Multicultural Psychology Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of Varying Theoretical Frameworks In Argentine Music Therapy., Talia Girton

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

One of the most shocking cultural phenomena that American visitors to Argentina experience is the prevalence of psychoanalytic theory, thought, and practice. It is so embedded into the Argentine way of life that its terminology is sprinkled throughout their daily speech and the cost of regular therapy sessions is factored into the monthly budget along with food, rent, and clothing. The widespread use of psychoanalysis is especially confounding to those of us in the mental health care field in the United States, as the enthusiasm for psychoanalysis and Freudian theory has receded among the intellectual community largely because it is …

Exploring Coping Mediators Between Heterosexist Oppression And Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Persons, Kyle M. Bandermann

Doctoral Dissertations

Recently, scholars have begun to advocate that categories of traumatic events be expanded to include experiences that do not meet the traditional diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as oppression. Our study builds on this work by examining experiences with two kinds of heterosexist oppression, one that meets the traditional diagnostic criteria for PTSD (i.e., sexual orientation-based hate crime victimization) and one that does not (i.e., heterosexist discrimination), as predictors of PTSD symptoms in a sample of 427 gay, lesbian and bisexual persons who responded to an online survey. In addition, we examined the mediating roles of coping …

Unpacking The Multicultural Experience-Creativity Relationship, Angela K. Y. Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Systemic Racism On The Academic Achievement Of African American Male Adolescents, Andre Rubin Fields

Dissertations

In the most recent decade, there has been a spiraling national trend of academic underachievement on the part of African American male adolescents. The empirical purpose of this study was to investigate what role, if any, systemic racism may be playing in the growing epidemic of academic underachievement in African American male adolescents. The results of the analyses utilized in this study found that there were significant correlations between perceptions of racism, coping behavior utilization, and psychological dysfunction. Specifically, canonical correlation analysis found that elevated levels of Cultural Mistrust, Cultural Race-Related Stress, and Individual Race-Related Stress leads to increased use …

The Relationship Between Racial Ambiguity And Self-Concept In Multiracial Lndividuals, James R. Jobe

Dissertations

The present study examined the relationship between racial ambiguity and self-concept in multiracial individuals. Research as to the experiences of multiracial people is limited both in frequency and in scope. As multiracial individuals continue to grow in number, understanding their unique experiences will become more important to social scientists (e.g., psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists) across disciplines. The current study examined two hypotheses and explored a series of additional relationships. The theoretical framework that was utilized for this study was Symbolic Interaction Theory. This theory provided an effective way to understand how people use and make meaning of their surrounding social contexts …

Cross Cultural Analysis For Training And Facilitating Latin-American Audiences, Jose P. Alcazar

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of this project is to help Creative Problem Solving (CPS) trainers and facilitators to improve the efficacy when working with Hispanic groups and individuals, either in a personal or in organizational environments. This project will guide the facilitators to use a more appropriate tools that will allow the resource group to feel more comfortable during the idea generation, creating an environment more according to the believes and behavioral habits; and the client to feel more confident to converge and make decisions accordingly to the initial goals. When training people in CPS, the project will align the methodology and …

Self, Non-Self, And Silencing The Self: Dangers And Possibilities, Dana C. Jack

Dana C. Jack

The focus of this talk is selflessness from two perspectives, Buddhism, and psychology, drawing on 23 years of publications by myself and researchers from approximately 20 countries. I’ll be talking about the possibilities and dangers of self, non-self, and self-silencing.

Cultural Differences In Prioritizing Applicant Attributes When Assessing Employment Suitability, Serena Wee, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined how culture influences perceptions of applicant attributes when assessing employment suitability. In two studies (N = 408), we compared members from a collectivistic society (Singapore) to two samples from individualistic societies (the United States and Australia) on their perceptions of applicant attributes across job contexts. For each job, participants either chose between candidates with different attribute profiles or created ideal candidates by allocating a fixed amount of percentile points across different attributes. More often than Australians, Singaporeans chose the candidate with higher levels of the trait (e.g., openness to experience) uniquely associated with the job (e.g., graphic designer). …

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 …

Edwin Medina - The Influence Of Faith On The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Mexican Americans, Edwin Medina

Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program 2014

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship faith has to the eleven dimensions that constitute psychological and social well-being. Though there is an existing body of literature concerned with the relationship between faith and well-being, the work examining this relationship among the Hispanic population is limited. With Latinos now constituting the single largest minority population in the United States, we employed data from a sample of 137 Mexican Americans from Wisconsin. We examined the relationship faith salience and religious behaviors have on six dimensions of psychological well-being (Ryff, 2014) and five dimensions of social well-being (Keyes, 1998). …

The Culture Of Generativity: Exploring The Manifestation Of Generativity In The Manifestation Of Generativity In The Mexican/Mexican-American Population, Mara J. Bach

Dissertations (1934 -)

Generativity is a developmental stage in adulthood where an individual makes a conscious decision to leave their mark on the world with the intent to make the world a better place for future generations. Research has shown that engaging in generativite acts benefits both the person engaging in such practices as well as the recipient, and thus generativity is positively correlated with reported wellbeing. It has also been shown that adults engaging in such practices are psychologically healthier and ease into old age with less resistance than their non-generative counterparts. Generativity is a strengths-based approach. It is shaped by one's …

