Multicultural Psychology Commons^™

Portraits Of Hispanic And/Or Latino Leadership Development In The Military, Michael Lugo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The study presented denotes a continuous transition among the Hispanic and/or Latino demographics in the military and the cadet accounts of military inequality incidents while in the military (Cabrera et al., 2017; Eckel & King, 2004). To assist Hispanic and/or Latino needs based on demographics and environment (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). Military leaders contribute to growing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable military force for all ethnic groups. The Department of Defense (DoD) is the most racially and ethnically diverse workplace in the United States (Daniel et al., 2022). Nevertheless, racial/ethnic harassment and discrimination in the military continue …

Empowering Voices: Exploring The Career Trajectories Of Women Of Color Hr Professionals Amid Disruptive Change, Brandi R. Muñoz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated strategies to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in organizational leadership, focusing on supporting women of color in the workplace. The specific problem addressed was the underrepresentation and barriers faced by women of color in leadership positions despite their potential contributions to organizational success. The study employed a qualitative approach, combining qualitative interviews with socioeconomic data analysis. Data collection methods included semistructured interviews with women of color and a survey to gather demographic and employment information. The sample consisted of 16 women of color human resource professionals working in various industries and organizational settings across the …

The Effects Of Cultural Responsiveness And Therapy Duration On Black Americans’ Therapy Preference, Katilyn M. Ashley Treem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Marginalized groups are less likely to seek out mental health services than non-marginalized groups. There are various reasons why marginalized groups, such as Black Americans, are less likely to seek out mental health services, one of which is the cultural barriers between a clinician and client. Research suggests that Black Americans feel that clinicians struggle to overcome these cultural barriers. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to actively receive training on how to serve clients with diverse backgrounds. Cultural responsiveness, an extension from cultural competence, is the active application of the knowledge and skills obtained in training. Examining people’s therapy …

Social Support In Black Individuals: The Moderating Effects On The Relationship Between Resilience And Well-Being, Imani Elise Crosby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black individuals possess numerous strengths and positive contributions that build strong communities and cultivate psychological well-being (Biglan et al., 2012). However, much of the current literature focuses on hardships Black individuals face, skewing the larger discourse of their lived experience. This exclusive focus on adversity often neglects pathways by which Black people thrive and flourish. It is important to consider how Black experiences relate to a sense of well-being. Resilience, or the ability to “bounce back” from adverse experiences is linked well-being outcomes (APA, 2012). However, it is unknown whether the promotive effects of resilience directly contribute to well-being outcomes …

Taiwanese International Students In Clinical Supervision: A Phenomenological Study, Joey Chiao-Yin Hsiao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The population of international students has continued to grow in the past two decades and become an important segment of U.S. university enrollment (Ng & Smith, 2001). Altogether, there is limited literature that is devoted to international students’ experience in clinical supervision and merely any international students studies specifically focused on the Taiwanese international student subgroup. This study examined the experiences of Taiwanese international students in clinical supervision. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to extract the phenomenon of participants’ lifeworld and qualitative data were collected from individual semi-structured interviews with Taiwanese international students (N=6). Data analysis led to four …

Institutional Racism, Racial Trauma, And Mental Health In Bipoc Graduate Students And Professionals., Jody Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While there is increasing mainstream focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) amongst U.S. college campuses, institutional racism and everyday racist events continue to be common experiences for Black/Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students (Bartz, 2019; Noltemeyer et al., 2012; Pieterse et al., 2010; Regis, 2016; Vaishnav, 2020). Research has shown that subtle, everyday racist slights, known as microaggressions, can have a substantial effect on the mental health and functioning of BIPOC, leading to the development of posttraumatic stress and to negative impacts on psychological well-being (Abdullah et al., 2021; Le et al., 2021; Lui & Quezada, 2019; …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Internalized Racism Mediating The Effects Of Ethnic-Racial Socialization On Self-Esteem And Psychological Distress Among Asians And Asian Americans In The United States., Tianhong "Jojo" Yao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has indicated ethnic-racial socialization can influence one’s ethnic identity development including ethnic identity and internalized racism. However, there is limited empirical research directly examining the relation among ethnic-racial socialization, internalized racism, and psychological outcomes including self-esteem and psychological distress among Asian populations in the U.S. The current research explored the influences of the three dimensions of ethnic-racial socialization (cultural socialization-pluralism, promotion of mistrust, and preparation for bias) on two outcomes (i.e., self-esteem and psychological distress) through internalized racism as a mediator in a sample of 245 participants identified as Asian and Asian American adults currently residing in the U.S. …

