Individual differences in the phenomenological impact of social stigma

In an attempt to define stigmatization from the perspective of stigmatized group members, the author focused on the development and validation of a st igmatization scale. The scale's content validity was established with the a ssistance of experts in the field. European American, African American, and Native American students from 5 different U.S. universities completed the Stigmatization Scale. The construct validity of the scale was suggested by its convergence with similar measures of social alienation and its divergen ce from measures of personal subjective well-being. The finding that both t he African American and Native American students reported significantly hig her stigmatization scores than did the European Americans indicated the sca le's known-groups validity. African American students at a predominantly Bl ack university reported lower stigmatization than did African American stud ents at a predominantly White university, suggesting the scale's malleabili ty to context.