Psychology Commons^™

The Influence Of Maternal Education On Lifetime Vulnerabilities For Chronic Stress And Heightened Physiological Reactions To Stressors, Hannah Lapp, Celia Moore, Kymberlee O'Brien

Kymberlee M. O'Brien

We examined parental education as predictors of vulnerability to biological and perceived chronic stressors into adulthood. Measures included hair cortisol (hCORT) and cardiovascular parameters as indicators of chronic stress and overall health. The community subjective social status ladder was included to examine relationships between maternal education and assessments of social standing in adult offspring. Participants (N = 107; ages 18-30; M =22.23, SD = 3.01; 50.4% female) were recruited from an urban public university and residents of surrounding low-income areas in Boston, MA. Maternal and paternal education were positively associated with change in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) recovery after a …

Mediating Factors Of Perceived Discrimination: Physiological And Affective Markers., Kymberlee O'Brien, Edward Tronick, Celia Moore

Kymberlee M. O'Brien

Early life adversity influences later health and may be mediated by psychosocial, affective, and physiological stress and immune factors. We report evidence from MIDUS biomarker project (N = 845, age 34-84, M = 55.09, SD = 11.70) confirming the predicted relationship between early adversity and frequency of diagnosed chronic illnesses (M = 2.8, SD =1.2). Specific psychosocial and physiological variables were tested as mediators. Lifetime (M = .95, SD = 1.5) and daily (M = 12.8, SD = 1.2) discrimination, urinary cortisol (M = 1.1, SD = 1.2 ug/dL), IL-6 (M =2.8, SD = 2.8 pg/mL) (all ps<.001), and …

Mega-Cases, Diversity, And The Elusive Goal Of Workplace Reform, Nancy Levit

Nancy Levit

Employment discrimination class action suits are part of a new wave of structural reform litigation. Like their predecessors - the school desegregation cases in the 1950s, the housing and voting inequalities cases in the 1960s, prison conditions suits in the 1970s, and environmental lawsuits since then - these are systemic challenges to major institutions affecting large segments of the public. This article explores the effectiveness of various employment discrimination remedies in reforming workplace cultures, promoting corporate accountability, and implementing real diversity.

Reviewing the architecture and aftermath of consent decrees in five major employment discrimination cases - the cases against Shoney's, …