Psychology Commons^™

Relationships Among Acculturation, Self-Positivity Bias, Stigma, And Condom Use In A Sample Of Urban College Students, Molly Neff

Theses and Dissertations

Despite an increase in interventions targeted at lowering the rate of HIV/AIDS among college students, the rate of HIV/AIDS infections has not decreased. The purpose of this study was to identify factors (i.e., HIV-sexual knowledge, self-positivity bias, peer norms, acculturation, perceived risk of HIV, HIV-related stigma, and condom use) that may affect condom use among college students who live in an area where the prevalence of HIV is relatively high. The current study utilized a sexually active sample (N=397) of diverse college students (predominantly African American and White) in an urban setting to examine the relationships. Path analysis was used …

Cultural Differences And Switching Of In-Group Sharing Behavior Between An American (Facebook) And A Chinese (Renren) Social Networking Site, Lin Qiu, Han Lin, Angela K. Y. Leung

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

Prior research has documented cultural dimensions that broadly characterize between-culture variations in Western and East Asian societies and that bicultural individuals can flexibly change their behaviors in response to different cultural contexts. In this article, we studied cultural differences and behavioral switching in the context of the fast emerging, naturally occurring online social networking, using both self-report measures and content analyses of online activities on two highly popular platforms, Facebook and Renren (the “Facebook of China”). Results showed that while Renren and Facebook are two technically similar platforms, the Renren culture is perceived as more collectivistic than the Facebook culture. …

Sports Participation Among South Asian Americans: The Influence Of Acculturation And Value Of Sport, Soumya Palreddy

Theses and Dissertations

Asian Americans, one of the fastest growing communities in recent decades (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008) continue to be underrepresented in sports in the United States. Recent trends in sport participation suggest that while other ethnic/racial minority groups are increasing their presence in sports, Asian Americans may not be increasing at a similar rate (Lapchick, 2008). For example, in collegiate athletics, only .005% of Asian Americans enrolled in college were also engaged in a sport, and in professional sports, only 1-2% of all players in major professional organizations identify as Asian American (Lapchick, 2008). Although statistics continuously reveal this trend, research …

Content Analysis Of 50 Picture Books For Latino Immigrant Children: Implications For Supportive Bibliotherapy, Robert Jeffrey Gomm

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed the content of 50 children's picture books, specifically award-winning picture books created for and/or about Latino immigrant children. Familiar artwork, situations, and characters help Latino immigrant children identify with the stories. Information from this analysis will help parents, teachers, and school mental health professions select appropriate books for bibliotherapy aligned with Latino immigrant children's needs. Based on this study's analyses, two resources are included: (a) a list of 20 children's picture books that address four or more Latino immigrant challenges and (b) a handout with common challenges facing immigrant children and books to specifically meet each of …

A Phenomenology Of Nonparticipation In Extracurricular Activities By Hispanic Middle School Students, Janelle Garner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to examine the reasons why Hispanic middle grade students choose not to participate in school-based extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities have been recognized to have a positive influence on the educational success of students. Despite the positive effects, Hispanic students have been shown to participate in extracurricular activities at school less than other groups of students. The lack of participation by students in extracurricular activities is related to student disengagement and ultimately dropping out of school. This study uses three methods of data collection: analysis of documents and artifacts, a scaled survey, and a …

American Sueño: Hispanic Immigrants' Cultural Adaptation In American Small Cities, Tatiana Almeida

Masters Theses

This study investigated certain aspects of the cross-cultural adaptation process of Spanish-speaking Hispanic immigrants residing in small cities in the United States. Using Young Yun Kim's cross-cultural adaptation theory as a theoretical framework, the researcher investigated the journey those sojourners undergo and how their cultural identities are shaped throughout the process. The two questions that guided the research were: (1) What are the difficulties that Hispanics that migrate to small cities in the United States encounter? (2) What are the mechanisms (media usage, language acquisition, habits, life style etc.) utilized by them in order to adapt to the new environment? …

A Health Needs Assessment Of Arab-Americans In The Washington, Dc Area, Reem N. Ghoneim, Amita N. Vyas

GW Research Days 2012 and Earlier

Although Arab-Americans often face various health challenges due to the stress associated with immigration, cultural conflict in the U.S., and limited knowledge of the complex U.S. health system, there is a paucity of research examining health risks and behaviors among this ethnic group. This cross-sectional study assessed the health needs among Arabs living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Participants were recruited to take the survey online, reporting on health care access and utilization, risk behaviors, and health status. It also measured for associations between reported depression, discrimination, acculturation, and health. Quantitative analysis showed correlations between age and current tobacco …

Latino Adolescent Adjustment: An Examination Of Cultural Values, Maria I. Iturbide

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the U.S., 22% of children under the age of 18 are Latino and 52% of Latino children have at least one parent who is foreign-born (Fry & Passel, 2009). Latinos are likely to experience acculturative strains associated with a range of negative outcomes such as academic underachievement. A mixed method sequential explanatory design was used to examine the protective effects of cultural factors that may ameliorate the negative effects of acculturative strains on psychological and academic adjustment.

