Derricks Veronica, Pietri Eva S, Johnson India R, Gonzalez Daniela
Department of Psychology, Indiana University Indianapolis.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder.
J Exp Psychol Gen. 2025 May;154(5):1303-1319. doi: 10.1037/xge0001722. Epub 2025 Feb 27.
Black Americans remain underrepresented in organizations. Although extensive research demonstrates that inadequate representation undermines inclusion, few studies have assessed the psychological processes through which this relationship emerges. Across three online experiments, we investigate the role of -concerns about being assimilated, or likened, to another ingroup member by external observers-as a mechanism underlying reduced inclusion for Black Americans in organizations. Moreover, we examine the dynamics of social comparison perceptions for individuals who have multiple marginalized identities (Black women). Across studies, Black adults (Study 1) and Black women (Studies 2 and 3) imagined that they were one of two (duo status) or many (nonduo status) Black employees at a company and read about a Black male or White female colleague who performed poorly on a work task. Findings showed that Black individuals with duo (vs. nonduo) status reported stronger social comparison perceptions and worse organizational outcomes (e.g., decreased identity-safety, or beliefs that one's identity is valued in a setting). Moreover, social comparison perceptions served as a mechanism underlying worse organizational outcomes. In Studies 2 and 3, Black women who had duo (vs. nonduo) status reported increased social comparison perceptions in response to a target who shared either of their marginalized identities (a Black man or White woman). Study 3 showed that organizational cues which condemned stereotypes significantly reduced concerns about social comparison perceptions and improved organizational outcomes. Collectively, this work elucidates a psychological process through which underrepresentation can undermine inclusion for Black adults, the dynamics of this process for persons with multiple marginalized identities, and an intervention that can disrupt this process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
美国黑人在组织中的代表性仍然不足。尽管大量研究表明代表性不足会破坏包容性，但很少有研究评估这种关系产生的心理过程。在三项在线实验中，我们调查了——担心被外部观察者同化为或比作另一个内群体成员——作为美国黑人在组织中包容性降低的潜在机制。此外，我们研究了具有多重边缘化身份的个体（黑人女性）的社会比较认知动态。在各项研究中，成年黑人（研究1）和黑人女性（研究2和3）想象自己是一家公司中两名（二元身份）或多名（非二元身份）黑人员工之一，并阅读了一位在工作任务中表现不佳的黑人男性或白人女性同事的情况。研究结果表明，具有二元（而非非二元）身份的黑人个体报告的社会比较认知更强，组织结果更差（例如，身份安全感降低，即认为自己的身份在某个环境中受到重视的信念降低）。此外，社会比较认知是组织结果更差的潜在机制。在研究2和3中，具有二元（而非非二元）身份的黑人女性在面对与她们共享任何一种边缘化身份的目标（黑人男性或白人女性）时，报告的社会比较认知增加。研究3表明，谴责刻板印象的组织线索显著降低了对社会比较认知的担忧，并改善了组织结果。总体而言，这项工作阐明了代表性不足会破坏成年黑人包容性的心理过程、这一过程对具有多重边缘化身份者的动态影响，以及一种可以扰乱这一过程的干预措施。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2025美国心理学会，保留所有权利）
