Racial identity,maternal support,and psychological distress among African American adolescents

This study investigated the role of racial identity and maternal support in reducing psychological distress among African American adolescents. Both direct and indirect influences of multiple dimensions of racial identity (i.e., centrality, private regard) and maternal support on perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety were examined among 521 African American twelfth graders. Findings indicated that maternal support was positively related to both centrality and private regard. Results provided little support for a direct association between racial identity or maternal support and depressive symptoms and anxiety within a multivariate context. Rather, the influences of racial identity attitudes and maternal support on these mental health outcomes were mediated by perceived stress. Further, the two racial identity attitudes were associated with perceived stress in different ways. Study findings suggest that the significance and meaning that African American adolescents attribute to being Black may be critical to their psychological well-being, and that maternal support and perceived stress are important considerations.     

The moderating capacity of racial identity between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being over time among African American youth

This study examined the influence of racial identity in the longitudinal relation between perceptions of racial discrimination and psychological well-being for approximately 560 African American youth. Latent curve modeling (LCM) and parallel process multiple-indicator LCMs with latent moderators were used to assess whether perceptions of racial discrimination predicted the intercept (initial levels) and the slope (rate of change) of psychological well-being over time, and whether racial identity moderates these relations. The results indicated that African American adolescents who reported higher psychological responses to discrimination frequency levels at the first time point had lower initial levels of well-being. Regressing the slope factor for psychological well-being on the frequency of discrimination also revealed a nonsignificant result for subsequent well-being levels.     

Racial Identity,Centrality and Giftedness: An Expectancy-Value Application of Motivation in Gifted African American Students

This article explores the interaction between racial and ethnic identity, racial centrality, and giftedness and then uses an expectancy-value motivation model as a framework for understanding how the interplay among racial identity, centrality, and giftedness contributes to the motivation of African American gifted students. The analysis begins by defining racial and ethnic identity and discussing their relationship to racial centrality. Next, the interactions among racial and ethnic identity, centrality, and some socio-emotional aspects associated with giftedness are examined. An expectancy-value model then provides a framework for understanding how race centrality, racial/ethnic identity, and giftedness influence the motivational patterns of gifted African American students. Suggestions for future research are provided.     

Identity Processes among Racial and Ethnic Minority Children in America

A synthesis of the literature related to identity processes among American ethnic and racial minority children and adolescents is presented. In general, ethnic and racial identification, preferences, and attitudes have been studied among younger children, while the constructs of ego identity and ethnic identity have been generally studied among adolescents. The literature is unequally distributed across ethnic groups, with more research on African Americans and American Indians, and on Hispanics and Asians. Methodological concerns, such as problems of nonequivalence across groups, are identified in the conduct of research on ethnic and racial minorities. The synthesis concludes with an identification of intervention efforts along with an articulation of conceptual issues salient for promoting and theorizing about identity development processes among ethnic and racial minority children and adolescents.     

A Longitudinal Examination of Racial Identity and Racial Discrimination Among African American Adolescents

This study tested the longitudinal association between perceptions of racial discrimination and racial identity among a sample of 219 African American adolescents, aged 14 to 18. Structural equation modeling was used to test relations between perceptions of racial discrimination and racial identity dimensions, namely, racial centrality, private regard, and public regard at 3 time points. The results indicated that perceived racial discrimination at Time 1 was negatively linked to public regard at Time 2. Nested analyses using age were conducted, and perceptions of racial discrimination at Time 2 were negatively linked to private regard at Time 3 among older adolescents. The findings imply that perceived racial discrimination is linked to negative views that the broader society has of African Americans.     

Ethnic and Racial Identity in Adolescence: Implications for Psychosocial,Academic, and Health Outcomes

The construction of an ethnic or racial identity is considered an important developmental milestone for youth of color. This review summarizes research on links between ethnic and racial identity (ERI) with psychosocial, academic, and health risk outcomes among ethnic minority adolescents. With notable exceptions, aspects of ERI are generally associated with adaptive outcomes. ERI are generally beneficial for African American adolescents' adjustment across all three domains, whereas the evidence is somewhat mixed for Latino and American Indian youth. There is a dearth of research for academic and health risk outcomes among Asian American and Pacific Islander adolescents. The review concludes with suggestions for future research on ERI among minority youth.     

