HOW DISADVANTAGED GROUP MEMBERS COPE WITH DISCRIMINATION WHEN THEY PERCEIVE THAT SOCIAL SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE

This experiment examined how disadvantaged group members cope with dis crimination when they perceive that social support is available. Women reacted to a failing test grade after ambiguous information about the probability for discrimination. With no social support, women minimiz ed discrimination and attributed their failure to the quality of their answers. Participants were less inclined to minimize discrimination w hen social support was available. When they perceived that either emot ional or informational support was available, women were equally likel y to blame their failure on discrimination as on the quality of their answers. The results revealed less minimization of personal discrimina tion when both emotional and informational support were available, in which case participants blamed their failure more on discrimination an d less on themselves.