Stigmatized-Identity Cues: Threats as Opportunities for Consumer Psychology

Journal of Consumer Psychology · 2019 · Volume 29 · Issue 1

Abstract

In their review of the literature on stigmatized-identity cues, Chaney, Sanchez, and Maimon (2019—this issue) summarize evidence that stigmatized-identity threat and safety cues drive consumer behavior through their effects on consumers’ inferences about the company's ideology and their consequential impact on feelings of belonging. The authors also identify various factors that moderate the relationship between these identity cues and consumers’ belonging perceptions. In our commentary, we identify future research opportunities by: (a) encouraging efforts to broaden the proposed framework to account for stigmatized identities defined in terms of consumption activities, (b) highlighting concepts and relationships that may require re-examination or deeper understanding, and (c) proposing additional consumer behaviors that punish or reward companies that use stigmatized-identity threat and safety cues, respectively.

Keywords

Social stigma, Stigma transfer, Identity threat, Diversity

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