(personal failure or success) on women’s motivation to
collect information about gender discrimination. Study 2
(N=106) manipulated information search and studied its
effects on well-being when information contains evidence
of gender discrimination or personal failure. Results
revealed that women are motivated to search for evidence
of discrimination when outcomes are highly self-relevant
(Study 1) or the need to search is high (Study 2).
Furthermore women suffer from evidence of prejudice,
but only when they are personally affected by this prejudice
and evidence suggests it is pervasive.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2009). Collective action in modern times: How modern expressions of prejudice prevent collective action.
Journal of Social Issues,
65, 749-768.
Abstract:
Collective action in modern times: How modern expressions of prejudice prevent collective action
This contribution addresses modern forms of group-based discrimination, and
examines how these impact upon the likelihood that people engage in collective
action. Based on a review of the relevant literature, we predict that modern
expressions of prejudice are less likely to be perceived as indicating group-based
disadvantage and hence elicit less anger, protest, and collective action than oldfashioned
prejudice. We present three studies to offer empirical support for this
prediction. In Study 1 (N = 116), female participants were led to believe that the
general public endorses either old-fashioned or modern sexist views. In Study 2
(N = 44) and 3 (N = 37) female participants were exposed to a student supervisor
who allegedly held either old-fashioned or modern sexist views. Results of all
three studies indicate that modern sexism is less likely to be perceived as a form
of discrimination, and as a result elicits less anger at the source and less support
for collective action (Study 1), intentions to protest (Study 2), and collective
protest behavior (Study 3) than old-fashioned sexism. In discussing the results of
this research, we connect to current insights on antecedents of collective action,
and identify conclusions from our analysis that are relevant for societal and
organizational policy making.
Abstract.
Stroebe KS, Ellemers N, Barreto M, Mummendey A (2009). For better or for worse: the congruence of personal and group outcomes on targets’ responses to discrimination.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
39, 576-590.
Abstract:
For better or for worse: the congruence of personal and group outcomes on targets’ responses to discrimination.
This paper reports two studies examining how (in-) congruence between personal and group outcomes affects emotional
well-being, outcome attributions and procedural justice perceptions of individuals who are exposed to subtle discrimination.
In Study 1 (N¼82) participants are either accepted or rejected in a (bogus) job application procedure, and either
do or do not receive additional information indicating group-level disadvantage. In Study 2 (N¼79), participants were
either accepted or rejected, and received information indicating either advantage or disadvantage for members of their
group. Results of both studies reveal that not only emotional well-being and outcome attributions, but also procedural
justice perceptions are primarily guided by personal outcomes. That is, being informed of group-level disadvantage does
not intensify but can instead alleviate negative affect resulting from personal rejection. Furthermore, group disadvantage
is only seen as an indicator of an unjust procedure by individual group members who have personally suffered rejection.
Results are discussed in relation to current insights on discrimination, tokenism and social justice
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Pagliaro S, Barreto M, Leach CW (2008). Is it Better to be Moral Than Smart? the Effects of Morality and Competence Norms on the Decision to Work at Group Status Improvement.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
95(6), 1397-1410.
Abstract:
Is it Better to be Moral Than Smart? the Effects of Morality and Competence Norms on the Decision to Work at Group Status Improvement
Three studies examined strategies of status improvement in experimentally created (Study 1 and 2) and preexisting (Study 3) low-status groups. Theory and prior research suggested that an in-group norm that established a particular strategy of status improvement as moral (rather than competent) would have a greater effect on individuals' decision to work at this strategy. Both Study 1 and Study 2 found that morality norms had a greater impact than competence norms on individuals' decision to work at group (rather than individual) status improvement. In both studies participants also needed less time to decide on a strategy of status improvement when it is was encouraged by a morality norm rather than a competence norm. Study 3 used a preexisting low-status group (i.e. Southern Italians) to further confirm that morality norms have a greater effect on the decision to work at group status improvement than do competence norms. Results are discussed in terms of social influence and identity management strategies. © 2008 American Psychological Association.
Abstract.
Wayne Leach C, Ellemers N, Barreto M (2007). Group Virtue: the Importance of Morality (vs. Competence and Sociability) in the Positive Evaluation of In-Groups.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
93(2), 234-249.
Abstract:
Group Virtue: the Importance of Morality (vs. Competence and Sociability) in the Positive Evaluation of In-Groups
Although previous research has focused on competence and sociability as the characteristics most important to positive group evaluation, the authors suggest that morality is more important. Studies with preexisting and experimentally created in-groups showed that a set of positive traits constituted distinct factors of morality, competence, and sociability. When asked directly, Study 1 participants reported that their in-group's morality was more important than its competence or sociability. An unobtrusive factor analytic method also showed morality to be a more important explanation of positive in-group evaluation than competence or sociability. Experimental manipulations of morality and competence (Study 4) and morality and sociability (Study 5) showed that only in-group morality affected aspects of the group-level self-concept related to positive evaluation (i.e. pride in, or distancing from, the in-group). Consistent with this finding, identification with experimentally created (Study 2b) and preexisting (Studies 4 and 5) in-groups predicted the ascription of morality, but not competence or sociability, to the in-group. © 2007 American Psychological Association.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2006). Categorization in everyday life: the effects of positive and negative categorizations on emotions and self-views.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
36, 931-942.
Abstract:
Categorization in everyday life: the effects of positive and negative categorizations on emotions and self-views
This study investigates how everyday categorization experiences affect people’s emotional responses
and self-views. A representative Dutch population sample (N¼463) was asked to recount a situation in
which they were categorized by others. This resulted in a range of categories that were spontaneously
evoked by research participants. Participants were asked to think of a situation either where the
categorization resulted in negative or in positive expectations about the self. Positive categorization
elicited more positive emotions and agreement than negative categorization. However, when positive
expectations about the self were formed, people found it less easy to detect that these were based on
external categorizations, and were less likely to protest. Mediational analyses showed that because
detection was impaired, exposure to positive categorization resulted in lower self-confidence than
exposure to negative categorization.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2006). Social identity and self-presentation at work: how attempts to hide a stigmatised identity affect emotional well-being, social inclusion and performance. Netherlands journal of psychology, 62(1), 51-57.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Banal S (2006). Working under cover: Performance-related self-confidence among members of contextually devalued groups who try to pass.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
36, 337-352.
Abstract:
Working under cover: Performance-related self-confidence among members of contextually devalued groups who try to pass.
This paper experimentally examines the effects of passing (versus revealing) a contextually devalued
identity on performance-related self-confidence. An experimental scenario was developed on the basis
of the results of a pilot study. Studies 1 and 2 (total N¼255) experimentally manipulate passing versus
revealing a contextually devalued identity, to an ingroup or an outgroup partner. The results show that,
although passing makes participants believe that their partner has more positive expectations of them,
it also undermines performance-related self-confidence. Moreover, the results show that negative
self-directed affect (i.e. guilt and shame) mediated the negative effect of passing on performancerelated
self-confidence.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2005). The burden of benevolent sexism: How it contributes to the maintenance of gender inequalities.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
35, 633-642.
Abstract:
The burden of benevolent sexism: How it contributes to the maintenance of gender inequalities
This study (N¼235) examines the responses of male and female participants to information about the
alleged endorsement of either hostile or benevolent sexist beliefs by a sample of either men or women.
We predicted that people endorsing benevolent sexist statements would be less likely to be perceived as
sexist than those endorsing hostile sexist views, and examined the judgmental process through which
people fail to recognize benevolent sexism as a form of prejudice. We argue that benevolent sexists do
not match the mental prototype of sexist perpetrators, because they are seen as likeable. Our results
confirm that because benevolent sexists are evaluated more positively than hostile sexists, they are less
likely to be seen as sexists. This judgmental process occurs relatively independently of emotional
responses to hostile vs. benevolent sexism. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the
maintenance of gender inequalities.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2005). The perils of political correctness: Men's and women's responses to old-fashioned and modern sexist views. Social Psychology Quarterly, 68(1), 75-88.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Palacios MS (2004). The backlash of token mobility: the impact of past group experiences on individual ambition and effort.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
30, 1433-1445.
Abstract:
The backlash of token mobility: the impact of past group experiences on individual ambition and effort
Two studies investigated the impact of past ingroup experiences
on individual aspirations and effort. Participants were told
that in the past, members of their group had either been offered no
opportunities (closed), few opportunities (token), or equal opportunities
(open) to achieve a desired outcome. The results show
that past group experiences determine responses to current opportunities
and affect the perceived feasibility of individual success
as well as individual performance. Exposure to a token system
has different effects, depending on whether the group is historically
advantaged or disadvantaged. Whereas those with a collective
history of success see token mobility as a challenge and show
superior performance, the same situation constitutes a threat to
members of a historically disadvantaged group, who fail to take
advantage of the opportunities offered to them and perform
suboptimally.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Palacios MS (2004). The backlash of token mobility: the impact of past group experiences on individual ambition and effort.
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN,
30(11), 1433-1445.
Author URL.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2003). The effects of being categorised: the interplay between internal and external social identities.
European Review of Social Psychology,
14, 139-170.
Abstract:
The effects of being categorised: the interplay between internal and external social identities.
In this chapter, we consider the independent and interactive effects of internal
categorisations (how people see themselves) and external categorisations (how
they are categorised by others) on social behaviour. Our point of departure is
that people do not necessarily accept external categorisations that are imposed
upon them (regardless of whether these refer to artificially constructed or
naturally occurring groups) and that this affects their willingness to invest in
the group. We first outline different reasons people may have to behave in line
with externally imposed group memberships. Subsequently, we examine how
self-presentation motives may interfere with identity expression, as people
consider different social norms, different audiences, and the psychological
costs associated with the management of their social identities. We conclude by
delineating the conditions under which external categorisations can be
internalised by targets, depending on the interplay of multiple identities as
well as the way people are treated by others.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Spears R, Shahinper K (2003). Who wants to know? the effect of audience on identity expression among minority group members. British Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 299-318.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2002). The impact of anonymity and group identification on pro-group behaviour in computer-mediated groups.
Small Group Research: an international journal of theory, investigation and application,
33, 590-610.
Abstract:
The impact of anonymity and group identification on pro-group behaviour in computer-mediated groups.