Are You My Nurse? The Effects Of Patient-Delivered Gender Microaggressions On Women Trainees’ Clinical Work In Integrated Primary Care, Julia Ratchford Kauffmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender microaggressions are a form of sexist discrimination that have detrimental effects on women’s psychological well-being. Unfortunately, these sexist occurrences are commonplace in the United States and can be experienced in a variety of ways. As such, there is a need to understand behavioral health providers’ experiences with patient-delivered gender microaggressions. In doing so, we may be able to better support women behavioral health trainees’ during their clinical development by potentially understanding the ways in which women trainees are affected by sexist patient encounters. Therefore, the present study sought to apply the Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training and the …

Examining The Impact Of Discrimination, Shame, And Acculturation On Psychological Wellbeing Of East Asian International Students, Shao-Jung Stella Ko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of discrimination, shame, and acculturation on the psychological wellbeing of East Asian international students in the U.S. Using the Minority Stress Theory as a framework, discrimination and shame were hypothesized to have a significant negative relationship with wellbeing while acculturation was hypothesized to moderate these relationships. A sample (N = 281) of East Asian international undergraduate students completed a web-based survey with measures of perceived discrimination, interpersonal shame, acculturation, and mental health outcomes. Regression analyses containing wellbeing (outcome), acculturation (moderator), discrimination (predictor), and shame (predictor) were performed to test the hypotheses using SPSS PROCESS macro …

Inviting The Perspectives Of Refugee Mental Health Interpreters: A Critical Narrative Analysis, Emme Y. Paik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research literature lacks examination into several areas concerning mental health interpretation for refugee clients. This includes the management of interpreters’ vicarious trauma and retraumatization, interpreter’s perspectives on the appropriateness of hiring refugees as mental health interpreters, how interpreters define their trauma as well as their clients’ trauma, and support that interpreters seek for their traumatic responses from their work. The literature is also missing an analysis of how oppressive power differentials are repeated in workplace institutions, specifically for refugee mental health interpreters. Thus, this study aimed to invite the perspectives of refugee mental health interpreters on several issues pertaining …

Exploring Opportunities For Supporting Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: A Path Forward Through Expanding Graduate Training In School Psychology, Erica L. Gleason

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School psychologists are equipped with a dynamic skill set and an ethical and moral responsibility to support the diverse needs of all youth. While juvenile justice-involved youth may not be a primary subpopulation served by all school psychologists, they are a high-needs group that requires special consideration and attention. As a professional entity, school psychologists’ knowledge and expertise are not optimally applied to serving these youth. Consequently, school psychologists may be forgoing an opportunity to improve rates of successful school and community reintegration and overall positive life outcomes for justice-involved youth. The first manuscript of this dissertation presents precipitating and …

Critical Experiences Of Being Humbled In Psychotherapy Training: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Mackenzie White Jessen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Therapists’ cultural humility has shown promise for being a “trait like” quality that improves psychotherapy treatment for marginalized populations (Hook et al., 2016, Owen et al., 2016). However, researchers have emphasized that it is important to establish whether cultural humility can be fostered or developed through training (Davis et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of trainees being humbled in session during graduate school training and its potential relationship to trainee development. This is the first study to specifically examine the experience of being humbled by clients in session or that explores the potential …

Development Of A New Measure To Assess For Poverty-Based Stress: The Poverty-Based Stressor Scale (Pbss), Brianna N. Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poverty, typically measured by economic well-being or depravation, is the result of systemic flaws built into the structure of society that adversely impact multiple dimensions of health and well-being. The specific stressors that disproportionately impact low-income individuals are called poverty-based stressors, and they encompass multiple categories of risk including physical, psychosocial, and financial risks. Currently, there is not an adequate measure of poverty-based stressors for low-income adults in the United States (U.S.), which restricts our ability to accurately determine the effects of poverty on important health-related outcomes. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of …

Impostorism On Campus: The Effects Of Stereotype Threat On State Inauthenticity And State Anxiety In Two Samples Of African American College Women, Gabrielle Y. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite the growing education levels of Black women, negative stereotypes of Black women persist and undermine the confidence of African American/Black college women in the classroom. Experimental evidence supports that stereotype threat, the fear of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group when being evaluated by others, undermines the performance of high achieving Black students (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Research has found the impostor phenomenon to be experienced as thoughts of inauthenticity, in conjunction with fear of failure and being exposed as a fraud (Ibrahim et al., 2020). Therefore, being continuously exposed to situations that create feelings of state inauthenticity, …

