Date of Award

3-2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychological Sciences

First Advisor

Deborah E. Rupp

Committee Chair

Deborah E. Rupp

Committee Member 1

Alecia M. Santuzzi

Committee Member 2

James M. Tyler

Abstract

Having a stigmatized disability is a depleting experience. For those with a disability, there are many factors that contribute to potential performance decrements in any given situation. Visibility of the disability, and the stigma connected to the disability are two such factors—which I argue based on research on motivation, regulation, and stress, contributes to the regulatory depletion experienced by disabled individuals. I conducted an experimental study where participants took part in a workplace simulation. Participants were given an artificially simulated disability and both the visibility of the disability and the stigmatizing nature of the disability were manipulated. I found a significant effect of disability visibility, on performance and an interaction effect of stigma threat and disability visibility on self-control. The implications of these results for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

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