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Scholars have documented harm associated with positive stereotypes about groups that experience inequality. We surveyed five samples from the United States to explore antecedents to dominant group endorsement of positive stereotypes about women, gay men, Asian Americans, Black Americans, and Native Americans. We found more liberal participants, and those with more close contact with members of these groups, were more internally motivated to respond without prejudice, which was then associated with greater endorsement of positive stereotypes about women, gay men, Black Americans, and Native Americans. In contrast, more conservative participants were more likely to believe in system legitimacy, which was then associated with greater endorsement of positive stereotypes about women and Asian Americans. We theorize that positive stereotypes are used by dominant group members in divergent ways, sometimes to legitimate inequality and other times with concern about inequality. The latter likely involves naivety regarding the harmful nature of positive stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 2,000 teams in the U.S. utilize Native American mascots, the majority of which are associated with schools. Across the nation there continue to be many intense conflicts over these mascots. Most conflicts focus on differences in opinion, rather than on the effects of these mascots. The purpose of this article is to provide educational decision-makers with a comprehensive review of research on the psychosocial effects of Native American mascots. This body of research suggests that these mascots generate undesirable effects. First, they are psychologically detrimental to Native American students. Second, for non-Native persons, they are associated with negative stereotypes of Native Americans. Third, these mascots undermine intergroup relations by increasing negative stereotyping of Native Americans. Lastly, supporters of these mascots are more apt to believe prejudicial ideas. We discuss these findings relative to broader societal contexts.

In U.S. media, appropriation of American Indian cultures and identities is a recurring topic. Yet, there is no academic research that examines American Indian experiences with and attitudes towards multiple types of this appropriation. We analyzed written responses about appropriation from 362 tribally-enrolled American Indian participants. We found that these participants witness many types of appropriation on a regular basis. While a small percentage expressed support for this appropriation, the vast majority voiced opposition, most commonly because they perceive it as disrespectful, ignorant, and oppressive. Many participants described negative feelings they experience when encountering appropriation, especially anger. Some take action to eliminate appropriation, especially educating others. We situate our findings in the context of settler colonialism, and explain how this appropriation operates as microaggressions, which generate a hostile climate. Lastly, we discuss ways our findings can inform social change and uphold the sovereignty of American Indian tribal nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although representations of American Indians in mass media are rare, when depicted they are portrayed in a consistent stereotypical manner, especially as bloodthirsty warriors and noble Indians from the past. We used a cultivation approach, surveying 903 White Americans, to explore whether greater reported exposure to 6 media types and genres was associated with the endorsement of 5 stereotypes. We found that more reported exposure to television, books, social media, news, and sports media was associated with greater endorsement of the warrior Indian stereotype. More exposure to social media was associated with more endorsement of the noble Indian stereotype and less endorsement of the casino and degraded Indian stereotypes, and more exposure to sports media was associated with less endorsement of the degraded Indian stereotype. We discuss our findings in relation to cultivation theory, settler colonial theory, and the phenomenon of ostensibly positive stereotypes, as well as their implications for American Indian Peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A primary process in settler colonial societies is erasure of Indigenous presence. We employ a symbolic interactionist approach, embedded in macro-level critical analysis, to explore the conveyance and interpretation of American Indian identity in everyday interaction in the settler colonial society of the United States. We surveyed 213 White American participants, asking them to write about indicators they utilize to determine American Indian identity, and 104 American Indian participants, asking them to write about experiences associated with conveying and others interpreting their American Indian identities. Our findings reveal similarities and differences between White and American Indian perspectives associated with three types of indicators: perceived phenotypical, perceived cultural, and verbal. We find that racialized phenotypical perceptions of American Indian identity contribute to misidentification and invisibility of American Indian people. Cultural stereotypes also contribute to invisibility. We situate these findings in dominant U.S. culture and structures rooted in settler colonial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined public heterosexual identity management practices of heterosexual-identified young adults in the United States. Analysis of 415 participants’ written narratives indicated that 41% (n = 169) described consciously engaging in public displays of their heterosexual status in relation to suspicion about their sexual orientation. This article describes our findings regarding five aspects of these narratives of suspicion: types of suspicion, causes of suspicion, reasons for concern about suspicion, the types of public displays of heterosexual status employed to quell suspicion, and intended audiences for these displays. Overall, the results indicated that heterosexual identity suspicion is multifaceted, this suspicion serves as a catalyst for public displays of heterosexual status, and the climate of suspicion described by our participants reflects and reinforces contemporary heterosexism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little is known about how gender and sexual orientation intersect to predict young adults' responses to unwanted romantic and sexual overtures from men and women suitors. To better understand these potential differences, and explore possible mechanisms that explain them, this pre-registered study used an online questionnaire to assess reactions to both hypothetical and recalled suitors among a sample of 855 cisgender heterosexual and gay young adults (18–35) from the United States. Results revealed that gay women and heterosexual men reported the most negative hypothetical reactions to men (versus women) suitors, while gay women, heterosexual men, and heterosexual women all recalled more negative reactions to men than women suitors. Gay men recalled relatively benign reactions to suitors of both genders. A desire to be seen as one's true orientation was a mediating factor for both gay women's and heterosexual men's negative reactions to men suitors. These findings and their potential explanations highlight the complexity of how gender and sexual orientation intersect to shape responses to romantic and sexual overtures from men and women suitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]