The Delegitimization of Women’s Claims of Ingroup-Directed Sexism

Abstract

Although women can experience sexism from other women (ingroup discrimination) and men (outgroup discrimination), those who claim to experience ingroup discrimination may suffer greater social costs than those who claim outgroup sexism. In three experiments (Study 1: N = 167; Study 2: N = 119; Study 3: N = 181), participants were randomly assigned to evaluate a woman’s claim of sexism that was perpetrated by a woman manager (ingroup discrimination) or man manager (outgroup discrimination). Women who claimed ingroup (vs. outgroup) discrimination (1) had their claims delegitimized more, (2) were perceived as greater complainers, but (3) were not perceived as less likeable (Studies 1–3). Claim of delegitimization (Studies 1–3) and violation of prototypes of discrimination (Study 3) mediated the effects of ingroup versus outgroup discrimination on perceptions of the employee as a complainer. These findings indicate that ingroup discrimination can be a pernicious barrier to women’s advancement in the workplace as these claims are viewed less seriously than more prototypical forms of outgroup discrimination.