Who Believes Us When We Try to Conceal Our Prejudices? The Effectiveness of Moral Credentials With In-Groups Versus Out-Groups

Moral credentials are pieces of evidence accrued by individuals that can later be presented, intentionally or unintentionally, as a record of their lack of prejudice (B. Monin & D. T. Miller, 2001). For example, attending a gay pride march or being an openly gay person ostensibly credentials an individual to tell gay jokes free of concern that he or she will be labeled prejudiced. The authors tested whether displays of moral credentials actually work to insulate individuals from attributions of prejudice by others. Results indicated that displays of moral credentials generally discourage attributions of discrimination but unevenly so, depending on who makes the judgment. Consistent with predictions from social identity theory (H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner, 1979), participants most swayed by displays of moral credentials were those who shared an in-group status with the person displaying the moral credentials.