To contribute to the examination of the effects of computer-mediated communication (CMC)on collaborative work, the impact of anonymity on willingness to exert effort on behalf of a
group was examined. Two aspects of anonymity were independently manipulated: visibility
of respondents (not visible, visible) and visibility of responses (not visible, visible) to the ingroup.
The role of degree of identification as moderator of anonymity effects was also examined.
The results show that anonymity manipulations affect group members’effort on behalf
of the group, but only when group identification is low. Low identifiers chose to work harder
with the group either when they were totally anonymous or when they were totally visible to
other in-group members. The implications of the results for the understanding of group processes
through CMC are discussed.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2002). The impact of respect versus neglect of self-identities on identification and group loyalty.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
28, 629-639.
Abstract:
The impact of respect versus neglect of self-identities on identification and group loyalty
How do targets deal with a discrepancy between their choice of
identity and the way they are categorized by others? in this article,
the authors demonstrate that participants’ reactions to this
discrepancy depend on whether the way they are actually treated
by others respects their chosen identity.Par ticipants whose choice
of identity was neglected expressed low identification and little
loyalty to the group to which they had been assigned.By contrast,
identification and group loyalty were stronger among participants
whose choice of identity was respected and who did not differ
from controls on these measures.Of importance, only participants
whose self-identity was respected also were willing to selfcategorize
in and express willingness to cooperate with the
ascribed group.The implications of these results for the understanding
of identity processes in pluralist societies are discussed.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2000). You can't always do what you want: Social identity and self-presentational determinants of the choice to work for a low status group. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 891-906.
Chapters
Becker JC, Barreto M (2019). Personal, collective, and group-distancing motives underlying confrontation of prejudice. In (Ed) Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination, Elsevier, 141-158.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2015). Chapter Three Detecting and Experiencing Prejudice New Answers to Old Questions. In (Ed) , 139-219.
Sindic D, Barreto M, Costa Lopes R (2014). Power and identity: the multiple facets of a complex relationship. In Sindic D, Barreto M, Costa Lopes R (Eds.) Power and identity, UK: Psychology Press, 1-12.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2013). Sexism in contemporary societies: How it is expressed, perceived, confirmed, and resisted. In Ryan M, Branscombe N (Eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Gender and Psychology, Sage.
Barreto M, Ryan M, Schmitt M (2009). Introduction: is the glass ceiling still relevant in the 21st century?. In Barreto M, Ryan MK, Schmitt MT (Eds.) The glass ceiling in the 21st century, Amer Psychological Assn, 3-18.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2009). Maintaining the illusion of meritocracy. In Demoulin S, Leyens J-P, Dovidio JF (Eds.) Intergroup misunderstandings, Psychology Pr, 191-212.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2009). Multiple identities and the paradox of social inclusion. In (Ed)
Coping with Minority Status: Responses to Exclusion and Inclusion, 269-292.
Abstract:
Multiple identities and the paradox of social inclusion
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Cihangir S, Stroebe KS (2009). The experience of subtle sexism. In Barreto M, Ryan MK, Schmitt MT (Eds.) The glass ceiling in the 21st century, Amer Psychological Assn, 99-124.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2009). The paradox of social inclusion. In Butera F, Levine JM (Eds.) Coping with minority status, Cambridge Univ Pr, 269-292.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Cihangir S, Stroebe K (2009). The self-fulfilling effects of contemporary sexism: How it affects women's well-being and behavior. In (Ed) The glass ceiling in the 21st century: Understanding barriers to gender equality, 99-123.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2008). Putting your own down: How members of disadvantaged groups unwittingly perpetuate or exacerbate their disadvantage. In Brief AP (Ed)
Diversity at work, Cambridge Univ Pr, 202-261.
Abstract:
Putting your own down: How members of disadvantaged groups unwittingly perpetuate or exacerbate their disadvantage.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2001). The impact of relative group status: Affective, perceptual, and behavioural consequences. In Brown R, Gaertner S (Eds.) Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology, volume 4: Intergroup Processes, 324-343.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2000). Motivating the uncommitted: Degree of identification and type of anonymity as determinants of the choice to work on behalf of a low status group. In Postmes T, Spears R, Lea M, Reicher S (Eds.) SIDE issues center stage: Recent developments in studies of deindividuation in groups, Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, 117-130.
Ellemers N, Barreto M, Spears R (1999). Commitment and strategic responses to social context. In Ellemers N, Spears R, Doosje B (Eds.) Social identity: Context, commitment, content, Blackwell, 127-146.
Publications by year
In Press
Barreto M, Doyle DM (In Press). Benevolent and hostile sexism in a shifting global context. Nature Reviews Psychology
Pearce E, Barreto M, Victor C, Hammond C, Eccles A, Richins M, O'Neal A, Knowles R, Qualter P (In Press). Choking under pressure: Dos it get easier with age? Loneliness affects social monitoring across the lifespan. International Journal of Behavioral Development
Ciftci E, Barreto M, Doyle D, van Breen J, Darden S (In Press). Distancing or drawing together: Sexism and organizational tolerance of sexism impact women’s social relationships at work. European Journal of Social Psychology
Switsers L, Qualter P, Pan H, Barreto M, De Donder L, Victor C, Dury S, Hammond C, Dierckx E (In Press). Exploring the Demographic and Situational Characteristics of Older British People Experiencing Loneliness as Positive within the BBC Loneliness Experiment.
Aging and Mental HealthAbstract:
Exploring the Demographic and Situational Characteristics of Older British People Experiencing Loneliness as Positive within the BBC Loneliness Experiment
The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of loneliness experienced as positive, by exploring the demographic and situational characteristics of older people who experience loneliness as positive. Two binary logistic regressions were conducted using data from those aged 60+ from the BBC Loneliness Experiment (N= 5250). The first binary logistic regression compared participants who experience loneliness always as positive (N=219) to those participants who never experience loneliness as positive (N=3004). Spending time alone did not emerge as relevant to experiencing loneliness as positive, but enjoying time alone was important (OR = 1.561 (95% CI = 1.313−1.856)). The lonelier older people were, the less likely they experienced loneliness as positive (OR = 0.708 (95% CI =0.644−0.779)). Men were more likely to experience loneliness as positive compared to women (OR = 1.734 (95% CI = 1.269−2.370)). Lastly, the experience of loneliness as positive was likely to decrease when older people had more years of education (OR = 0.887 (95% CI = 0.853−0.921)) but increased with age (OR = 1.067 (95% CI = 1.037−1.098)). The results of the second binary logistic regression comparing participants who indicated loneliness purely as positive with those participants indicate to experience loneliness sometimes as positive (N=2027), are in line with the first regression analyses. The results are critically discussed by emphasizing the role of norms and cultures, gerotranscendence, and severity of loneliness, which might influence the experiences of loneliness. Further qualitative research is needed to elucidate the meanings of these positive experiences of loneliness.
Abstract.
Barreto M, van Breen J, Victor C, Hammond C, Eccles A, Richins MT, Qualter P (In Press). Exploring the Nature and Variation of the Stigma Associated with Loneliness.
Journal of Social and Personal RelationshipsAbstract:
Exploring the Nature and Variation of the Stigma Associated with Loneliness
The current study uses data from the BBC Loneliness Experiment to explore the social stigma of loneliness and how it varies by gender, age, and cultural individualism. We examined stigmatizing judgements of people who are lonely (impressions of those who feel lonely and attributions for loneliness), perceived stigma in the community, and self-stigma (shame for being lonely and inclination to conceal loneliness), while controlling for participants’ own feelings of loneliness. The scores on most measures fell near the mid-point of the scales, but stigmatizing perceptions depended on the measure of stigmatization that was used and on age, gender, and country-level individualism. Multi-level analyses revealed that men had more stigmatizing perceptions, more perceived community stigma, but less self-stigma than women; young people had higher scores than older people on all indicators except for internal vs external attributions; and people living in collectivist countries perceived loneliness as more controllable and perceived more stigma in the community than people living in individualistic countries. Finally, young men living in individualistic countries made the most internal (vs. external) attributions for loneliness. We discuss the implications of these findings for understandings of loneliness stigma and interventions to address loneliness.
Abstract.
Qualter P, Petersen K, Barreto M, Victor C, Hammond C, Arshad S-A (In Press). Exploring the frequency, intensity, and duration of loneliness: a latent class analysis of data from the BBC Loneliness Experiment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Heath S, Rabinovich A, Barreto M (In Press). Exploring the social dynamics of urban regeneration: a qualitative analysis of community members’ experiences. British Journal of Social Psychology
van Breen JA, de Lemus S, Kuppens T, Barreto M, Spears R (In Press). Extending the scope for resistance to gender-based evaluation. European Review of Social Psychology
Pacilli MG, Giovannelli I, Spaccatini F, Pagliaro S, Brambilla M, Barreto M, Sacchi S (In Press). Heroes or traitors? Perception of whistleblowers depends on the self-relevance of the group being reported. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations
Gianella V, Pagliaro S, Barreto M (In Press). Leader’s morality, group prototypicality, and followers’ reactions. Leadership Quarterly
Barreto M, Victor C, Hammond C, Eccles A, Richins MT, Qualter P (In Press). Loneliness Around the World: Age, Gender, and Cultural Differences in Loneliness. Personality and Individual Differences
Vytniorgu R, Cooper F, Jones C, Barreto M (In Press). Loneliness and Belonging in Narrative Environments. Emotion, Space and Society
Honghui P, Qualter P, Barreto M, Stegen H, Drury S (In Press). Loneliness in older migrants: exploring the role of cultural differences in their loneliness experience. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Jefferson R, Barreto M, Verity L, Qualter P (In Press). Loneliness in the school years: How it affects learning and how schools can help. Journal of School Health
van Breen J, Barreto M (In Press). Mind the gap! Stereotype exposure discourages women from expressing the anger they feel about gender inequality. Emotion
Doyle DM, Barreto M (In Press). Relational consequences of stigma: Bridging research on social stigma with relationship science. Journal of Social Issues
Meadows A, Barreto M, Dovidio J, Burkle SE, Wittlin NM, Herrin J, Van Ryn M, Phelan SM (In Press). Signalling hostility: the relationship between witnessing weight-based discrimination in medical school and medical student wellbeing. Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Lewis T, Barreto M, Doyle DM (In Press). Stigma, Identity and Support in Social Relationships of Transgender People throughout Transition: a Qualitative Analysis of Multiple Perspectives. Journal of Social Issues
Maddox L, Barreto M (In Press). “The team needs to feel cared for:” Staff perceptions of compassionate care, aids and barriers in adolescent mental health wards. BMC Nursing
2023
Harrison D, Rowland S, Wood G, Bakewell L, Petridis I, Long K, Vasileiou K, Barnett J, Barreto M, Wilson M, et al (2023). Designing Technology-Mediated Peer Support for Postgraduate Research Students at Risk of Loneliness and Isolation.
ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction,
30(1), 1-40.
Abstract:
Designing Technology-Mediated Peer Support for Postgraduate Research Students at Risk of Loneliness and Isolation
Student mental health and wellbeing have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Postgraduate research (PGR) students are at risk of experiencing mental health concerns and this, with the often isolated and competitive nature of their work, can impact their sense of community and social connectedness. In response to these concerns, we designed Pears, a system to connect PGR students for regular “pearings” (in-person meetings) and provide activities to promote reflection and conversation. A four-week evaluation of Pears with 15 students highlighted its potential to sometimes, but not always, facilitate peer support. Some participants would instead meet formally and according to their needs, others instead used the system to make new social connections. Additionally, some participants who faced work-related difficulties during the study found using the system contributed to their stress levels. We conclude by noting how technologies that encourage peer support can help build social relationships, providing an avenue to share similar PhD experiences and guidance for those new to the experience, while importantly raising awareness and an understanding for the need to take time for self-care. However, these technologies must be utilised carefully, and are not a replacement for other sources of student support in universities.
Abstract.
2022
Victor C, Barreto M, Qualter P (2022). HOW DO LONELY OLDER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LONELINESS? PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE BBC LONELINESS EXPERIMENT. Innovation in Aging, 6(Suppl 1), 155-155.
Victor C, Rippon I, Hammond C, Barreto M, Qualter P (2022). Older Adults’ Experiences of Loneliness over the Lifecourse: an Exploratory Study Using the BBC Loneliness Experiment.
Victor CR, Rippon I, Barreto M, Hammond C, Qualter P (2022). Older adults’ experiences of loneliness over the lifecourse: an exploratory study using the BBC loneliness experiment. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 102
Heney V (2022). Our stories, our selves:. Fictional representations of self-harm.
Abstract:
Our stories, our selves:. Fictional representations of self-harm
Self-harm is often understood, experienced, or culturally positioned as an object which is particularly difficult to represent or narrativise. These difficulties encompass both the widespread fear that depictions of self-harm lead to imitative behaviour, and the difficulty of finding appropriate narrative forms or language for an experience which is often complex and contradictory. This thesis explores this difficulty, and in so doing centres the experiences and perspectives of people who have self-harmed in analysing fictional depictions of the practice. This is accomplished both through the study’s advisory group, and through conducting in-depth qualitative interviews with people who have self-harmed. These interviews are then brought together with close readings of fictional texts, including novels, plays, films, and television. Thus the study is an innovative, interdisciplinary attempt to bring both Literary Studies and Social Science methods to bear on the question of narratives of self-harm.
Through this method the thesis suggests, first, that modes of subjectivity and identification through and in relation to fictional depictions of self-harm are bound up with knowledge and agency. I then argue that the meaning, affect, and significance of self-harm within fictional texts is intertwined with fraught questions of authenticity, with the negotiation of textual pleasure, and with the stereotypical figure of the self-harmer as a young, white, middle class woman. Finally, I explore endings and chronicity, noting that through compression and certainty the self-harming subject is presented with stark futures of recovery or death, leaving little space for self-harm’s own temporalities. Throughout, I note that the specific construction of self-harm in fictional narratives often (although not always) functions to locate the self-harming subject as beyond or not deserving of care. This occurs, in part, because self-harm is (or has been understood and constructed as) both signifying and signalling a failure of rational, contained, self-controlled neoliberal selfhood.
Abstract.
Doyle D, Qualter P, Victor C, Barreto M (2022). The impact of country-level structural stigma on loneliness and social capital in older and younger LGB individuals in 113 countries. European Journal of Public Health, 32(Suppl 3).
Doyle DM, Barreto M (2022). Toward a More Relational Model of Sexual Minority Identity Concealment. Archives of Sexual Behavior
2021
Heath S (2021). Exploring the impact of community change in the context of urban regeneration schemes: an analysis of the proposed psychological processes involved in creating successful and sustainable communities.
Abstract:
Exploring the impact of community change in the context of urban regeneration schemes: an analysis of the proposed psychological processes involved in creating successful and sustainable communities
Urban regeneration schemes are adopted by councils and governments globally to address some of the social and economic problems in ‘under-achieving’ communities. However, despite the large-scale change that such initiatives bring to communities, there is little research to date that focuses on the health and well-being impacts of such strategies. This project was developed to investigate the inter- and intra-group dynamics of residential diversification to enable us to develop a better understanding of the psychological processes involved in large-scale community change in the urban regeneration context.
Across the breadth of this project, I explore the impact of urban regeneration on well-being and resilience and develop an understanding of the possible drivers of engagement within a community context. Firstly, in Chapter 3, I develop our understanding of the different inter- and intra-group dynamics of residential diversification through the perspective of those residents who live in a regenerated area. Overall, this study suggests that a lack of community-based identity leads to feelings of loneliness and segregation and further serves to undermine well-being and resilience. Next, in Chapter 5, I found that group-based identification is positively linked to increased reports of psychological well-being, resilience and a willingness to engage with, and pay back to the community. Furthermore, these results were tested longitudinally and support the idea of a cyclical, positive relationship between identification and outcomes of well-being, resilience and pay back. Finally, in Chapter 6, I demonstrate that group-based identification can be increased through a targeted intervention that focuses on identity building techniques and translate into positive outcomes of well-being, resilience, a willingness to pay back to the community, community-based aspirations and reduced feelings of loneliness.
The research overall highlights the importance of understanding inter- and intra-group processes when addressing large-scale community change (i.e. through urban regeneration schemes). Furthermore, it is suggested that regeneration strategies adopt a theoretically grounded approach to community change that puts the well-being and engagement of residing community members at its core and, importantly, incorporates identity-building techniques to help develop a cohesive, adaptable, and sustainable community post-regeneration.
Abstract.
Ciftci EE (2021). How gender discrimination influences social ties among women.
Abstract:
How gender discrimination influences social ties among women
In this PhD, we examine how experiences with sexism affect women’s social relationships with other women. We assess the role played by tolerance of sexism in the workplace, including perceptions of tolerance of sexism at the peer-, manager-, and policy-level. Chapter 1 provides a review of the literature on devaluated group members’ responses to stigma on their relationship with other members of their groups and highlight the role of context on the effect of stigma on interpersonal relationships. Chapter 2 reports secondary analyses of existing data to examine the how tolerance of gender devaluation (sexualised harassment and non-sexualised sexism) moderates the impact of sexism on women’s psychological wellbeing. Chapter 3 reports a series of studies with working women, focusing on the effects of perceived peer, leader, and policy tolerance of sexism on women’s affiliation with female co-workers. Chapter 4 describes a pilot study and a laboratory experiment where we orthogonally manipulated exposure to sexism and peer tolerance of sexism. Our results show some inconsistencies but overall support the idea that organizational tolerance of gender devaluation plays an important role in women’s wellbeing and social responses to sexism. We summarize and integrate the findings across the three empirical chapters and discuss implications of theory and practice in Chapter 5.
Abstract.
Doyle DM, Begeny C, Barreto M, Morton T (2021). Identity-Related Factors Protect Well-Being against Stigma for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People.
Archives of Sexual BehaviorAbstract:
Identity-Related Factors Protect Well-Being against Stigma for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People
Relatively little is known about identity-related resilience factors associated with well-being among transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people. Drawing upon theory on stigma-related stress and resilience and work examining group identification as a buffer against discrimination, the aim of the current study was to model perceived discrimination, transgender identification, and gender identity affirmation as predictors of well-being for TGNC people. We also tested whether the positive association between gender identity affirmation and well-being might be explained by the benefits affirmation has for individual self-concept clarity. Participants were 105 TGNC individuals (42% transgender male, 39% transgender female, 19% other gender non-conforming [e.g. non-binary]) recruited through online forums and support groups in the United Kingdom and North America who completed an online survey including self-report measures of key constructs. Results from structural equation models demonstrated that: (1) experiences of discrimination were associated with lower well-being overall, but having a stronger transgender identity moderated this association; (2) after adjustment for discrimination and transgender identification, experiences of gender identity affirmation were independently associated with greater well-being for TGNC people. Secondary analyses demonstrated that gender identity affirmation was linked to well-being through reinforcing a strong, internalized sense of clarity about individual self-concept. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for TGNC health and well-being, particularly with regards to the need for supportive, identity-affirming social environments.
Abstract.
Lewis T, Doyle DM, Barreto M, Jackson D (2021). Social Relationship Experiences of Transgender People and Their Relational Partners: a Meta-Synthesis. Social Science and Medicine
Dimitriou E (2021). What is a reasonable response to sexual harassment?.
Abstract:
What is a reasonable response to sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment is widespread and has multiple consequences on its targets. The issue of sexual harassment has gained a lot of attention in recent years, and it is often discussed as a negative behaviour that should be unacceptable, with consequences for those who perpetrate it. However, responses to those who come forward to report their experiences remain unsupportive; their credibility and character are often questioned, while the actions and decisions they made after the incident are judged and sometimes used against them.
These reactions to people who report sexual harassment presume that we know how people who have been sexually harassed should (or do) react to these situations, what decisions they make and why. The common expectation is that victims will immediately recognise what happened as a crime, decide to seek justice, and make a formal report.
But do we really know how victims of sexual harassment or assault behave?
