Indigenous, Invisible: Sensitivity to Misrepresentation and Omission, Perceptions of Group Discrimination and Psychological Well-Being

Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2026 Mar 8:1461672261423646. doi: 10.1177/01461672261423646. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Contemporary representations of Native Peoples in mainstream U.S. society are largely scarce and inaccurate. This paper investigates individual differences in Native Peoples’ sensitivity to biased social representations of their group. Across three of the largest surveys conducted with Native Peoples in the United States (N_Total = 16,157), participants, who are more sensitive (vs. less sensitive) to misrepresentation and omission, report poorer psychological well-being (e.g., lower life satisfaction, higher anxiety, and depression). This relationship is explained, in part, by perceptions of group discrimination such that more sensitive individuals are also more attuned to the discrimination Native Peoples experience. These findings suggest that the way Native Peoples are represented or fail to be represented may negatively impact their well-being. One way to improve Native Peoples’ well-being is to systematically acknowledge and discourage omissions and misrepresentations, and to uplift diverse and accurate representations, preferably defined by Native Peoples for Native Peoples.

PMID:41795696 | DOI:10.1177/01461672261423646