The quantitative phase of the study examined whether biculturalism and ethnic identity would reduce the negative influence of acculturation strains on adjustment …

Latino Parental Acceptability Towards The Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine, Linda M. Kondilis

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined parental acceptability of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination among Latino parents. The role that acculturation may play in Latino parents' acceptability of the vaccine was also examined. A survey conceptualized using the Health Belief Model and two acculturation measures were administered to participants (N = 130). Approximately 70% of parents endorsed that they would vaccinate their daughters with the HPV vaccine. A regression analysis revealed that perception of susceptibility, perception of seriousness, perception of benefit, and cues to action significantly predicted parental acceptability, with 57% of the variance accounted by these variables. Acculturation was not a …

Discrimination, Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Latino Psychological Distress: A Moderated Mediational Model, Lucas Torres, Mark W. Driscoll, Maria Voell

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Prior research has found that perceived discrimination is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Latinos. However, the process by which this relationship occurs remains an understudied area. The present study investigated the role of acculturative stress in underlying the relationship between perceived discrimination and Latino psychological distress. Also examined was the ability of acculturation to serve as a moderator between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. Among a sample of Latino adults (N = 669), moderated mediational analyses revealed that acculturative stress mediated the perceived discrimination-psychological distress relationship, and that the link between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress was moderated …

Acculturation, Psychological Distress, And Family Adjustment Among Russian Immigrants In The United States, Eugene Dunaev

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of acculturation differences on psychological distress and family functioning in non-Jewish Russian immigrant families. Potential mediating effects of social support and parenting style and moderating effect of the child’s gender were investigated using regression analysis. The sample consisted of 80 Russian immigrant mother-child dyads residing in the northeast region of the U.S. The study included independent assessment of acculturation to American and Russian cultures. Results confirm the presence of associations between acculturative differences, psychological distress, and family problems. A mediational role of social support and parenting style on the impact …

What Does It Mean To Be Prosocial? A Cross-Ethnic Study Of Parental Beliefs, Maria Rosario T. De Guzman, Jill Brown, Gustavo Carlo, George P. Knight

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study explored parental beliefs surrounding prosocial behaviors and the parenting practices that promote them. A total of 47 mothers of young adolescents participated in one of the seven focus groups, three of which were conducted in Spanish with first-generation Mexican-American immigrants, two were conducted in English among second generation (US-born) Mexican Americans, and two were conducted with European Americans. Responses were coded using elements of the grounded theory approach, and results indicate patterns of shared and unique beliefs about prosocial behaviors in ways that reflect the sociocultural context and acculturative experiences of the respondents. Findings suggest that beliefs about …

Discrimination, Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Latino Psychological Distress: A Moderated-Mediational Model, Lucas Torres, Mark W. Driscoll, Maria Voell

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Prior research has found that perceived discrimination is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Latinos. However, the process by which this relationship occurs remains an understudied area. The present study investigated the role of acculturative stress in underlying the relationship between perceived discrimination and Latino psychological distress. Also examined was the ability of acculturation to serve as a moderator between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. Among a sample of Latino adults (N = 669), moderated mediational analyses revealed that acculturative stress mediated the perceived discrimination-psychological distress relationship, and that the link between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress was moderated …

A Generic Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of International Students Participating In The Cultural Connections Program At The University Of Mississippi, Nadezda Nikolaevna Kholomeydik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of international students participating in the Cultural Connections Program at The University of Mississippi. A generic qualitative design was utilized using purposeful criterion sampling. The data was collected from two focus group interviews with 11 participants in focus group 1 and 10 participants in focus group 2. Using a generic qualitative approach, eight initial themes were identified after focus group 1 and eight clarifying questions were developed based on these themes. During focus group 2, these clarifying questions were utilized to further explore the eight initial themes in more depth …

Examining The Social Distance Between Africans And African Americans: The Role Of Internalized Racism, Adaobi C. Iheduru

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

African immigrants are continuously migrating to the United States and comprise a major part of the immigrant population. In a recent U.S. Bureau of Census report on foreign-born residents in the United States, African immigrants numbered 364,000 out of 1.6 million foreign-born people of African origin living in the United States (Rong & Brown, 2002). Much of the psychological literature about immigration is framed in terms of issues of adjustment. (Ward & Kennedy, 2001). Despite the growing number of African immigrants and the awareness of incidents of acculturative stress and adjustment difficulties among various immigrant groups, there are limited studies …

Help-Seeking Attitudes And Behaviors Of African International Students: Examining The Relationship Between Social Connectedness, Acculturative Stress, And Length Of Stay, Daisy Chebbet

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, acculturative stress, social connectedness, and length of stay of African international students in the US. A web-based survey was sent to approximately 300 school officials and individuals from various colleges and universities. Forty-eight African international students met criteria and completed the study. Measures utilized in the survey assessed for social connection, acculturative stress, and attitudes towards seeking help for psychological concerns. Help-seeking behaviors were assessed in the demographic questionnaire. Results indicated that higher levels of social connectedness were associated with positive mental health help-seeking attitudes. Among students who reported experiencing …