There is evidence from government and third sector surveys that the majority of people who experience sexual harassment do not report it formally. Often they take no action at all. This discrepancy between what victims do, and how they are expected to behave, raises questions about what victims really feel, and what needs are served by the actions that they take, irrespective of what others might expect. This thesis aims to address these questions.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the thesis and Chapters 2 and 3 are dedicated to reviewing the relevant literature. Chapters 4 and 5 then summarise four studies we conducted to explore these issues. These studies focus on four different perspectives on what victims of harassment need and do in the in response to their experiences. Namely, we consider the perspectives of informal service providers, formal service providers, survivors of sexual harassment, and those who have never been sexually harassed but imagine how they would respond if they had. Finally, we conclude with a discussion in Chapter 6, which integrates the findings from Studies 1-4 and underlines the potential practical implications of our findings.
Abstract.
Kahn KB, van Breen J, Barreto M, Kaiser CR (2021). When is women’s benevolent sexism associated with support for other women’s agentic responses to gender-based threat?. British Journal of Social Psychology
2019
O'Leary M, Barreto M, Bowtell J (2019). Evaluating the effect of a home-delivered meal service on the physical and psychological wellbeing of a UK population of older adults—A pilot and feasibility study. Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics
Richins MT, Barreto M, Karl A, Lawrence N (2019). Incidental fear reduces empathy for an out-group’s pain. Emotion
White R, Barreto M, Harrington J, Kapp S, Hayes J, Russell G (2019). Is disclosing an autism spectrum disorder in school associated with reduced stigmatization?. Autism: the international journal of research and practice
Dasci E (2019). Moral Biases in Intergroup Context.
Abstract:
Moral Biases in Intergroup Context
Even though people perceive their moral judgements as objective and unbiased, research suggests that they in fact make biased moral decisions that are then rationalized as objective. This project aimed to build on this prior work to further investigate the effect of intergroup biases on judgments of others’ morality. In the first line of this project, I aimed to investigate whether or not moral judgments are influenced by group membership where there is no prior information, beliefs, or emotions associated with the target group (i.e. in a minimal group setting). Participants read two versions of trolley dilemmas and judge either ingroup or outgroup targets. Across four experimental studies with minimal groups, I found evidence for group biases, even though the nature of patterns obtained varied. Overall, the findings suggest that group membership has a substantial influence on moral judgments even in minimal group settings, but given the inconsistency between the patterns obtained these warrant further investigation. Then, I aimed to investigate moral biases in pre-existing groups (specifically, men and women) and the role of relevant ideologies (sexism). I specifically focused on the role of a type of sexism that directly refers to women’s morality, i.e. benevolent sexism. To further specify the role of sexism in moral judgements, I also varied the moral extremity of the action. The results indicated that benevolent sexism led to more lenient judgements of women who displayed clearly immoral actions, especially among male participants (Study 5). However, the interplay between benevolent sexism and moral extremity was not moderated by target gender, indicating that this effect is not limited to judgements of women’s actions (Study 6). In the final study, I aimed to investigate the role of hostile sexism in counter-stereotypical female actions. The results revealed that hostile sexism negatively affected moral judgements of women who behaved counter-stereotypically, but not of men who displayed the same (stereotypically male) behaviour, but this was only the case for female participants.
Abstract.
Becker JC, Barreto M (2019). Personal, collective, and group-distancing motives underlying confrontation of prejudice. In (Ed) Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination, Elsevier, 141-158.
Zhang M, Barreto M, Doyle D (2019). Stigma-Based Rejection Experiences Affect Trust in Others.
Social Psychological and Personality Science,
11(3), 308-316.
Abstract:
Stigma-Based Rejection Experiences Affect Trust in Others
Rejection experiences are likely to influence individuals’ subsequent feelings about others and their behavior in social interactions. The present study specifically examined whether stigma-based rejection leads to decreased trust in others, compared to rejections that are not stigma based. Trust was assessed behaviorally with an online task where the interaction partner was preprogrammed. Participants showed less trust after stigma-based rejection than after a nonstigma-based rejection. This research provides the first experimental evidence that stigma-based rejection uniquely influences trust in others.
Abstract.
Victor C, Qualter P, Barreto M (2019). WHAT IS LONELINESS: INSIGHTS FROM THE BBC LONELINESS EXPERIMENT. Innovation in Aging, 3(Supplement_1), s373-s373.
2018
Vasileiou K, Barnett J, Barreto M, Vines J, Atkinson M, Long K, Bakewell L, Lawson S, Wilson M (2018). Coping with loneliness at university: a qualitative interview study with students in the UK. Mental Health and Prevention
Richins MT, Barreto M, Karl A, Lawrence N (2018). Empathic Responses Are Reduced to Competitive but Not Non-Competitive Outgroups. Social Neuroscience
Bakewell LL, Vasileiou K, Long KS, Atkinson M, Rice H, Barreto M, Barnett J, Wilson M, Lawson S, Vines J, et al (2018). Everything we do, everything we press: Data-driven remote performance management in a mobile workplace.
Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings,
2018-AprilAbstract:
Everything we do, everything we press: Data-driven remote performance management in a mobile workplace
This paper examines how data-driven performance monitoring technologies affect the work of telecommunications field engineers. As a mobile workforce, this occupational group rely on an array of smartphone applications to plan, manage and report on their jobs, and to liaise remotely with managers and colleagues. These technologies intend to help field engineers be more productive and have greater control over their work; however they also gather data related to the quantity and effectiveness of their labor. We conducted a qualitative study examining engineers' experiences of these systems. Our findings suggest they simultaneously enhance worker autonomy, support co-ordination with and monitoring of colleagues, but promote anxieties around productivity and the interpretation of data by management. We discuss the implications of datadriven performance management technologies on worker agency, and examine the consequences of such systems in an era of quantified workplaces.
Abstract.
Hinchliffe S, Jackson M, Wyatt K, Barlow A, Barreto M, Clare L, Deplege M, Durie R, Fleming L, Groom N, et al (2018). Healthy publics: Enabling cultures and environments for health. Palgrave Communications, 4, n/a-n/a.
Pagliaro S, Lo Presti A, Barattucci M, Giannella VA, Barreto M (2018). On the effects of ethical climate(s) on employees' behavior: a social identity approach.
Frontiers in Psychology,
9(JUN).
Abstract:
On the effects of ethical climate(s) on employees' behavior: a social identity approach
The spread and publicity given to questionable practices in the corporate world during the last two decades have fostered an increasing interest about the importance of ethical work for organizations, practitioners, scholars and, last but not least, the wider public. Relying on the Social Identity Approach, we suggest that the effects of different ethical climates on employee behaviors are driven by affective identification with the organization and, in parallel, by cognitive moral (dis)engagement. We compared the effects of two particular ethical climates derived from the literature: an ethical organizational climate of self-interest, and an ethical organizational climate of friendship. Three hundred seventy-six workers completed measures of Ethical Climate, Organizational Identification, Moral Disengagement, Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs), and Counterproductive Work Behaviors (CWBs). Structural equation modeling confirmed that the two ethical climates considered were independently related to organizational identification and moral disengagement. These, in turn, mediated the effects of ethical climates on OCBs and CWBs. We discuss results in light of the social identity approach, and present some practical implications of our findings.
Abstract.
Giovannelli I, Pacilli MG, Pagliaro S, Tomasetto C, Barreto M (2018). Recalling an Unfair Experience Reduces Adolescents’ Dishonest Behavioral Intentions: the Mediating Role of Justice Sensitivity.
Social Justice Research,
31(1), 23-40.
Abstract:
Recalling an Unfair Experience Reduces Adolescents’ Dishonest Behavioral Intentions: the Mediating Role of Justice Sensitivity
Injustice experiences are likely to have a strong impact on—adolescents' life. However, individuals differ in how they perceive and respond to injustice depending on their justice sensitivity. Whereas several studies analyzed the relationships between justice sensitivity and antisocial behaviors in adult samples, little is known about this relationship among adolescents. The aim of the present experimental study is to expand knowledge on the antecedents and effects of justice sensitivity from the Victim (i.e. JS-Victim) and Others (i.e. JS-Observer, Perpetrator, and Beneficiary) perspective, particularly with regard to its relationship to willingness to act in dishonest behavioral intentions (e.g. stealing money or objects from classmates, teachers, or strangers). The study involved 369 Italian students (52% males; Mage = 16.64, SD = 1.78). We examined the role of justice sensitivity in the relationship between the recall of unfair, fair, or neutral episodes, and the consequent willingness to perform dishonest behaviors. Results demonstrate that recalling unfair (vs. fair or neutral) episodes leads to an increase in JS-Others, which in turn decreased willingness to behave dishonestly. Conversely, JS-Victim did not mediate the relationship between the recall of unfair episodes and intentions to behave dishonestly. The present findings suggest that during adolescence JS-Others might act as a protective factor against dishonest behaviors.
Abstract.
Sindic D, Morais R, Costa-Lopes R, Klein O, Barreto M (2018). Schrodinger’s immigrant: the political and strategic use of (contradictory) stereotypical traits about immigrants. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Ramos M, Barreto M, Ellemers N, Moya M, Ferreira L (2018). What hostile and benevolent sexism communicate about men’s and women’s warmth and competence.
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations,
21(1), 159-177.
Abstract:
What hostile and benevolent sexism communicate about men’s and women’s warmth and competence
Ambivalent sexism theory (Glick & Fiske, 1996) distinguishes between two interrelated forms of sexism: Hostile and benevolent. Although this theory motivated a large body of work examining how endorsement of these views impacts on social interactions and women’s performance, no research has yet examined what these forms of sexism are seen to communicate about men and women. We report three studies examining the image that benevolent and hostile sexist messages are seen to describe (Studies 1 and 2) and prescribe for men and women (Study 3). Results show that both benevolent and hostile sexism were seen to convey that women are and should be less competent than men. Additionally, benevolent sexism was seen as describing and prescribing women to be warmer than did hostile sexism. Across all studies men and women agreed about what the messages communicate about men and women. We discuss the implications of these results for the understanding of how stereotypical beliefs are perpetuated.
Abstract.
2017
Long K, Bakewell L, McNaney R, Vasileiou K, Atkinson M, Barreto M, Barnett J, Wilson M, Lawson S, Vines J, et al (2017). Connecting those that care: Designing for Transitioning, Talking, Belonging and Escaping. Computers and Human Interaction
Vasileiou K, Barnett J, Barreto M, Vines J, Atkinson M, Lawson S, Wilson M (2017). Experiences of loneliness associated with being an informal caregiver: a qualitative investigation.
Frontiers in Psychology,
8(APR).
