An Affect Control Theory Model for Examining How Context Shapes Disclosure of a Concealable Stigmatized Identity

• In Event: 3262 - Current Trends in the Sociology of Emotions

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Goffman characterized stigmatization as the reactions of people toward a focal actor that “spoiled” the actor’s identity. Those with concealable stigmas, such as individuals with mental illnesses or a same-sex attraction, must decide when and to whom to disclose the stigma. Unfortunately, studies examining their decision-making lack a theoretical account capturing how historical and interpersonal contexts influence the process and data to test premises. We present a new mathematical approach that relies on affect control theory and its computer program, Interact, to remedy these gaps. The approach calculates the difference in likely behaviors directed toward individuals with a concealable stigmatized identity before and after their disclosure in three-dimensional affective space. Differences in the likely behaviors between the two suggest a difference in the anticipated reactions to disclosure of a stigmatized identity, with smaller differences indicating a less “spoiled” identity and thereby increasing the likelihood of disclosure. Study 1 validates this new method by comparing findings we derive from it to those from extant research about mental health disclosure and coming-out. Study 2 uses this validated method to examine the importance of historical and interpersonal contexts with a specific empirical case: a daughter disclosing same-sex attraction to her family. Results indicate the importance of historical and interpersonal context overall, the interplay between the two, and the utility of this new method for filling empirical gaps. Although these findings have direct implications for disclosure of mental illness and same-sex attraction, due to the general nature of affect control theory they also have implications for studying how context shapes disclosure of other concealable stigmatized identities.

Authors

• Sarah Groh, University of Georgia

• Celeste Campos-Castillo, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee