Softening the Stigma of Incarceration with Personal Narratives

Abstract

Existing research shows that first-person narratives can reduce exclusionary attitudes against marginalized groups. In this article, we test how they might mitigate stigma against formerly incarcerated people. We outline two mechanisms: (1) signaling, wherein sharing an autobiographical narrative improves others’ perception of oneself, and (2) role-taking, wherein the content of the narrative leads the audience to see themselves in the author’s place, thereby changing their evaluation of the author. We test these mechanisms using data from a vignette-based online experiment. We examine how a sample of college students respond to a hypothetical classmate who discloses a history of incarceration. Overall, we find support for the signaling mechanism. We also find that desired social distance falls primarily because the narrative increases the classmate’s perceived warmth (e.g., sincerity, trustworthiness, friendliness, etc.). Findings suggest advocates and institutions should create opportunities to obtain and present credentials and skills that will credibly signal warmth.