How Do You Measure a Threat in the Air? Testing the Universal, Dynamic, and Multifaceted Nature of Social Identity Threat
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
Social identity threat is a vigilance state in which a person anticipates that others in a setting may devalue them because of one (or more) of their social identities. According to theory, threat is multifaceted-encompassing concerns about stereotyping, belonging, fairness, authenticity, and more-and situational, fluctuating depending on which identities and contextual cues are salient. Threat is also theorized as a universal experience-affecting potentially anyone, across any of their identities. Here, we put these central aspects of theory to the test by introducing the Social Identity Threat Concerns (SITC) Inventory, a self-report instrument designed to assess threat across varied identity-by-context situations. Across nine studies (N = 8533), we show that threat is common across social groups yet situational, emerging under specific, theorized conditions. The SITC Inventory is a field-advancing tool that equips researchers to better understand and reduce identity-based threats, laying the groundwork for more inclusive and equitable environments.
DOI
10.1126/sciadv.adx2953
PubMed ID
41758943
Recommended Citation
Kroeper, K. M., Hernandez-Colmenares, A., Green, D. J., Williams, H. E., Kuzdal, A., Ospina, J., Moore, C. A., Agarwal, G., Heckler, A. F., Crocker, J., Fujita, K., Murphy, M. C., & Spencer, S. J. (2026). How do you measure a threat in the air? Testing the universal, dynamic, and multifaceted nature of social identity threat. Science Advances, 12(9), eadx2953. Doi:10.1126/sciadv.adx2953
