Our most recent focus is on the role of social support in group members' sense of self-worth, and in the development of norms for how group members should think and behave.
Social support is regarded as a central to coping with stressful events.
This may be particularly true of members of stigmatized groups, in that stigma itself may be the basis of daily hassles and traumatic events. Thus, support from other members of the group may form the first step in coming to feel good about belonging to a group, despite what the rest of society thinks. Alternatively, these groups may also establish a defensive environment that serves to isolate group members from access to opportunities that would otherwise enhance their status. Our research looks at coping mechanisms to deal with various events, including women's responses to abuse from intimate partners, women's responses to sexual harassment, coping with the daily hassles associated with discrimination among visible minorities, and dealing with the multiple sources of distress associated with financial strains. To assess the processes involved in how social support plays a role in establishing group norms, we have also been conducting experiments to look at responses to differences in opinions on group-relevant issues , and how contextual goals affect group members' openness to incorporating such differences, and how this translates into attitudes and actions.