|Microaggressions were originally defined as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color”. Over the past decade, awareness of microaggressions has increased and use of the term “microaggression” has spread beyond race into many domains, including gender and sexuality. In some universities, administrators and faculty distribute lists of words and phrases that students and staff are asked to refrain from using out of concern for their presumed harmful effects. Despite the good intentions of individuals on the frontlines of the microaggression movement, research on microaggressions has not provided (a) clear operational definitions of the microaggression construct; (b) rigorous evidence for the claim that microaggressions cause psychological harm to those who perceive themselves as recipients of them; or (c) evidence that individuals agree about what types of statements are – and are not – harmful. Our lab (alongside other labs around the country; see Bellet, Jones, & McNally, 2018) is beginning a series of studies to begin to operationalize the concept of microaggression. In this study, we aim to illustrate that a clear operationalization of the term is necessary by showing, experimentally, that priming individuals to perceive others’ words as harmful leads them to perceive others’ words as harmful. Thus, labeling too many things as “microaggressions” could backfire by essentially leading people, especially people who are emotionally unstable and prone to feeling victimized by others, to interpret ambiguous statements as harmful.
"Makosa madogo ya kijinsia (microaggressions) ni ""matendo ya kawaida ya kila siku ya maneno, tabia, au mazingira, iwe ya makusudi au yasiyo ya makusudi, ambayo yanawasiliana na watu wenye rangi ya rangi, na kuwaheshimu kwa njia ya uhasama wa rangi au ya kupuuza.""" Katika muongo uliopita, ufahamu wa microaggressions umeongezeka na matumizi ya neno <unk>microaggression<unk> imeenea zaidi ya jamii katika nyanja nyingi, ikiwa ni pamoja na jinsia na ngono. Katika vyuo vikuu fulani, wasimamizi na walimu husambaza orodha za maneno na misemo ambayo wanafunzi na wafanyakazi wanaulizwa waache kutumia kwa sababu ya wasiwasi juu ya athari zao zenye kudhaniwa kuwa zenye madhara. "Licha ya nia nzuri ya watu walio katika mstari wa mbele wa harakati ya microaggression, utafiti juu ya microaggression haujatoa (a) ufafanuzi wa wazi wa uendeshaji wa ujenzi wa microaggression; (b) ushahidi thabiti wa madai kwamba microaggression husababisha madhara ya kisaikolojia kwa wale wanaojiona kuwa wapokeaji wao; au (c) ushahidi kwamba watu wanakubaliana juu ya aina gani ya taarifa ni ""na sio"" madhara." Maabara yetu (pamoja na maabara nyingine kote nchini; angalia Bellett, Jones, & McNally, 2018) inaanza mfululizo wa masomo kuanza kufanya kazi dhana ya microaggression. Katika utafiti huu, tunakusudia kuonyesha kwamba operationalization wazi ya neno ni muhimu kwa kuonyesha, kwa majaribio, kwamba priming watu binafsi kutambua maneno ya wengine kama madhara inawaongoza kutambua maneno ya wengine kama madhara. Hivyo, kuweka alama vitu vingi sana kama "microaggressions" inaweza backfire kwa kimsingi kuongoza watu, hasa watu ambao ni hisia imara na prone kujisikia waathirika na wengine, kutafsiri taarifa ambiguous kama madhara.