Effects of Disadvantageous Intergroup Situations on Self-Esteem:

Abstract

The present study investigated effects of disadvantageous intergroup situations on the self-esteem of university students in Japan and in the United States. Although previous studies have examined effects of disadvantageous group membership on self-esteem, the reports have not been consistent as to whether the effects are positive or negative. The present study examined whether effects of disadvantageous situations on self-esteem differed between students who tended to perceive social inequalities and those who did not. The participants were Japanese students ( 38 men, 21 women; average age 20 . 75 , SD ＝1 . 50 ) at a university in Tokyo, and American students ( 25 men, 31 women; average age 19 . 79 , SD ＝1 . 35 ) at a university in New Jersey. After the participants read a prepared text describing a scenario related to job hunting, they completed a questionnaire. The students in the United States tended to perceive social inequalities. Although disadvantageous situations did not influence the self-esteem of the students in Japan, they negatively influenced the self-esteem of the American students. This tendency did not change when the participants ' data were reanalyzed after being divided into groups based on whether or not the participants had reported that they perceived social inequalities.