Abstract:

Stigma refers to an individual’s unwelcome characteristics, which always lead people to be devalued and discriminated in some given societies and brings lots of negative consequences on an individual’s daily life. Stigmatization not only will make individuals involved in discrimination, exclusion, or rejection coming from others but also will further negatively affect their performance and behavioral responses in interpersonal interactions. These negative interactions between the stigmatized individuals and the mainstream cultural groups will further aggravate the stigmatization, forming a vicious circle. From the viewpoint of stigmatized individuals, it is helpful to explore the negative effect of stigmatization on their interpersonal interactions and the coping strategies.

Key words: stigma, interpersonal interactions, discrimination, coping strategies