I am presently working on my Ph.D. in psychology at Carleton University. I am mainly interested in the self-esteem and responses of members of disadvantaged groups such as women, visible minorities, and people with disabilities. I have conducted several studies that examine these group members’ cognitive (stereotyping), evaluative (self-esteem) and behavioral (actions) responses to being a member of a negatively-viewed social group. My earlier research focused on cognitive processes- how group members stereotype members of their own and other social groups. In my MA thesis, I then examined the effects of high self-esteem and the opportunity to self-affirm on stigmatized group members’ perceptions of others and their self-perceptions. I also conducted a longitudinal study that examined how taking part in consciousness raising groups for several months influenced group members’ feelings about themselves, their group and their likelihood of taking action to improve the status of their group. I am currently conducting two studies. In the first study, I am examining the role of self-esteem, social support and coping strategies in buffering the effects of a negative identity on the psychological well-being and academic functioning of students belonging to stigmatized groups. In the second study, I am looking at how taking different types of actions (normative or anti-normative) either alone or with group members influence how people feel about themselves and their group. I am also interested in how these group processes influence job selection.

List of Research Accomplishments

Matheson, K., Cole, B., & Majka, K. (2000). Dissidence from Within: Examining intragroup reactions to attitudinal dissimilarity. Manuscript submitted for publication in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Abstract: In-group consensus may be achieved by rejecting group members who deviate from the group prototype, that is the "black sheep effect". If motivated by social identity needs, this response should be evident among individuals with a strong social identity, in contexts that make salient intergroup threat, and on issues viewed as relevant to the group’s collective definition. Study 1 examined the effects of these variables on women’s responses to dissention on the issue of making available abortion on demand. Results indicated that a strong social identity resulted in greater rejection of the dissenting speakers and arguments. Study 2 manipulated women’s gender identity and the contextual goals, and found that when women’s social identity .

Matheson, K., & Cole, B. (2000). The role of self-affirmation processes in responding to a negative social identity. Manuscript submitted for publication in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Abstract: Responses to belonging to a social group that was negatively stereotyped were expected to be moderated by group members' personal self-esteem, strength of interpersonal bonds with in-group members, and opportunities to self-affirm. Participants (N=120) were provided with a positive or negative construal of their identity associated with their university affiliation; of those given a negative construal, one-third self-affirmed on a value relevant to the group identity, while one-third did so on an irrelevant value. The remaining participants were not given an opportunity to self-affirm. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that self-esteem and interpersonal bonds resulted in more positive affect and greater in-group identification. Among participants with a negative identity that were unable to self-affirm on a group-relevant dimension, strong interpersonal bonds were associated with in-group favoritism, while self-esteem was associated with greater self-enhancement. The self-enhancing mechanisms associated with a group identity are discussed.

Cole, B., Matheson, K., & Majka, K. (2000, June). In-group favoritism: the influence of intergroup context and attitude dissimilarity on perceptions of in-group members. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa, Ontario.

Abstract: In-group favoritism may be employed as a strategy to maintain a positive and distinct social identity. This favoritism should more likely occur in a salient intergroup context, especially when one’s identity as a group member is threatened. This study examined how intergroup context and attitude similarity influence perceptions of in-group members. Participants were randomly assigned to listen to either a same-sex (intragroup) debate or a mixed-sex (intergroup) debate on abortion (balancing position across gender). Accordingly, pro-choice female students from Carleton University (N=106) were asked to assess: (a) their attitudes to abortion before the debate; (b) the importance of their identity as a woman; and (c) their perceptions of the debate speakers. Results indicated that the pro-choice speaker was viewed more favorably than the pro-life speaker. As well, participants with low identity centrality viewed the pro-choice female more positively than the pro-choice male speaker. Lastly, the pro-life speaker in the intragroup debate was viewed more favorably than the female pro-life speaker in the intergroup debate. These results supported the motivating effects of social identity.

Cole, B. (2000). Through the tinted looking glass: evaluating images of the self and others. Manuscript submitted for poster session at the annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Laval, Quebec.

Abstract: People are motivated to maintain a positive and distinct view of the self as an individual (Sedikides, 1993) and as a member of a social group (Tajfel, 1979). This motive to maintain positive self-esteem influences one’s self-perceptions and social perceptions (Stevens & Fiske, 1995; Beauregard & Dunning, 1998). This study examined the effects of a threat to participants’ social identity (N=120) in terms of construals of social identity as either positive or negative, the opportunity to self-affirm on a relevant or irrelevant dimension, and global personal trait self-esteem on participants’ cognitive, and self-evaluative responses. As expected, high trait self-esteem was associated with higher personal and collective state esteem. Analyses of variance also revealed that the type of affirmation had differential effects on state self-esteem depending on levels of trait self-esteem. Although participants showed some evidence of adopting cognitive strategies for self-enhancement, they did not result in increased personal or collective esteem. In fact, the centrality of their collective identity decreased after the self-enhancement opportunity. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.