More than just an alcoholic person: Preventing stigma and dehumanization with multiple categorization
Résumé
Introduction
People with alcohol use disorder(AUD) are suffering from social stigma andmay even be denied a full human status.1,2These social misperceptions have detrimentaloutcomes, discouraging people to seek care fortheir disease.3 Recent research suggests that thedehumanization process of people with AUDcould be prevented by the use of a multiplecategorization strategy (i.e., a strategy in whichstigmatized individuals are presented withmultiple categories including the stigmatizingone).4 The present research aims at specifyingconditions that may improve the multiplecategorization strategy efficiency in preventingAUD social stigma. First, a pilot study (PS) wasconducted in order to compare the benefit ofmultiple categorization strategy over theindividuation approach. 5 Second, two preregistered studies (PRS) were conducted. Thefirst one (PRS1) aimed to determine the optimalnumber of categories to present. In complement, the second one (PRS2) intendedto clarify the impact of “other” categories’valence.
Methods
These studies were conducted amongUniversity Students (NPS = 187, Mage= 19.95,SDage = 1.24; NPRS1 = 232, Mage= 20.76,SDage = 3.86; NPRS2 = 228, Mage= 20.66,SDage = 3.22). Three randomized controlledstudies were conducted. Systematicallyparticipants had to form an impression abouttargets with AUD that were presented eitheronly through the “alcoholic person”stigmatizing category (i.e., control conditionwhich was constant across studies) or throughtheir membership to multiple categories (threeexperimental conditions for each study), whichvaried depending on the aim of the study. In thepilot study, targets with AUD in experimentalconditions were presented with either fivecategories (e.g., a sportsman), with fiveindividuating information (e.g., he enjoyssports), or a five combination of both. In PRS1,they were presented with either three, five, orseven neutral categories. In PRS2, they werepresented with either five negative, neutral, orpositive categories (valence was pre-tested inan independent study). Several approacheswere combined to investigate humanityattributions to people with AUD. Specifically,scales of competence and warmth attributions,scales of uniquely human and human naturetraits attributions, and scales of agentism andexperience attributions were used. 6–8Results. The pilot study evidenced thebeneficial impacts of the multiplecategorization strategy (Fs > 5.52, ps < .05, η 2 ps > .02), but not consistently those of anindividuation strategy. PRS1 revealed thebeneficial impact of presenting the AUD targetthrough three categories, which was reinforcedwith five categories (Fs > 4.82, ps < .01, η 2 ps> .06). PRS2 revealed that the multiplecategorization strategy works even if the AUDtarget is presented only with negativelyvalenced categories, but mostly works betterwhen presented with neutral or positivecategories (Fs > 3.68, ps < .05, η 2 ps > .05).
Conclusion
Providing cares for people withAUD needs them to recognize their disorder,while avoiding its stigma. The multiplecategorization may constitute a key issue toaddress this contradictory injunction for peoplewith AUD. Implications of these findings forthe practitioner will be discussed andpropositions will be made to translate thesefindings in the applied field.