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Competence and warmth stereotypes prompt mental illness stigma through emotions
Author(s) -
Sadler Melody S.,
Kaye Kimberly E.,
Vaughn Allison A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/jasp.12323
Subject(s) - psychology , harm , admiration , anger , mental illness , pity , social psychology , competence (human resources) , facilitation , stigma (botany) , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , mental health , psychotherapist , psychiatry , neuroscience
Public stigma toward mental illness subgroups (11 mental illness subgroups and 2 subgroups perceived to have mental illness) was examined. Competence and warmth stereotypes were used to predict emotional reactions posited to mediate behavioral inclinations ranging from passive to active harm or facilitation. Fear mediated the relationship between low competence and warmth stereotypes and passive harm. Anger, and to a lesser extent fear, mediated the relationship between low warmth and active harm. Pity mediated the relationship between warmth and active facilitation. Neither envy nor admiration linked stereotypes to behavioral reactions. Results suggest that emotions share motivational direction with behavior, to approach or to avoid, rather than simply sharing valence. Implications for research on stigma toward mental illness subgroups are discussed.