Abstract:
Experiences of loneliness associated with being an informal caregiver: a qualitative investigation
Although providing care to a family member or friend may provide psychological benefits, informal (i.e. unpaid) caregivers also encounter difficulties which may negatively affect their quality of life as well as their mental and physical health. Loneliness is one important challenge that caregivers face, with this psychological state being associated with morbidity and premature mortality. Although previous research has identified loneliness as an issue associated with being an informal caregiver, there is a paucity of evidence that attempts to understand this phenomenon in depth. This study aimed to examine informal caregivers' reflections on, and accounts of, experiences of loneliness linked to their caregiving situation. As part of a cross-sectional, qualitative study, sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 spousal caregivers, 4 daughters caring for a parent, 3 mothers caring for a child (or children), and 1 woman looking after her partner. The cared-for persons were suffering from a range of mental and physical health conditions (e.g. dementia, frailty due to old age, multiple sclerosis, depression, autism). Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Experiences of loneliness were described by reference to a context of shrunken personal space and diminished social interaction caused by the restrictions imposed by the caregiving role. Loneliness was also articulated against a background of relational deprivations and losses as well as sentiments of powerlessness, helplessness, and a sense of sole responsibility. Social encounters were also seen to generate loneliness when they were characterized by some form of distancing. Though not all sources or circumstances of loneliness in caregivers are amenable to change, more opportunities for respite care services, as well as a heightened sensibility and social appreciation of caregivers' valued contributions could help caregivers manage some forms of loneliness.
Abstract.
Newheiser AK, Barreto M, Tiemersma J (2017). People like me don’t belong here: Concealing a stigmatized identity is associated with negative workplace experiences. Journal of Social Issues, 73, 341-358.
Heath SC, Rabinovich A, Barreto M (2017). Putting identity into the community: Exploring the social dynamics of urban regeneration.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
47(7), 855-866.
Abstract:
Putting identity into the community: Exploring the social dynamics of urban regeneration
The present paper adopts a social identity perspective to examine the relationship between community-based identification and well-being, resilience and willingness to pay back in the context of urban regeneration. A sample of 104 residents across five deprived urban areas in the southwest of England that have recently undergone or are about to undergo regeneration projects completed a survey. The results demonstrate that areas where a more community-centred, bottom-up, approach to regeneration was taken (i.e. ‘culture-led’) showed higher levels of community cohesion than areas where the community dynamics were ignored (i.e. a ‘top-down’ approach to regeneration). Increased community identification was linked to greater perceived social support, community-esteem, personal self-esteem and self-efficacy. These psychological processes were, in turn, linked to increased resilience and well-being, as well as a stronger willingness to pay back to the community. The results are consistent with the social identity approach. Implications for urban regeneration strategies are discussed.
Abstract.
Steentjes K, Kurz T, Barreto M, Morton T (2017). The Norms Associated with Climate Change: Understanding Social Norms through Acts of Interpersonal Activism. Global Environmental Change, 43, 116-125.
Zaal M, Saab R, O'Brien K, Jeffries C, Barreto M, Van Laar C (2017). You’re either with us or against us! Moral conviction determines how the politicized distinguish friend from foe.
Group Processes and Intergroup Relations,
20(4), 519-539.
Abstract:
You’re either with us or against us! Moral conviction determines how the politicized distinguish friend from foe
© 2015, © the Author(s) 2015. Three studies investigated how politicized collective identification affects individuals’ reactions towards others. We hypothesized that a strong politicized identity tends to be accompanied by a moral conviction about the politicized cause, which in turn determines how the politicized respond to those less committed to their cause. Consistent with this, Study 1 showed that politicized (feminist) identification is associated with lower identification with women who place moderate (vs. high) moral value on gender equality. Study 2 showed that politicized identification was associated with negative emotions towards people who disagree with this cause and this was mediated by the extent to which participants saw supporting the activist goal as morally obligatory. Study 3 showed that politicized identification, to the extent to which it implied holding a moral conviction about the activist cause, is associated with a desire for more social distance to an attitudinally dissimilar other, but not from an attitudinally similar other.
Abstract.
2016
Ramos M, Barreto M, Ellemers N, Moya M, Ferreira L, Calanchini J (2016). Exposure to sexism can decrease implicit gender stereotype bias. European Journal of Social Psychology, 46, 455-466.
Pagliaro S, Ellemers N, Barreto M, Di Cesare C (2016). Once Dishonest, Always Dishonest? the Impact of Perceived Pervasiveness of Moral Evaluations of the Self on Motivation to Restore a Moral Reputation.
Frontiers in Psychology,
7Abstract:
Once Dishonest, Always Dishonest? the Impact of Perceived Pervasiveness of Moral Evaluations of the Self on Motivation to Restore a Moral Reputation
Four studies specify how moral evaluations of the self regulate behavior aimed at restoring a moral reputation. We propose that people care about evaluations of themselves as moral or immoral because these are perceived as more consequential than other types of information. Therefore people are more inclined to restore their image after being negatively evaluated in terms of morality rather than competence. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that moral information was perceived as having a more enduring impact on one’s reputation, and was more strongly related to anticipate intra-group respect and self-views, than competence and sociability information. This perceived pervasiveness of moral (vs. competence) evaluations mediated intentions to justify and explain one’s behavior (Study 3). Study 4 finally showed that being seen as lacking in morality elicited threat and coping responses, which induced subsequent tendencies to repair one’s moral reputation.
Abstract.
Dorrough A, Leszczynska M, Barreto M, Glockner A (2016). Revealing side effects of quota rules on group cooperation. Journal of Economic Psychology, 57, 136-152.
Ramos MR, Hewstone M, Barreto M, Branscombe N (2016). The Opportunities and Challenges of Diversity: Explaining its Impact on Individuals and Groups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 46, 793-806.
Kahn KB, Barreto M, Kaiser CR, Silva Rego M (2016). When do high and low status group members support confrontation? the role of perceived pervasiveness of prejudice.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
55, 27-43.
Abstract:
When do high and low status group members support confrontation? the role of perceived pervasiveness of prejudice
This paper examines how perceived pervasiveness of prejudice differentially affects high and
low status group members’ support for a low status group member who confronts. In
Experiment 1 (N = 228), men and women read a text describing sexism as rare or as
pervasive and subsequently indicated their support for a woman who confronted or did not
confront a sexist remark. Experiment 2 (N = 324) specified the underlying process using a
self-affirmation manipulation. Results show that men were more supportive of confrontation
when sexism was perceived to be rare than when it was pervasive. By contrast, women
tended to prefer confrontation when sexism was pervasive relative to when it was rare.
Personal self-affirmation decreased men’s and increased women’s support for confrontation
when prejudice was rare, suggesting that men’s and women’s support for confrontation when
prejudice is rare is driven by personal impression management considerations. Implications
for understanding how members of low and high status groups respond to prejudice are
discussed.
Keywords: prejudice, confrontation, sexism, self-affirmation
Abstract.
2015
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2015). Chapter Three Detecting and Experiencing Prejudice New Answers to Old Questions. In (Ed) , 139-219.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2015). Detecting and Experiencing Prejudice: New Answers to Old Questions.
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology,
52, 139-219.
Abstract:
Detecting and Experiencing Prejudice: New Answers to Old Questions
This contribution reviews the state of the art of research on the effects of prejudice on its targets. We structure this review around ongoing debates and core questions that have been guiding this field of research and how these are addressed by recent evidence. We address five central themes that have characterized research on the way prejudice emerges in modern societies, and the impact this has on its targets. First, we examine whether members of devalued groups tend to over- or under-estimate the extent to which they are targeted by discrimination. Second, we assess the self-protective and harmful effects of perceived discrimination on well-being. Third, we consider whether concealable stigmas are less problematic than visible stigmas. Fourth, we examine whether individual success is helpful or harmful for the disadvantaged group. Finally, as a fifth theme, we review evidence of the social costs of confronting prejudice and highlight the more neglected social benefits of confrontation. The research evidence we present in this way aims to resolve a number of common misunderstandings regarding the presence and implications of prejudice in modern societies.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2015). Modern discrimination: How perpetrators and targets interactively perpetuate social disadvantage.
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences,
3, 142-146.
Abstract:
Modern discrimination: How perpetrators and targets interactively perpetuate social disadvantage
Stereotypes and discriminatory behavior do not necessarily imply that people are
explicitly devalued or actively excluded from attractive positions in society. Instead, these
often implicitly communicate that any social disadvantages are due to individual
shortcomings. Recent research has uncovered a number of mechanisms that explain how
individuals may come to enact stereotypical expectations of others. Modern expressions of
stereotypes are not easily recognized or perceived as discriminatory. Attempts to distance the
self from the disadvantaged group to avoid discrimination are likely to backfire in different
ways. Countering common beliefs, people are quite reluctant to confront discrimination or to
claim unequal treatment. For all these reasons, modern discrimination tends to induce a cycle
of self-fulfilling mechanisms that perpetuate group-based social disadvantage.
Abstract.
Newheiser A-K, Barreto M, Ellemers N, Derks B, Scheepers D (2015). Regulatory focus moderates the social performance of individuals who conceal a stigmatized identity.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
54, 787-797.
Abstract:
Regulatory focus moderates the social performance of individuals who conceal a stigmatized identity
People often choose to hide a stigmatized identity to avoid bias. However, hiding stigma can disrupt social interactions. We considered whether regulatory focus qualifies the social effects of hiding stigma by examining interactions in which stigmatized participants concealed a devalued identity from non-stigmatized partners. In the Prevention Focus condition, stigmatized participants were instructed to prevent a negative impression by concealing the identity; in the Promotion Focus condition, they were instructed to promote a positive impression by concealing the identity; in the Control condition, they were simply asked to conceal the identity. Both non-stigmatized partners and independent raters rated the interactions more positively in the Promotion Focus condition. Thus, promotion focus is interpersonally beneficial for individuals who conceal a devalued identity.
Abstract.
Jehn KA, Wit F, Barreto M, Rink F (2015). Task Conflict Asymmetries: Effects on expectations and performance. International Journal of Conflict Management, 26, 172-191.
Becker JC, Barreto M, Kahn KB, Oliveira Laux SH (2015). The collective value of 'me' (and its limitations): Towards a more nuanced understanding of individual and collective coping with prejudice. Journal of Social Issues, 71, 497-516.