Natural mentors, racial identity, and educational attainment among african american adolescents: exploring pathways to success

The present study explored how relationships with natural mentors may contribute to African American adolescents’ long‐term educational attainment by influencing adolescents’ racial identity and academic beliefs. This study included 541 academically at‐risk African American adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The mean age of participants at Time 1 was 17.8 (SD = .64) and slightly over half (54%) of study participants were female. Results of the current study indicated that relationships with natural mentors promoted more positive long‐term educational attainment among participants through increased private regard (a dimension of racial identity) and stronger beliefs in the importance of doing well in school for future success. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

Racial identity and academic attainment among African American adolescents

In this study, the relationships between racial identity and academic outcomes for African American adolescents were explored. In examining race beliefs, the study differentiated among (a) importance of race (centrality), (b) group affect (private regard), and (c) perceptions of societal beliefs (public regard) among 606 African American 17-year-old adolescents. Using cluster analysis, profiles of racial identity variables were created, and these profile groups were related to educational beliefs, performance, and later attainment (high school completion and college attendance). Results indicated cluster differences across study outcomes. Also, the relationships between academic attitudes and academic attainment differed across groups. Finally, the paper includes a discussion on the need to consider variation in how minority youth think about group membership in better understanding their academic development.     

《人性的污秽》中科尔曼的自卑情结

在《人性的污秽》中罗斯一改往日对犹太美国人的情有独钟,描述了一个受自卑情结困扰的美国黑人悲哀的一生本文根据阿德勒的个体心理学理论以及法农的后殖民理论来分析《人性的污秽》中的主人公科尔曼自卑情结的起源、补偿以及最后陷入身份认同危机进行细致的分析,以更好地揭示美国社会的污点——种族歧视对有色人种产生的心理折磨,     

Personal Motivation Gone Awry: Burnout in Competitive Athletes

How individuals define themselves has considerable implications within the realms of sport. Considering the large proportion of African Americans participating in high profile college sports, matters of identity likely become quite relevant. This article addresses issues related to athletic and racial identity contextualized in the sport domain. The potential relationship between athletic identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, &; Linder, 1993) and the conceptualization of African American racial identity are explored. The framework of the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI; Sellers, Smith, Shelton, Rowley, &; Chavous, 1998) is used to investigate the potentially varied perceptions of African American collegiate student athletes' racial identities. Specifically, the salience and centrality of athletic identity, in addition, the roles that the multiple ideologies of the MMRI may play in sport are discussed. Directions for future research of the intersection of race and sport are forwarded.     

The Effects of Changes in Racial Identity and Self‐Esteem on Changes in African American Adolescents’ Mental Health

This study assessed the unique effects of racial identity and self‐esteem on 259 African American adolescents’ depressive and anxiety symptoms as they transitioned from the 7th to 8th grades (ages 12–14). Racial identity and self‐esteem were strongly correlated with each other for males but not for females. For both males and females, an increase in racial identity over the 1 year was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of depressive symptoms over the same period, even with self‐esteem controlled. It was concluded that racial identity may be as important as self‐esteem to the mental health of African American adolescents, and it explains variance in their mental health not associated with feelings of oneself as an individual.     

Comparing Associations Between Puberty,Ethnic–Racial Identity,Self-Concept,and Depressive Symptoms Among African American and Caribbean Black Boys

Research on pubertal development among Black boys is limited. Addressing this gap, we examined associations between three pubertal domains (e.g., voice change, hair growth, and perceived relative timing), depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and self-efficacy, among a nationally representative sample of 395 African American and 164 Caribbean Black boys (M_age = 15 years). Moderation by ethnic–racial identity (e.g., racial centrality, racial regard) was also explored. Results indicated that for both ethnic subgroups early voice change increased self-esteem; whereas early voice change increased depressive symptoms among boys who felt society views Blacks more negatively. Buffering effects of ethnic–racial identity also varied significantly between the two groups. Findings suggest that the meaning Black boys ascribe to their ethnic–racial group may explain puberty-linked outcomes.     

Caregiver Experiences of Discrimination and African American Adolescents’ Psychological Health Over Time

The present study examined the effect of caregivers' experiences of racial discrimination on their adolescent children's psychological functioning among a sample of 264 African American dyads. Potential relations between caregiver discrimination experiences and a number of indicators of adolescents' (aged 12–17) psychological functioning over time were examined. It was found that caregiver discrimination experiences were positively related to adolescents' symptoms of depression and negatively related to their psychological well‐being. Additional analysis revealed interactions between the effects of caregiver discrimination experiences and family income on all 3 outcomes. Greater caregiver discrimination experiences and lower family income were risk factors for the youth in the sample. These findings underscore the deleterious consequence of caregivers' discrimination experiences on African American youth's psychological health.     

School Cultural Socialization and Academic Performance: Examining Ethnic-Racial Identity Development as a Mediator Among African American Adolescents

Historic racial disparities in the United States have created an urgent need for evidence-based strategies promoting African American students’ academic performance via school-based ethnic-racial socialization and identity development. However, the temporal order among socialization, identity, and academic performance remains unclear in extant literature. This longitudinal study examined whether school cultural socialization predicted 961 African American adolescents’ grade point averages through their ethnic-racial identities (49.6% males; M_age = 13.60; 91.9% qualified for free lunch). Results revealed that youth who perceived more school cultural socialization had better grades 1 and 2 years later. In addition, identity commitment (but not exploration) fully mediated these relations. Implications for how educators can help adolescents of color succeed in schools are discussed.     

