Less pain and more to gain: Why high-status group members blame their failure on discrimination

Members of high-status groups are more likely than member; of low-status gr oups to blame their failure on discrimination and are less likely to blame it on themselves. This tendency was demonstrated in 3 experiments comparing men and women, White and Black students, and members of experimentally cre ated high- and low-status groups. Results also showed that when making an a ttribution to discrimination, high-status group members were less likely to experience a threat to their social state self-esteem performance perceive d control, and social perceived control and were more likely to protect the ir performance state self-esteem. These findings help to explain why high-s tatus group members are more willing to blame their failure on discriminati on by showing that it is less harmful for them than for low-status group me mbers.