2014
Newheiser AK, Barreto M (2014). Hidden costs of hiding stigma: Ironic interpersonal consequences of concealing a stigmatized identity in social interactions.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,
52, 58-70.
Abstract:
Hidden costs of hiding stigma: Ironic interpersonal consequences of concealing a stigmatized identity in social interactions
People who possess a concealable stigmatized identity (e.g. minority sexual orientation; history of mental illness) often hide this identity from others in order to avoid bias. Despite the possible benefits of this identity management strategy, we propose that instead of increasing acceptance, hiding a stigmatized identity can result in a lowered sense of belonging and even actual social rejection. Across four studies, we show that although individuals living with concealable stigmatized identities report a preference for hiding (vs. revealing) the identity during social interactions, hiding in fact reduces feelings of belonging-an effect that is mediated by felt inauthenticity and reduced general self-disclosure (i.e. disclosure of self-relevant information not limited to the stigmatized identity). Furthermore, the detrimental interpersonal effects of hiding (vs. revealing) a stigmatized identity are detected by external observers and non-stigmatized interaction partners. Implications for understanding the predicament of people living with stigmatized social identities are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.
Abstract.
Cihangir S, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2014). Men as allies against sexism: the positive effects of a suggestion of sexism by male (vs. female) sources.
SAGE Open,
4(2).
Abstract:
Men as allies against sexism: the positive effects of a suggestion of sexism by male (vs. female) sources
© the Author(s) 2014. Sexism is often expressed in subtle and ambiguous ways, causing targets to doubt their own capabilities or to show stereotypeconfirming behavior. This research examines whether the self-confidence and stereotype (dis-)confirming behavior of targets of sexism can be bolstered when other male versus female sources suggest that sexism may have played a role. Both Study 1 (N = 78) and Study 2 (N = 90) show that a suggestion of sexism has more beneficial effects when it is made by male sources than when it is made by female sources. When males suggested that sexism had taken place, targets reported more self-confidence (less self-handicapping and higher personal performance state self-esteem) and showed less stereotype confirmation (less self-stereotyping and better task performance) than when sexism was suggested by a female source. Study 2 additionally revealed that targets are more likely to file a complaint when men suggest that sexism took place than when this same suggestion was made by women. These results indicate that men can constitute important allies against sexism if they speak out when sexist treatment takes place.
Abstract.
Sindic D, Barreto M, Costa Lopes R (eds)(2014).
Power and Identity. UK, Psychology Press.
Abstract:
Power and Identity
Abstract.
Sindic D, Barreto M, Costa Lopes R (2014). Power and identity: the multiple facets of a complex relationship. In Sindic D, Barreto M, Costa Lopes R (Eds.) Power and identity, UK: Psychology Press, 1-12.
Becker J, Barreto M (2014). Ways to go: Men's and women's support for aggressive and non-aggressive confrontation of sexism as a function of gender identification. Journal of Social Issues, 70(4), 668-686.
2013
Ellemers N, Pagliaro S, Barreto M (2013). Morality and behavioural regulation in groups: a social identity approach.
European Review of Social Psychology,
24(1), 160-193.
Abstract:
Morality and behavioural regulation in groups: a social identity approach
In recent years social psychologists have displayed a growing interest in examining morality-what people consider right and wrong. The majority of work in this area has addressed this either in terms of individual-level processes (relating to moral decision making or interpersonal impression formation) or as a way to explain intergroup relations (perceived fairness of status differences, responses to group-level moral transgressions). We complement this work by examining how moral standards and moral judgements play a role in the regulation of individual behaviour within groups and social systems. In doing this we take into account processes of social identification and self-categorisation, as these help us to understand how adherence to moral standards may be functional as a way to improve group-level conceptions of self. We review a recent research programme in which we have investigated the importance of morality for group-based identities and intra-group behavioural regulation. This reveals convergent evidence of the centrality of moral judgements for people's conceptions of the groups they belong to, and demonstrates the importance of group-specific moral norms in identifying behaviours that contribute to their identity as group members. © 2013 © 2013 European Association of Social Psychology.
Abstract.
Cihangir S, Scheepers D, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2013). Responding to gender-based rejection: Objecting against negative and disproving positive inter-group differentiation.
Social Psychological and Personality Science,
4, 151-158.
Abstract:
Responding to gender-based rejection: Objecting against negative and disproving positive inter-group differentiation.
We examined whether women (N ¼ 87) who are exposed to blatant discrimination show different responses depending on
whether they are rejected with reference to positively (‘‘this is something for men’’) or negatively (‘‘this is nothing for women’’)
phrased intergroup differentiation. Based on current insights on responses to discrimination, we predicted and found that those
who are exposed to negative differentiation will tend to object to those who rejected them, while positive differentiation is more
likely to induce efforts to disprove the validity of the rejection. Female participants facing negative differentiation objected against
the discriminatory nature of their rejection and showed cardiovascular reactivity more indicative of threat (and less of challenge)
than participants in the positive differentiation condition. In addition, positive differentiation caused participants to disprove the
validity of these group-based expectations by claiming the possession of relatively more masculine (and less feminine) traits.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2013). Sexism in contemporary societies: How it is expressed, perceived, confirmed, and resisted. In Ryan M, Branscombe N (Eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Gender and Psychology, Sage.
2011
Ellemers N, Kingma L, Van den Burgt J, Barreto M (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility as a source of organizational morality, employee commitment and satisfaction.
Journal of Organizational Moral Psychology,
1, 97-124.
Abstract:
Corporate Social Responsibility as a source of organizational morality, employee commitment and satisfaction.
Two studies (a) explored the role of pervasiveness of discrimination (pervasive vs.
rare) in determining targets’ responses to discrimination, and (b) examined the extent
to which threats to participants’ worldview can account, in part, for detrimental
effects of pervasive discrimination. As predicted, across both studies, pervasiveness
of discrimination moderated the relationship between attributions to prejudice for
failure to obtain a job and psychological well-being (depressed affect and state selfesteem).
When discrimination was presented as pervasive, attributions to prejudice
related to lower state self-esteem and greater depressed affect. When discrimination
was portrayed as rare, attributions to prejudice were related to higher state self-esteem
and unrelated to depressed affect. Study 2 further showed that being able to affirm the
world as just countered the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination, whereas
it did not influence responses to discrimination that was perceived as rare.
Abstract.
Stroebe KS, Dovidio J, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2011). Is the world a just place? Countering the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination by affirming the world as just.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
50, 484-500.
Abstract:
Is the world a just place? Countering the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination by affirming the world as just.
Two studies (a) explored the role of pervasiveness of discrimination (pervasive vs.
rare) in determining targets’ responses to discrimination, and (b) examined the extent
to which threats to participants’ worldview can account, in part, for detrimental
effects of pervasive discrimination. As predicted, across both studies, pervasiveness
of discrimination moderated the relationship between attributions to prejudice for
failure to obtain a job and psychological well-being (depressed affect and state selfesteem).
When discrimination was presented as pervasive, attributions to prejudice
related to lower state self-esteem and greater depressed affect. When discrimination
was portrayed as rare, attributions to prejudice were related to higher state self-esteem
and unrelated to depressed affect. Study 2 further showed that being able to affirm the
world as just countered the negative consequences of pervasive discrimination, whereas
it did not influence responses to discrimination that was perceived as rare.
Abstract.
Pagliaro S, Ellemers N, Barreto M (2011). Sharing moral values: Anticipated ingroup respect as a determinant of adherence to morality-based (but not competence-based) group norms.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
37(8), 1117-1129.
Abstract:
Sharing moral values: Anticipated ingroup respect as a determinant of adherence to morality-based (but not competence-based) group norms.
This research examines how moral values regulate the behavior of individual group members. It argues that group members behave in line with moral group norms because they anticipate receiving ingroup respect when enacting moral values that are shared by ingroup members. Data from two experimental studies offer evidence in support. In Study 1 (N = 82), morality-based (but not competence-based) ingroup norms determined whether members of a low-status group opted for individual versus collective strategies for status improvement. This effect was mediated by anticipated ingroup respect and emerged regardless of whether group norms prescribed collectivistic or individualistic behavior. These effects were replicated in Study 2 (N = 69), where no comparable effect was found as a result of moral norms communicated by a higher status outgroup. This indicates that social identity implications rather than interdependence or more generic concerns about social approval or importance of cooperation drive these effects.
Abstract.
2010
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Fiske ST (2010). "What did you Say, and Who do you Think you Are?" How Power Differences Affect Emotional Reactions to Prejudice.
Journal of Social Issues,
66(3), 477-492.
Abstract:
"What did you Say, and Who do you Think you Are?" How Power Differences Affect Emotional Reactions to Prejudice
Three studies examine how power differences between targets and sources of prejudice affect targets' emotional reactions to prejudice. Study 1 first demonstrates that people do not expect powerful others to be prejudiced. Studies 2 and 3 then examine what happens when targets encounter prejudice, as a function of the source's power. Targets notice and recall prejudiced statements from powerful sources, irrespective of whether they are personally dependent on the source. However, results also demonstrate that personal dependency on the source determines how much targets attend to and are emotionally affected by prejudice. Emotional reactions to prejudice as a function of source power were mediated by negative expectations about future interactions. © 2010 the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). Current issues in the study of social stigma.
Journal of Social Issues,
66, 431-445.
Abstract:
Current issues in the study of social stigma
This contribution identifies some of the major themes and controversies in current
research on stigma and social disadvantage, paying particular attention to the
perspective of the stigmatized. We examine the social contextual and interactive
nature of stigmatization that determines its impact and consequences for thosewho
are stigmatized. We outline some areas of research where different findings seem
incompatible or have remained unresolved. Specifically, we identify moderators of
the consequences of social stigma for the self, of the role of identification with the
stigmatized group as a source of vulnerability or of resilience, as well as of how
stigma affects task performance. In this way, we provide a thematic framework
outlining the different ways in which the articles in this special issue contribute
to the resolution of current controversies and debates in the literature on social
stigma.
Abstract.
Stroebe K, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). Experiencing Discrimination: How Members of Disadvantaged Groups can be Helped to Cope with Discrimination.
