Racial Regard and Black Consumers’ Responses to Stigmatized-Identity Cues

Abstract

This research leverages important concepts from the multidimensional model of racial identity (Sellers et al. 1998) to advance knowledge of intragroup differences in Black consumers’ responses to stigmatized-identity cues. The authors propose that the discrepancy between private and public racial regard moderates the impact of stigmatized-identity cues on Black consumers’ reactions to the cue source. Private regard reflects how individuals feel about their Black racial identity, whereas public regard captures individuals’ beliefs about how others perceive Black people. Findings from three experiments suggest that a favorable discrepancy between private and public racial regard magnifies the impact of stigmatized-identity cues on Black consumers’ perceptions and intentions with respect to the cue source. Feeling respected mediates this relationship.