Perceptions of Dehumanized Impoverished Consumers

ABSTRACT Because of circumstances, impoverished consumers are stigmatized, placing them outside the domain of societal acceptability. The most negatively stereotyped impoverished groups include consumers described as homeless or drug addicts. Fiske and colleagues examined others' perceptions of such groups using her bidimensional framework assessing competence and warmth, finding that impoverished consumers are judged to be low on these factors. Yet, impoverished consumers embody stereotypically low‐warmth and high‐warmth labels, creating valence‐incongruent groups. Across five studies ( N = 1773), we examine how valence‐incongruent labels affect perceptions of access to essential goods and services. While singular labels follow the stereotype content model, novel patterns emerge at the confluence of labels (e.g., disabled and drug addict), eliciting unique stereotypes. These stereotypes extend beyond judgments of deservedness to influence charitable behavior. Our findings advance the Stereotype Content Model by identifying previously unexamined valence‐incongruent stereotypes and by introducing controllability and threat as key mediators. We conclude with practical implications for marketing strategies aimed at reducing stigma and improving resource allocation.