SOCIAL ISSUES AND POLICY REVIEW,
4(1), 181-213.
Author URL.
Stroebe KS, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). Experiencing discrimination: How members of disadvantaged groups can be helped to cope with discrimination.
Social Issues and Policy Review,
4, 181-213.
Abstract:
Experiencing discrimination: How members of disadvantaged groups can be helped to cope with discrimination
Instances of discriminatory treatment are often ambiguous. Nevertheless, for policy
makers to effectively combat discrimination, its targets first need to see that it
takes place. Different motives determine whether or not targets see their negative
outcomes as resulting from discrimination: to see the world as a just place where
people are treated fairly, and to maintain a positive view of the self. We argue
that the type of policy needed to combat discrimination is different, depending on
which of these motives plays a role. Based on relevant literature and our own recent
research, we develop a framework that specifies how different types of threat
and different motives are raised when discrimination is perceived as rare or pervasive.
We describe the pitfalls associated with each type of threat and the coping
strategies people use to deal with rare versus pervasive discrimination. We also
outline how policy makers can take advantage of this knowledge to tailor specific
measures to the different motives we distinguish, to optimize the effectiveness of
their interventions designed to combat discrimination.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Piebinga L, Moya M (2010). How nice of us and how dumb of me: the effect of exposure to benevolent sexism on women's task and relational self-descriptions.
Sex Roles: a Journal of Research,
62, 532-544.
Abstract:
How nice of us and how dumb of me: the effect of exposure to benevolent sexism on women's task and relational self-descriptions.
This research demonstrates how women assimilate
to benevolent sexism by emphasizing their relational
qualities and de-emphasizing their task-related characteristics
when exposed to benevolent sexism. Studies 1
(N=62) and 2 (N=100) show, with slightly different
paradigms and measures, that compared to exposure to
hostile sexism, exposure to benevolent sexism increases the
extent to which female Dutch college students define
themselves in relational terms and decreases the extent to
which they emphasize their task-related characteristics.
Study 3 (N=79) demonstrates that benevolent sexism has
more pernicious effects when it is expressed by someone
with whom women expect to collaborate than when no
collaboration is expected with the source of sexism. The
implications of these results are discussed.
Abstract.
Pagliaro S, Ellemers N, Barreto M, Leach CW (2010). Individual vs. collective identity management strategies: the role of group norms and personal gain.
Psicologia Sociale,
5(3), 387-401.
Abstract:
Individual vs. collective identity management strategies: the role of group norms and personal gain
The present study examined the role of personal incentives and group norms on individual vs. collective status improvement among members of low-status groups. Our results show that both group norms and personal incentives are strong guidelines for group members behavior. Furthermore, we found evidence that when personal incentives and group norms are in conflict, this creates a dilemma, as people need more time to choose between indi- vidual and collective status improvement strategies. Results are discussed in terms of social influence and identity management strategies.
Abstract.
Cihangir S, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). The dark side of ambiguous discrimination: How state self-esteem moderates emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous discrimination.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
49, 155-174.
Abstract:
The dark side of ambiguous discrimination: How state self-esteem moderates emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous discrimination.
Two experiments examine how experimentally induced differences in state self-esteem
moderate emotional and behavioural responses to ambiguous and unambiguous
discrimination. Study 1 ðN ¼ 108Þ showed that participants who were exposed to
ambiguous discrimination report more negative self-directed emotions when they have
low compared to high self-esteem. These differences did not emerge when participants
were exposed to unambiguous discrimination. Study 2 ðN ¼ 118Þ additionally revealed
that self-esteem moderated the effect of ambiguous discrimination on self-concern,
task performance, and self-stereotyping. Results show that ambiguous discrimination
caused participants with low self-esteem to report more negative self-directed
emotions, more self-concern, an inferior task performance, and more self-stereotyping,
compared to participants in the high self-esteem condition. Emotional and behavioural
responses to unambiguous discrimination did not depend on the induced level of selfesteem
in these studies.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Fiske S (2010). The power of prejudice: How power of source affects the experience of prejudice.
Journal of Social Issues,
66, 477-492.
Abstract:
The power of prejudice: How power of source affects the experience of prejudice.
Three studies examine how power differences between targets and sources of prejudice
affect targets’ emotional reactions to prejudice. Study 1 first demonstrates
that people do not expect powerful others to be prejudiced. Studies 2 and 3 then
examine what happens when targets encounter prejudice, as a function of the
source’s power. Targets notice and recall prejudiced statements from powerful
sources, irrespective of whether they are personally dependent on the source.
However, results also demonstrate that personal dependency on the source determines
how much targets attend to and are emotionally affected by prejudice.
Emotional reactions to prejudice as a function of source power were mediated by
negative expectations about future interactions.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Scholten W, Smith H (2010). To be or not to be: the impact of implicit versus explicit inappropriate social categorizations on the self.
British Journal of Social Psychology,
49, 43-67.
Abstract:
To be or not to be: the impact of implicit versus explicit inappropriate social categorizations on the self
This paper investigates how targets respond to treatment that is explicitly or implicitly
based on a contextually inappropriate social categorization. In three different
experimental studies, a team member appeared to use participants’ gender and not
participants’ personal preference to assign a proofreading task. Targets reported more
negative self-evaluations in response to implicit categorical treatment in comparison to
explicit categorical treatment. In contrast, explicit categorical treatment increased
target’s resistance to the treatment received. The pattern of results across the three
studies shows that treatment based on a contextually inappropriate category is
problematic even when the categorization is ambiguous or associated with attractive
and positive outcomes.
Abstract.
Stroebe KS, Barreto M, Ellemers N (2010). When searching hurts: the role of information search in reactions to gender discrimination.
Sex Roles: a Journal of Research,
62, 60-76.
Abstract:
When searching hurts: the role of information search in reactions to gender discrimination
Two laboratory studies conducted with Dutch
students explored women’s motivation to search for
evidence of gender discrimination and its effects on
psychological well-being. Study 1 (N=161) considered
situational self-relevance of one’s personal outcomes
(personal failure or success) on women’s motivation to
collect information about gender discrimination. Study 2
(N=106) manipulated information search and studied its
effects on well-being when information contains evidence
of gender discrimination or personal failure. Results
revealed that women are motivated to search for evidence
of discrimination when outcomes are highly self-relevant
(Study 1) or the need to search is high (Study 2).
Furthermore women suffer from evidence of prejudice,
but only when they are personally affected by this prejudice
and evidence suggests it is pervasive.
Abstract.
2009
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2009). Collective action in modern times: How modern expressions of prejudice prevent collective action.
Journal of Social Issues,
65, 749-768.
Abstract:
Collective action in modern times: How modern expressions of prejudice prevent collective action
This contribution addresses modern forms of group-based discrimination, and
examines how these impact upon the likelihood that people engage in collective
action. Based on a review of the relevant literature, we predict that modern
expressions of prejudice are less likely to be perceived as indicating group-based
disadvantage and hence elicit less anger, protest, and collective action than oldfashioned
prejudice. We present three studies to offer empirical support for this
prediction. In Study 1 (N = 116), female participants were led to believe that the
general public endorses either old-fashioned or modern sexist views. In Study 2
(N = 44) and 3 (N = 37) female participants were exposed to a student supervisor
who allegedly held either old-fashioned or modern sexist views. Results of all
three studies indicate that modern sexism is less likely to be perceived as a form
of discrimination, and as a result elicits less anger at the source and less support
for collective action (Study 1), intentions to protest (Study 2), and collective
protest behavior (Study 3) than old-fashioned sexism. In discussing the results of
this research, we connect to current insights on antecedents of collective action,
and identify conclusions from our analysis that are relevant for societal and
organizational policy making.
Abstract.
Stroebe KS, Ellemers N, Barreto M, Mummendey A (2009). For better or for worse: the congruence of personal and group outcomes on targets’ responses to discrimination.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
39, 576-590.
Abstract:
For better or for worse: the congruence of personal and group outcomes on targets’ responses to discrimination.
This paper reports two studies examining how (in-) congruence between personal and group outcomes affects emotional
well-being, outcome attributions and procedural justice perceptions of individuals who are exposed to subtle discrimination.
In Study 1 (N¼82) participants are either accepted or rejected in a (bogus) job application procedure, and either
do or do not receive additional information indicating group-level disadvantage. In Study 2 (N¼79), participants were
either accepted or rejected, and received information indicating either advantage or disadvantage for members of their
group. Results of both studies reveal that not only emotional well-being and outcome attributions, but also procedural
justice perceptions are primarily guided by personal outcomes. That is, being informed of group-level disadvantage does
not intensify but can instead alleviate negative affect resulting from personal rejection. Furthermore, group disadvantage
is only seen as an indicator of an unjust procedure by individual group members who have personally suffered rejection.
Results are discussed in relation to current insights on discrimination, tokenism and social justice
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ryan M, Schmitt M (2009). Introduction: is the glass ceiling still relevant in the 21st century?. In Barreto M, Ryan MK, Schmitt MT (Eds.) The glass ceiling in the 21st century, Amer Psychological Assn, 3-18.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2009). Maintaining the illusion of meritocracy. In Demoulin S, Leyens J-P, Dovidio JF (Eds.) Intergroup misunderstandings, Psychology Pr, 191-212.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2009). Multiple identities and the paradox of social inclusion. In (Ed)
Coping with Minority Status: Responses to Exclusion and Inclusion, 269-292.
Abstract:
Multiple identities and the paradox of social inclusion
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Cihangir S, Stroebe KS (2009). The experience of subtle sexism. In Barreto M, Ryan MK, Schmitt MT (Eds.) The glass ceiling in the 21st century, Amer Psychological Assn, 99-124.
Barreto M, Ryan MK, Schmitt MT (eds)(2009). The glass ceiling in the 21st century., American Psychological Association.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2009). The paradox of social inclusion. In Butera F, Levine JM (Eds.) Coping with minority status, Cambridge Univ Pr, 269-292.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Cihangir S, Stroebe K (2009). The self-fulfilling effects of contemporary sexism: How it affects women's well-being and behavior. In (Ed) The glass ceiling in the 21st century: Understanding barriers to gender equality, 99-123.
2008
Jehn KA, de Wit F, Barreto M (2008). Conflict Asymmetries: Effects on Motivation, Attitudes and Performance.
