Being treated fairly in groups is important, but not sufficient: The role of distinctive treatment in groups, and its implications for mental health
dc.contributor.author | Begeny, CT | |
dc.contributor.author | Huo, YJ | |
dc.contributor.author | Smith, HJ | |
dc.contributor.author | Ryan, MK | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-05-17T06:50:48Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-05-14 | |
dc.description.abstract | Organizations and other groups often recognize the importance of members treating each other in a fair (dignified, unbiased) manner. This type of treatment is key to fostering individuals’ sense of belonging in the group. However, while a sense of belonging is important, individuals also need to be shown that they have some distinct value to the group – enabling them to not only “fit in” but also “stand out.” Building from research on fair treatment, we explicate another form, distinctive treatment, whereby others show interest and appreciation for an individual’s more distinguishing, group-relevant qualities. In six studies using multiple methods (e.g., experimental, longitudinal) and in multiple types of groups (work organizations, student communities, racial/ethnic minority groups), we show that fair and distinctive treatment play fundamentally different roles – shaping individuals’ perceived belonging versus intragroup standing, respectively – and with downstream benefits for mental health (less anxiety, fewer depressive symptoms). Overall, this illustrates that promoting fair treatment in groups is important, but not sufficient. Experiencing distinctive treatment is also key. Each type of treatment provides unique social evaluative information that fosters a healthy sense of self. This research further indicates that distinctive treatment may be a vital yet overlooked element to promoting diversity and inclusion in groups, as it provides a path for recognizing and appreciating, and thus encouraging, a diversity of ideas, insights, knowledge and skills that individuals bring to the group. | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | European Research Council (ERC) | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Council on Research, Academic Senate at University of California, Los Angeles | en_GB |
dc.identifier.citation | Vol. 16 (5), article e0251871 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0251871 | |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | ERC-CoG 725128 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/125688 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) | en_GB |
dc.relation.url | https://osf.io/vy7wm/ | en_GB |
dc.rights | © 2021 Begeny et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. | en_GB |
dc.title | Being treated fairly in groups is important, but not sufficient: The role of distinctive treatment in groups, and its implications for mental health | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en_GB |
dc.date.available | 2021-05-17T06:50:48Z | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1932-6203 | |
dc.description | This is the final version. Available on open access from the Public Library of Science via the DOI in this record | en_GB |
dc.description | Data Availability: All data underlying the findings described in this article are available at The Center for Open Science (https://osf.io/vy7wm/). | en_GB |
dc.identifier.journal | PLoS One | en_GB |
dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en_GB |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2021-05-04 | |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | en_GB |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2021-05-14 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review | en_GB |
refterms.dateFCD | 2021-05-14T18:42:44Z | |
refterms.versionFCD | VoR | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2021-05-17T06:50:56Z | |
refterms.panel | A | en_GB |
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