The Relationship Between Phenotypic Prototypicality and Ethnic Centrality: The Mediating Roles of Perceived Discrimination and Ingroup Acceptance
Latinx Americans who more closely match ethnic prototypes in appearance tend to identify more strongly with their ethnic group. Few studies, however, have examined the reasons for this positive association. The present work explores whether perceived discrimination and ingroup acceptance mediate the...
| Authors: | ; |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2025
|
| In: |
Race and social problems
Year: 2025, Volume: 17, Issue: 4, Pages: 613-624 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | Latinx Americans who more closely match ethnic prototypes in appearance tend to identify more strongly with their ethnic group. Few studies, however, have examined the reasons for this positive association. The present work explores whether perceived discrimination and ingroup acceptance mediate the relationship between self-rated phenotypic prototypicality—how closely an individual perceives their appearance as resembling that of other Latinx individuals—and ethnic centrality—how important ethnicity is to one’s self-concept. A sample of 421 self-identified Latinx Americans was surveyed. A parallel mediation analysis revealed that individuals who perceived their physical appearance as more closely resembling other Latinx individuals reported higher levels of perceived discrimination and ingroup acceptance, both of which independently predicted greater ethnic centrality. Notably, these indirect effects remained statistically significant even after controlling for sample characteristics and cultural factors (e.g., language spoken) known to influence ethnic centrality. These findings suggest that phenotypic prototypicality is associated with how Latinx Americans believe they are perceived and treated by both outgroup members (through discrimination) and ingroup members (through acceptance), and that these experiences may partially explain the extent to which ethnic membership is central to their self-concept. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1867-1756 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s12552-025-09463-z |
