University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
The Impact of Label Choice on Stigmatized Populations
Presenter Hometown
Richmond, KY
Major
Psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Sara Incera
Mentor Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
M Oakley, Donovan M., "The Impact of Label Choice on Stigmatized Populations" (2024). University Presentation Showcase Event. 19.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2024/undergraduate/19
Abstract
Language is one of many mechanisms that reinforces social stigma. Prior research has found that the label used to describe a stigmatized population can have serious consequences for people’s perceptions of those populations. A person’s familiarity with stigmatized traits has also been shown to have a considerable effect on their impressions of stigmatized populations. The goal of this study is to determine the effects of noun labels (e.g., “addict”) versus person-first labels (e.g., “person with addiction”) on the perceptions of people with mental illness, addiction, and incarceration history. We collected data from 100 participants in this study. We found that participants responded with more stigmatized attitudes toward incarceration than addiction or mental illness. Surprisingly, the difference of label choice (e.g., addicts versus people with addictions) and level of familiarity did not influence participants’ stigma scores. The results of this experiment indicate that stigma may arise from broader sources, rather than choice of label or personal experience.
Presentation format
Poster
The Impact of Label Choice on Stigmatized Populations
Language is one of many mechanisms that reinforces social stigma. Prior research has found that the label used to describe a stigmatized population can have serious consequences for people’s perceptions of those populations. A person’s familiarity with stigmatized traits has also been shown to have a considerable effect on their impressions of stigmatized populations. The goal of this study is to determine the effects of noun labels (e.g., “addict”) versus person-first labels (e.g., “person with addiction”) on the perceptions of people with mental illness, addiction, and incarceration history. We collected data from 100 participants in this study. We found that participants responded with more stigmatized attitudes toward incarceration than addiction or mental illness. Surprisingly, the difference of label choice (e.g., addicts versus people with addictions) and level of familiarity did not influence participants’ stigma scores. The results of this experiment indicate that stigma may arise from broader sources, rather than choice of label or personal experience.
