Effects of Ingroup and Outgroup Celebrities on Asian American and Hispanic Teens’ Self-Esteem and Ingroup Judgments

ABSTRACT

Do ingroup celebrities yield psychological benefits or costs for marginalized youth? Might outgroup celebrities prompt a sense of connection and thereby also yield benefits? In two experiments (the latter a replication six years later with different exemplars), Asian American (n1 = 85, n2 = 205) and US Hispanic (n1 = 135, n2 = 220) teens were randomized to see ingroup celebrity profiles, outgroup celebrity profiles, or no-exposure control. In both studies, ingroup celebrities (vs. control) increased Asian American teens’ self-esteem, but not via hypothesized effects on ingroup warmth or pride. In Study 1, Hispanic teens showed no experimental effects of ingroup celebrities; in Study 2, they showed a single moderated effect on perceptions of Hispanic school achievement. Both samples, in both studies, showed minimal effects of outgroup celebrities. Non-experimental associations with perceptions of ingroup celebrities were largely positive. Results highlight the complexity of identity-related effects, including differences between marginalized groups.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.