Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Assessing Privilege: The Interconnections Among Emotional Characteristics, Awareness, and Personal Experience

Each individual is an intersection of identities related to personal, social, and experiential characteristics. Some of these identities reflect privilege by leading to advantages, opportunities, benefits, and access to resources denied to those who do not share the privileged identity. These privileges can be visible and easily recognized, or they can be subtle and less recognized. The goal of this study was to examine how adults defined and experienced privilege, more specifically if personal experience with privilege drove perceptions of privilege. We also wanted to assess whether personal characteristics, such as narcissism and happiness, influenced perceptions of privilege. Last, we examined how experience with privilege related to motivational persistence.