Workplace Discrimination Against Individuals with Skin Based Stigmas

Abstract

This study explores how the origin of a stigma influences hiring decisions and ratings of competence and warmth. To do so participants will rate an applicant who either has a self-inflicted stigma (a visible neck tattoo), biologically inflicted stigma (a facial birthmark), an ambiguous stigma (a facial burn scar), or no stigma (control).  In general, we predict while there will be a pro-hiring bias toward the non-stigmatized control, the applicant with the ambiguously inflicted facial scar will be more likely to be hired and rated as higher in competence than applicants with either a biologically inflicted stigma or self-inflicted stigma.