Exploring the Link Between Self‐Construal and Distress Among African American and Asian American College Students

The authors investigated ethnicity, self‐construal, and distress among African American and Asian American college students. African American students expressed more salient independent self‐construals, whereas Asian American students expressed more salient interdependent self‐construals. As hypothesized, among African American participants, distress was positively related to interdependent self‐construal and negatively associated with independent self‐construal. Contrary to prediction, the same pattern was found for Asian American participants. Multicultural clinical practice implications are presented.     

African American Students in Private, Independent Schools: Parents and School Influences on Racial Identity Development

Although much research has focused on the public school experiences of African American students, few studies exist that explore their race-related experiences within an independent, private school context. Studies have suggested that, while private, independent schools may elevate the quality of African American students’ education, many of these students experience social isolation from their peers. Using a qualitative methodology, the current study explores the experiences of African American students attending a private, independent school. Moreover, this investigation explores how schools as well as parental contexts contribute to racial identity development. Results indicated the importance of parents, schools and other significant institutions as racial socialization agents as well as their influence on specific identity-related processes. Educational implications for findings are also discussed.     

Discrimination and Sleep Mediate Ethnic/Racial Identity and Adolescent Adjustment: Uncovering Change Processes With Slope-as-Mediator Mediation

This study employs slope-as-mediator techniques to explore how the daily association between ethnic/racial discrimination and sleep disturbances serves as an intermediary link between ethnic/racial identity (ERI) and psychological adjustment. In a diverse sample of 264 adolescents (M_age = 14.3 years old, 70% female, 76% United States born, 25% African American, 32% Asian American, 43% Latinx), discrimination was associated with sleep disturbance. Furthermore, ERI commitment buffered the impact of discrimination on sleep, whereas ERI exploration exacerbated the impact of discrimination. Finally, the daily level association between discrimination and sleep (i.e., daily slope) mediated the association between ERI and adolescent adjustment. Substantive links between discrimination and sleep are discussed as well as broader applications of slope-as-mediator techniques.     

The status model of racial identity development in African American adolescents: evidence of structure, trajectories, and well-being

Although the identity formation model is widely used to assess adolescent ethnic identity development, the model propositions have rarely been tested. The existence of the identity statuses (diffuse, foreclosed, moratorium, achieved), the proposed developmental trajectories, and whether youth in the achieved status report higher levels of psychological well-being were examined among a longitudinal sample of 224 African American adolescents, aged 11-17. Cluster analyses were used to create 4 identity statuses consistent with the theoretical model at both time points. The findings indicate that some adolescents progressed, while others regressed or remained constant across time periods. Lastly, the results generally support the assumption that individuals in the achieved status had the highest levels of psychological well-being at both time periods.     

“Eyes in the Back of Your Head”: moral themes in African American narratives of racial conflict

Abstract

This paper examines seven narratives of racial conflict elicited from African American adults and young people. Analysis focusses on the relational nature of the racial conflicts. Issues of power and authority inherent in the sociopolitical context in which racial knowledge develops and moral judgements regarding racial differences are determined are found to be likewise embedded in interracial interpersonal relationships. Adopting Brown & Gilligan's (1990) methodological approach to reading narratives of conflict and choice, the two moral themes of justice and care are explored in the constitution and resolution of the conflicts shared. Concerns specific to the psychological development of African Americans and to the transmission of race‐related morals and values in black cultures are addressed.     

A mixed methods exploration of the relationships between the racial identity,science identity,science self-efficacy,and science achievement of African American students at HBCUs

Utilizing a Critical Race Mixed Methodology framework, the purpose of this concurrent (QUANT +qual) mixed methods study was to investigate the relationships between the racial identity, science identity, science self-efficacy beliefs, and science achievement of 347 African American college students who attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The quantitative data identified several statistically significant relationships between science identity, racial identity, science self-efficacy, and science achievement. The results of a path analysis suggested that college science achievement is significantly explained by science identity (indirect effect = 0.09, p < 0.01), and marginally by racial identity measures (centrality, nationalist, and public regard), with science self-efficacy serving as a mediator. In the qualitative strand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 students from the quantitative strand in order to corroborate the findings between the two methods. The qualitative data revealed that HBCUs facilitate the development of the constructs of interest by establishing Black racial cohesion and Black science cohesion, as well as by building students’ science cultural capital. Overall the qualitative findings corroborated several key quantitative findings.