Git (Gender-Informed Trauma) In Black N Blue Boys / Broken Men: How Concepts Of Gender Restrict The Black Male Actor’S Creative Process And The Methods He Can Use For Creative Freedom., Tyler Tate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the black male actor’s creative process can be affected by historical and cultural constructions of masculinity connected to race, sexuality, and physical movement. My research on black men’s experience with gender identity finds that social and cultural forces lead black men to reproduce behaviors that mirror a prescribed masculine ideal through physical movement. This prescribed masculine behavior is typically coded in terms of stiffness or lack of expression. This study explores how self-imposed restrictions reiterated by social standards of masculine behavior limit the creative freedom in the black male actor’s creative process. Specifically, black male actors’ …

The Experiences And Mental Health Impact Of Islamophobia On Muslim Americans Following The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Hadeel Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the phenomenon of Muslim Americans’ lived experiences of Islamophobia prior to and two years into Donald Trump’s presidential administration. 14 participants from multiple regions in the United States completed a semi-structured interview via telephone. The data analysis revealed seven major themes: 1) Muslim Americans experience different dimensions of Islamophobia, 2) Muslim Americans experience various forms of Islamophobia, 3) Variables that impact the prevalence of Islamophobia, 4) Islamophobia impacts various areas of Muslim Americans’ lives, 5) Muslim Americans may react differently to experiences of Islamophobia, 6) Islamophobia impacts the …

Parental Self-Efficacy, Parenting Stress, And Mental Health Among Latina Mothers Of Young Children, Thania Galvan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parenthood can increase the risk for mental health concerns, especially for Latina mothers. Poor maternal mental health can result in significant negative maternal and child outcomes, particularly if a mother’s mental health needs go unmet. In an attempt to better understand the factors that impact Latina mother’s mental health, this study explored the relations among parental self-efficacy, parenting stress, and mental health. It also explored mother’s self-reported resource availability and sociocultural factors as potential modifiable points of interventions in these relations.

Methods: The study was conducted using data from 132 Latina mothers that participated in a larger project examining stress …

Understanding Racial Experiences And The Influence Of Family On Stress And Familism Attitudes, Jaqueline Miranda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sixty-five percent of undergraduates reported family as their most important in-group and 79% reported family as being in their top three in-groups (McConnell, 2019). Familial bonds are vital for racial ethnic minorities because of their unique experiences as minorities such as experienced racism, acculturative stress, and other forms of adversity. The current study examined the effects of a racially-based stress induction and imaginal exercise on state stress levels and familial attitudes, and the relationship between racial-ethnic socialization and racial battle fatigue including kinship social support as a moderator. The study used an experimental design, manipulating stress induction through a script …

Measurement Of Nontheistic And Theistic Spirituality: Initial Psychometric Qualities Of The Inclusive Spiritual Connection Scale, Valerie M. Hoots

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spirituality represents a key part of life for the majority of U.S. adults and there is a growing body of research supporting relationships between spirituality and numerous health outcomes. Governing healthcare organizations have acknowledged the role religiousness and spirituality play in comprehensive and holistic patient care. While the U.S. shows documented trends towards diverse expressions of spirituality, existing theory-driven measures of spirituality are largely theocentric. The current study concludes a multiphase project that aimed at the outset to develop an inclusive measure of spirituality and establish initial psychometric evidence, validating its use across both theistic and nontheistic spiritual populations. The …

Conversations With The Oregon Trail And The Silent Generation, Jose A. Camacho Quiroz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to explain the reason behind my art practise and process as it stands in August 2020, its context and relation to my life and experience as an outsider in the American culture. This process culminates in the documentation of experiences through the use and preparation of displays of personal artifacts as physical evidence and mechanisms of my transformation to my american persona through a continuing acculturation process and drift from the american generational archetype.

It is important to outline my current work state diverges from my past work since it no longer serves a …

The Nigerian-American Immigration Experience: Overcoming Adversity Through Resilence., K. Chinwe Idigo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nigerian-Americans are a fast-growing population in the United States, when compared to other immigrant groups. Despite growing numbers there is limited empirical research examining pathways that facilitate success among this immigrant population. This study addresses the dearth in literature by proposing and testing a modified ABCX model of family resilience among Nigerian-Americans. It is hypothesized that similar to other immigrant, and racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States, NigerianAmericans employ protective factors such as ethnic identity and resilience to buffer the effects of acculturative stress and perceived discrimination on well-being and psychological distress. Regression analyses suggest some consistency with the …

