Social cognitive processes underlying victim self and identity: evidence of explicit and implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping

Personal experiences affect the groups with which individuals identify. A single event can lead an individual to associate the self with a novel group; this process can occur both explicitly, or consciously, and implicitly, or automatically and nonconsciously. The overarching goals of this doctoral dissertation research are to examine whether a past violent victimization experience leads individuals to explicitly and/or implicitly identify with the group victims and its attributes, what this dissertation refers to as victim identity and victim self-stereotyping, respectively, and to examine under what conditions victim identity may be strengthened. Specifically, the general hypotheses tested were that participants with past violent victimization experience will exhibit stronger explicit and implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping compared to participants without such experience, and that participants who are reminded of their victimization experience will exhibit stronger explicit and implicit victim identity compared to those who are not reminded of their experience. The relations between explicit and/or implicit victim identity, and mental health, psychological well-being, and behavioral patterns (i.e., routine activities) associated with victim experiences and identity were also explored. Results showed that those with past violent victimization experience exhibited greater explicit (but not implicit) victim identity and self-stereotyping, that reminders of a victimization experience strengthen explicit victim identity, and that measures of explicit and implicit victim identity and self-stereotyping are unrelated. Further, explicit victim identity mediates the relation between past violent victimization experience and mental health and psychological well-being, and explicit victim identity is related to several routine activities linked to risk of (re)victimization. Collectively, this dissertation research may support future intervention efforts to decrease the negative consequences of victimization that, in turn, empowers those with violent victimization experience with a sense of agency and promotes their overall mental health and well-being.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Nicole Marie Sach