Do the “Savage Origins” of Tattoos Cast a Prejudicial Shadow on Contemporary Tattooed Individuals?

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In this Subject: Psychology
By this author: Burgess, Mark ;&nbsp; Clark, Louise

Authors: Burgess, Mark; Clark, Louise

Source: Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Volume 40, Number 3, March 2010 , pp. 746-764(19)

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Abstract:

We investigated whether increases in tattooing rates and designs have eradicated or altered traditional delinquent tattooing stereotypes. We tested the perceived suitability of tattooed and non-tattooed individuals for 2 different jobs. Affective evaluations mediated judgments of job suitability, with those displaying traditional tattoos being rated as less suitable for employment than those who were not tattooed and those displaying contemporary tattoos. Those with a contemporary tattoo were judged in the same manner as those who were not tattooed (even by observers who neither had a tattoo nor were considering getting one). These results suggest that the savage associations of tattooing continue for some, but suggest that for other tattoo enthusiasts, a new stereotype has emerged reflecting a shift toward respectability.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00596.x

Publication date: 2010-03-01