Fatalism As A Cultural Influence On Correlates Of Anxiety And Worry In Latino/A Adolescents., Judy Mier-Chairez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence that Latino/as in the United States experience lower rates of anxiety disorders as compared to the non-Latino/a White population has not yet led to the identification of the sources of these differences. Higher rates of anxiety disorders among more acculturated Latino/a individuals compared to those lower in acculturation suggest there are influential cultural variables relevant to anxiety, specifically that there is a loss of a protective Latino/a cultural factor in the acculturation process. Fatalism, an often-cited Latino/a cultural characteristic, emerges as an intriguing candidate for exploration in relation to anxiety due to the shared elements of future orientation and …

Healthy Identity Development Among Black Same-Gender Loving Men: A Mixed Methods Approach, Byron D. Brooks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black Same-Gender Loving Men (BSGLM) are a population at the juncture of multiple marginalized identities, which may make it difficult to successfully form their identity due to experienced racism and heterosexism from communities to which they belong. Current paradigms of racial/ethnic and sexual identity do not fully capture the complexities of identity development among BSGLM. Moreover, there is scant literature available detailing what the process of identity development looks like among this population and which factors influence identity development among BSGLM. As such, the current study used an exploratory sequential mixed methods design to first discover what healthy identity looks …

Age Bias In Clinical Judgment: Moderating Effects Of Ageism And Multiculturalism, Kristin Pyne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of older adults in the United States is growing rapidly (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014) and mental health concerns in older adults are expected to increase rapidly (Choi, DiNitto & Marti, 2015). Despite increasing caseloads of older adults, few practicing psychologists have received specific training or specialization in geropsychology (American Psychological Association, 2016). Simultaneously, a growing body of literature demonstrates differential treatment of older adults in psychotherapy (Kessler & Bowen, 2015, Kessler & Schneider, 2016, Mejia et al., 2018). The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of clinical bias toward older adults among clinical trainees and to explore …

Perceived Credibility Of Child Sexual Abuse Reporting, Bridget Lashbaugh-Barney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding factors that could influence attitudes and beliefs regarding child sexual abuse may inform efforts to educate clinicians, legal and medical personnel, and even the public on potential sources of bias and barriers to treatment and other service utilization, particularly in rural communities. The purpose of the current study was to experimentally investigate the impact of child accuser age and gender and participant rural status on ratings of perceived credibility of child sexual abuse allegations described in vignettes. With this study, I aimed to not only clarify and update previous findings on accuser age and gender, but also to expand …

Reclaiming Embodiment: An Existential-Phenomenological Exploration Of Women’S Tattoos, Ashley Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a phenomenological research study about the lived experiences of women who elected to get tattoos in the last five years. Due to historical and present discourses on female embodiment and persistent stigmas and pathologies often associated with tattoos, I sought to generate meaningful knowledge about the lived experiences of women who have voluntarily chosen this form of body modification. I conducted phenomenological research interviews with nine participants about personal meanings, decision making processes, and lived experiences of embodiment (capturing existential themes of lived body, spatiality, relationality, and time) before and after tattooing. I applied thematic interpretation of …

Resilience Among Survivors Of Adverse Childhood Experiences In Appalachia, Bridget Jeter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical investigation of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and their relationship with health and well-being outcomes in later life is increasing. Less is known about factors that may promote resilience for those who have survived such challenges, such as how resilience may be facilitated for those with ACEs residing in a marginalized region such as South Central Appalachia. Multidimensional spirituality, social support, stigma related to ACEs, and Appalachian acculturation may serve as both valid cultural factors and potential indicators of resilience. Cross-sectional, simultaneous multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 272 adult patients of a South Central Appalachian …

"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2010 repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy ended the ban on open lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military service (Alford & Lee, 2016). However, prior to 2015 transgender military personnel were still considered medically and psychologically unfit for service (Kerrigan, 2012; Yerke & Mitchell, 2013). From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) researched the implications of policy change, developed new policies and trainings, and implemented open service for transgender persons (Belkin, 2016; Carter, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transgender military service members prior to this transition in …

Examining The Acculturation Experiences Of Syrian Refugee Emerging Adults In The United States Of America, Fatemah Alghamdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Refugees are vulnerable populations who experience premigration traumatic events and postmigration acculturation stress. While research on immigrant mental health issues has been plentiful, there has been a clear lacuna of scholarly investigation into the acculturation experiences of Syrian emerging adults, particularly as it relates to the types and dynamics of acculturation behaviors. Acculturation is a factor that predicts emerging adults’ academic and occupational success and their interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

This qualitative investigation was conducted within the framework of interpretative phenomenology, which allows for meaningful, organic exploration and description of participants’ stories. Data were collected from 12 emerging adult Syrian …