Ellemers N, Pagliaro S, Barreto M, Leach CW (2008). Is it Better to be Moral Than Smart? the Effects of Morality and Competence Norms on the Decision to Work at Group Status Improvement.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
95(6), 1397-1410.
Abstract:
Is it Better to be Moral Than Smart? the Effects of Morality and Competence Norms on the Decision to Work at Group Status Improvement
Three studies examined strategies of status improvement in experimentally created (Study 1 and 2) and preexisting (Study 3) low-status groups. Theory and prior research suggested that an in-group norm that established a particular strategy of status improvement as moral (rather than competent) would have a greater effect on individuals' decision to work at this strategy. Both Study 1 and Study 2 found that morality norms had a greater impact than competence norms on individuals' decision to work at group (rather than individual) status improvement. In both studies participants also needed less time to decide on a strategy of status improvement when it is was encouraged by a morality norm rather than a competence norm. Study 3 used a preexisting low-status group (i.e. Southern Italians) to further confirm that morality norms have a greater effect on the decision to work at group status improvement than do competence norms. Results are discussed in terms of social influence and identity management strategies. © 2008 American Psychological Association.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2008). Putting your own down: How members of disadvantaged groups unwittingly perpetuate or exacerbate their disadvantage. In Brief AP (Ed)
Diversity at work, Cambridge Univ Pr, 202-261.
Abstract:
Putting your own down: How members of disadvantaged groups unwittingly perpetuate or exacerbate their disadvantage.
Abstract.
2007
Wayne Leach C, Ellemers N, Barreto M (2007). Group Virtue: the Importance of Morality (vs. Competence and Sociability) in the Positive Evaluation of In-Groups.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
93(2), 234-249.
Abstract:
Group Virtue: the Importance of Morality (vs. Competence and Sociability) in the Positive Evaluation of In-Groups
Although previous research has focused on competence and sociability as the characteristics most important to positive group evaluation, the authors suggest that morality is more important. Studies with preexisting and experimentally created in-groups showed that a set of positive traits constituted distinct factors of morality, competence, and sociability. When asked directly, Study 1 participants reported that their in-group's morality was more important than its competence or sociability. An unobtrusive factor analytic method also showed morality to be a more important explanation of positive in-group evaluation than competence or sociability. Experimental manipulations of morality and competence (Study 4) and morality and sociability (Study 5) showed that only in-group morality affected aspects of the group-level self-concept related to positive evaluation (i.e. pride in, or distancing from, the in-group). Consistent with this finding, identification with experimentally created (Study 2b) and preexisting (Studies 4 and 5) in-groups predicted the ascription of morality, but not competence or sociability, to the in-group. © 2007 American Psychological Association.
Abstract.
2006
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2006). Categorization in everyday life: the effects of positive and negative categorizations on emotions and self-views.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
36, 931-942.
Abstract:
Categorization in everyday life: the effects of positive and negative categorizations on emotions and self-views
This study investigates how everyday categorization experiences affect people’s emotional responses
and self-views. A representative Dutch population sample (N¼463) was asked to recount a situation in
which they were categorized by others. This resulted in a range of categories that were spontaneously
evoked by research participants. Participants were asked to think of a situation either where the
categorization resulted in negative or in positive expectations about the self. Positive categorization
elicited more positive emotions and agreement than negative categorization. However, when positive
expectations about the self were formed, people found it less easy to detect that these were based on
external categorizations, and were less likely to protest. Mediational analyses showed that because
detection was impaired, exposure to positive categorization resulted in lower self-confidence than
exposure to negative categorization.
Abstract.
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2006). Social identity and self-presentation at work: how attempts to hide a stigmatised identity affect emotional well-being, social inclusion and performance. Netherlands journal of psychology, 62(1), 51-57.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Banal S (2006). Working under cover: Performance-related self-confidence among members of contextually devalued groups who try to pass.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
36, 337-352.
Abstract:
Working under cover: Performance-related self-confidence among members of contextually devalued groups who try to pass.
This paper experimentally examines the effects of passing (versus revealing) a contextually devalued
identity on performance-related self-confidence. An experimental scenario was developed on the basis
of the results of a pilot study. Studies 1 and 2 (total N¼255) experimentally manipulate passing versus
revealing a contextually devalued identity, to an ingroup or an outgroup partner. The results show that,
although passing makes participants believe that their partner has more positive expectations of them,
it also undermines performance-related self-confidence. Moreover, the results show that negative
self-directed affect (i.e. guilt and shame) mediated the negative effect of passing on performancerelated
self-confidence.
Abstract.
2005
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2005). The burden of benevolent sexism: How it contributes to the maintenance of gender inequalities.
European Journal of Social Psychology,
35, 633-642.
Abstract:
The burden of benevolent sexism: How it contributes to the maintenance of gender inequalities
This study (N¼235) examines the responses of male and female participants to information about the
alleged endorsement of either hostile or benevolent sexist beliefs by a sample of either men or women.
We predicted that people endorsing benevolent sexist statements would be less likely to be perceived as
sexist than those endorsing hostile sexist views, and examined the judgmental process through which
people fail to recognize benevolent sexism as a form of prejudice. We argue that benevolent sexists do
not match the mental prototype of sexist perpetrators, because they are seen as likeable. Our results
confirm that because benevolent sexists are evaluated more positively than hostile sexists, they are less
likely to be seen as sexists. This judgmental process occurs relatively independently of emotional
responses to hostile vs. benevolent sexism. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the
maintenance of gender inequalities.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2005). The perils of political correctness: Men's and women's responses to old-fashioned and modern sexist views. Social Psychology Quarterly, 68(1), 75-88.
2004
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Palacios MS (2004). The backlash of token mobility: the impact of past group experiences on individual ambition and effort.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
30, 1433-1445.
Abstract:
The backlash of token mobility: the impact of past group experiences on individual ambition and effort
Two studies investigated the impact of past ingroup experiences
on individual aspirations and effort. Participants were told
that in the past, members of their group had either been offered no
opportunities (closed), few opportunities (token), or equal opportunities
(open) to achieve a desired outcome. The results show
that past group experiences determine responses to current opportunities
and affect the perceived feasibility of individual success
as well as individual performance. Exposure to a token system
has different effects, depending on whether the group is historically
advantaged or disadvantaged. Whereas those with a collective
history of success see token mobility as a challenge and show
superior performance, the same situation constitutes a threat to
members of a historically disadvantaged group, who fail to take
advantage of the opportunities offered to them and perform
suboptimally.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Palacios MS (2004). The backlash of token mobility: the impact of past group experiences on individual ambition and effort.
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN,
30(11), 1433-1445.
Author URL.
2003
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2003). The effects of being categorised: the interplay between internal and external social identities.
European Review of Social Psychology,
14, 139-170.
Abstract:
The effects of being categorised: the interplay between internal and external social identities.
In this chapter, we consider the independent and interactive effects of internal
categorisations (how people see themselves) and external categorisations (how
they are categorised by others) on social behaviour. Our point of departure is
that people do not necessarily accept external categorisations that are imposed
upon them (regardless of whether these refer to artificially constructed or
naturally occurring groups) and that this affects their willingness to invest in
the group. We first outline different reasons people may have to behave in line
with externally imposed group memberships. Subsequently, we examine how
self-presentation motives may interfere with identity expression, as people
consider different social norms, different audiences, and the psychological
costs associated with the management of their social identities. We conclude by
delineating the conditions under which external categorisations can be
internalised by targets, depending on the interplay of multiple identities as
well as the way people are treated by others.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N, Spears R, Shahinper K (2003). Who wants to know? the effect of audience on identity expression among minority group members. British Journal of Social Psychology, 42, 299-318.
2002
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2002). The impact of anonymity and group identification on pro-group behaviour in computer-mediated groups.
Small Group Research: an international journal of theory, investigation and application,
33, 590-610.
Abstract:
The impact of anonymity and group identification on pro-group behaviour in computer-mediated groups.
To contribute to the examination of the effects of computer-mediated communication (CMC)on collaborative work, the impact of anonymity on willingness to exert effort on behalf of a
group was examined. Two aspects of anonymity were independently manipulated: visibility
of respondents (not visible, visible) and visibility of responses (not visible, visible) to the ingroup.
The role of degree of identification as moderator of anonymity effects was also examined.
The results show that anonymity manipulations affect group members’effort on behalf
of the group, but only when group identification is low. Low identifiers chose to work harder
with the group either when they were totally anonymous or when they were totally visible to
other in-group members. The implications of the results for the understanding of group processes
through CMC are discussed.
Abstract.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2002). The impact of respect versus neglect of self-identities on identification and group loyalty.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
28, 629-639.
Abstract:
The impact of respect versus neglect of self-identities on identification and group loyalty
How do targets deal with a discrepancy between their choice of
identity and the way they are categorized by others? in this article,
the authors demonstrate that participants’ reactions to this
discrepancy depend on whether the way they are actually treated
by others respects their chosen identity.Par ticipants whose choice
of identity was neglected expressed low identification and little
loyalty to the group to which they had been assigned.By contrast,
identification and group loyalty were stronger among participants
whose choice of identity was respected and who did not differ
from controls on these measures.Of importance, only participants
whose self-identity was respected also were willing to selfcategorize
in and express willingness to cooperate with the
ascribed group.The implications of these results for the understanding
of identity processes in pluralist societies are discussed.
Abstract.
2001
Ellemers N, Barreto M (2001). The impact of relative group status: Affective, perceptual, and behavioural consequences. In Brown R, Gaertner S (Eds.) Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology, volume 4: Intergroup Processes, 324-343.
2000
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2000). Motivating the uncommitted: Degree of identification and type of anonymity as determinants of the choice to work on behalf of a low status group. In Postmes T, Spears R, Lea M, Reicher S (Eds.) SIDE issues center stage: Recent developments in studies of deindividuation in groups, Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, 117-130.
Barreto M, Ellemers N (2000). You can't always do what you want: Social identity and self-presentational determinants of the choice to work for a low status group. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 891-906.
1999
Ellemers N, Barreto M, Spears R (1999). Commitment and strategic responses to social context. In Ellemers N, Spears R, Doosje B (Eds.) Social identity: Context, commitment, content, Blackwell, 127-146.
