Evidence for a curvilinear effect of psychological discomfort on dominant group members’ engagement in allyship

Abstract: We explore the role of psychological discomfort at privilege on allyship. Some have emphasized that discomfort is important for motivating allyship (Powell et al., 2005). However, other research suggests that discomfort may induce disengagement or backlash (Leach et al., 2002). Here, we uncover how discomfort can be both a motivator and a barrier to allyship by testing a curvilinear model. We test our predictions in two studies of White Americans. First, using multiple measures (e.g., guilt, shame), we find that moderate discomfort was associated with more allyship than low discomfort. However, we found high discomfort was not always associated with increased action above moderate discomfort, suggesting diminishing returns. Second, we find that both low and high discomfort Whites were more likely to react defensively to privilege than moderate discomfort Whites. Thus, we provide support for the idea that there may be “too much” discomfort at privilege, leading to less allyship.

Keywords: inequity, privilege, allyship

Topic: DEI   |   Format: Full Paper