Selectively friending: Racial stereotypicality and social rejection

a r t i c l e i n f o Three studies show that people whose physical features are seen as more (versus less) racially stereotypical are more vulnerable to social rejection and exclusion from those outside their group. In Study 1, which used an online social networking site, Blacks perceived as more physically stereotypical were found to have fewer non-Black friends, compared to less-stereotypical Blacks. In Study 2, which used an experimental paradigm, requests for friendship made to non-Blacks by more-stereotypical Blacks were more likely to be rejected than those made by less-stereotypical Blacks. Finally, in a college dormitory, people judged to have more (vs. less) racially stereotypical physical features were found to interact less often with outgroup members. This work substantiates a growing body of research demonstrating that people who are perceived as more physically stereotypical of their racial group are particularly vulnerable to discriminatory treatment by outgroup members across a variety of life domains. Introduction A visible stigma, such as membership in a racial minority group, can have significant negative consequences for a person's life outcomes, well-being, and daily interactions with others, as shown by an abundance of research over many decades (e.g., Allport, 1954; Dovidio & Gaertner, 1986). Recent scholarship, however, has added to the complexity of this approach by demonstrating that negative outcomes are experienced to unequal degrees by members of the same minority group. Specifically, racial minorities who are perceived as more physically stereotypical or prototypical of their group are more vulnerable to negative outcomes, compared to less-stereotypical minorities. In other words, visible minorities face feature-based as well as category-based discrimination (Maddox, 2004). In the case of Blacks, stereotypi-cal features include a darker skin tone and broader nose and lips (Blair,