A Social Psychological Perspective on Perceiving and Reporting Discrimination

Abstract

This article reviews social psychological theory and empirical research on perceiving and reporting discrimination. The article begins with an examination of factors that affect whether individuals perceive themselves as targets of discrimination. We then turn toward addressing whether individuals who perceive discrimination are willing to report their perceptions, as well as the interpersonal consequences they might face for so doing. Throughout this article, we examine how endorsement of the meritocratic worldview shapes these discrimination-related processes. Finally, we conclude by noting the potential for important theoretical, empirical, and applied advances on discrimination scholarship that can arise from interdisciplinary collaboration among legal scholars and social scientists. At a recent academic conference examining the underrepresentation of women in fields such as mathematics and science, former Harvard University president Lawrence Summers made some now infamous remarks about one potential cause of this gender disparity. Summers suggested that gender differences in “innate abilities” might be one explanation for the underrepresentation of women in these fields. Not surprisingly, his comments provoked a firestorm of attention and controversy. For example, one supporter stated, “I think that Larry Summers is an excellent president of Harvard, firmly committed and deeply respectful of the role of women in universities and one who is anxious to strengthen and enhance that.” In contrast, a critic remarked, “when [Summers] began talking about innate differences in aptitude between

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