Sources of Stigma: Analyzing the Psychology of Affirmative Action

Abstract

Numerous speculations exist about the psychological implications of affirmative action. One of the notions most prevalent among policy analysts is that affirmative action is stigmatizing and consequently is psychologically harmful to beneficiaries. In this article, the policy‐analytic vision which leads to this conclusion is shown to have strong parallels with a particular interpretation of the formal social psychological framework known as Equity Theory. Flaws in both the policy analytic and the equity theory visions are highlighted through a reconceptualization of the policy in terms of the theory of Procedural Justice. The general argument is that psychological reactions to affirmative action are linked to the actual structure and perceived fairness of the procedures used to implement the policy. A review of the psychological research on the outcomes of affirmative action based on equity theory and procedural justice shows that psychological responses to the policy depend on the nature of policy‐procedures. Since affirmative action procedures do vary and also seem to have legal bearing, it is argued that in order to develop an understanding of the psychology of the policy that is both valid, and relevant to policy design, a procedural justice conceptualization is necessary.