The relationship between infertility family stigma, self-stigma and psychological well-being in female first-visit patients at a reproductive medicine center in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Steeped in Chinese culture which considers continuing the family lineage highly important, infertility stigma endorsed by others and oneself can both negatively impact psychological well-being in women with infertility in Taiwan. The aim of the present study was to find out whether family stigma attached to infertility has a direct effect on psychological well-being, or whether it is only when family stigma is internalized into self-stigma that psychological well-being is affected. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: The present study had a cross-sectional design, approved by an institutional review board in Taiwan. 245 female participants with infertility completed measures on infertility stigma, self-esteem, and positive and negative affect. The main question of this study was analyzed by conducting structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The present study found that none of the direct effects of family stigma on self-esteem, negative affect, or positive affect were significant, while the indirect effects of family stigma on the three psychological well-being indexes through the mediator of self-stigma were significant. CONCLUSIONS: Self-stigma fully mediates the effect of family stigma on self-esteem, positive affect, and negative affect in women with infertility. Collectively, stigma endorsed by others does not necessarily lead to negative psychological well-being. The negative influence comes from internalizing public/family stigma into self-stigma.

To defend or to affiliate: The effects of categorical similarity cues after social exclusion.

This article proposed that after social exclusion, individuals may react in a hostile or amiable manner, which depends on the type of categorical similarity cues that new groups possess. For excluded individuals, groups that resemble their excluder would provoke a defensive attitude. They also exhibit hospitality to groups that resemble themselves to gain inclusion. In Experiment 1, social exclusion was manipulated by providing a scenario story regarding an individual who was excluded and subsequently wanted to join in new groups. The results indicated that participants in the social exclusion condition avoided groups that resembled the previous excluder, whereas groups that fit their characteristics were preferred. In experiment 2, the cognitive load was manipulated. Heavy cognitive load made participants in the social exclusion condition only avoid groups that resembled the excluder; in contrast, they exhibited no preference for groups that may be suitable for them.