Exploring The Various Interpretations Of "Test Bias", Russell Warne, Myeongsun Yoon, Chris Price

Russell T Warne

Test bias is a hotly debated topic in society, especially as it relates to diverse groups of examinees who often score low on standardized tests. However, the phrase “test bias” has a multitude of interpretations that many people are not aware of. In this article, we explain five different meanings of “test bias” and summarize the empirical and theoretical evidence related to each interpretation. The five meanings are as follows: (a) mean group differences, (b) differential predictive validity, (c) differential item functioning, (d) differing factor structures of tests, and (e) unequal consequences of test use for various groups. We explain …

The Reluctance Of African-Americans To Engage In Therapy, Monique Estelle Williamson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is presented with the intent to explore the reasoning behind why members of the African-American culture are reluctant to enter into therapy. While the numbers of African-Americans who enter therapy continue to rise there are still persistent stigmas that make therapy a taboo option for solving problems. The goal of this qualitative study is to identify (1) if there truly is reluctance in the African-American community, (2) why the African-American community is reluctant, (3) what are the stigmas regarding mental health and therapy from the perspectives of American participants, and (4) what would help break the barriers to …

Examining The Effects Of Communication And Acculturation On Relationship Satisfaction And Postpartum Depressive Symptomatology In Latino Couples, Jessica Andrea Hughes

Masters Theses

The present study builds on prior research that has evaluated the longitudinal association between relationship adjustment and depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period by focusing on a group of women at high risk for perinatal depression, in this case, Latinos. Most studies have evaluated the association between relationship functioning and depressive symptoms during the postpartum period. However, depression occurs as frequently during pregnancy as in the postpartum period (Evans et al., 2001) and has been shown to be an important predictor of postpartum depression (Milgrom et al., 2008) in Caucasian samples. Since poor communication has been linked to …

Exploring Help-Seeking Intentions Among Black American Church-Goers, Krystelle Jean-Michel

Dissertations

The present study examined the strength of certain help-seeking barriers and predictor variables in predicting the help-seeking intentions of African American churchgoers. Research suggests numerous barriers impede mental health use among African Americans; however, the present study focused on help-seeking attitudes, cultural mistrust, psychological distress, self-stigma, public stigma, and perceived behavioral control (Hines-Martin, Malone, Kim, & Brown-Piper, 2003; Sullivan, Harris, Collado & Chen, 2006). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as a theoretical underpinning, guiding the integration of theory-based and culture-specific variables in one model. The present sample included 159 Black American churchgoers and attendees. The study‘s variables were …

Hope, Ethnic Pride, And Academic Achievement: Positive Psychology And Latino Youth, Derik K. Yager-Elorriaga, Kathy R. Berenson, Paula Mcwhirter

Psychology Faculty Publications

Previous studies have found that hope has beneficial effects in athletics, academics, physical health, and mental well being in majority populations. Given the challenges Latino youth face in the United States, ethnic identity and hope may be a powerful buffer from these negative stressors. The current study aimed to identify whether chronic levels of hope related to academic performance, whether an ethnic pride manipulation altered state hope levels, and whether there was a link between ethnic identity and chronic hope among a sample of Latino youth. Results indicated that GPA and chronic hope levels were not related, a manipulation to …

The Fatherhood Factor: The Impact Of The Father-Child Relationship On The Social, Interpersonal, And Recidivism Risk Factors Of Previously Incarcerated Men, Larissa A. Maley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Of the men who return home from prison, nearly 7 out of 10 will be re-arrested and sent back within 3 years of their release (Travis, Solomon, & Waul, 2001). This trend has large- scale implications, not just for individuals, but for their families and communities as well. Clearly, understanding the factors that contribute to a man’s success or failure in staying out of prison is extremely important in constructing policy and programs to assist these at-risk individuals and communities. Of the few studies that have explored the lives of previously incarcerated men, some have found fatherhood to be a …

Executive Control In Hispanic Children: Considering Linguistic And Sociocultural Factors, Miriam M. Martinez

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Executive control represents a collection of high-order cognitive processes that are associated with important child outcomes, including academic achievement and social competencies. Despite the burgeoning interest in examining the development of executive control, less is known about the development of these skills among ethnic minority children. Hispanic children are currently the largest ethnic minority group in the United States and their diverse sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds provide an excellent context to study the influence of linguistic and sociocultural factors on the development of child executive control. The purpose of the three complementary studies reported in this dissertation is to contribute …

Parenting Behaviors, Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, And Problem Behavior: The Role Of Self-Esteem And School Adjustment Difficulties Among Chinese Adolescents, Cixin Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Wenzhen Li, Stephan M. Wilson, Kevin Bush, Gary Peterson

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

Cross-sectional data from 589 Chinese adolescents were used to investigate whether parenting behaviors are directly or indirectly (through self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties) associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and problem behavior. Structural equation modeling results showed that school adjustment difficulties fully mediated the relations between two parenting behaviors (parental punitiveness and paternal monitoring) and adolescent problem behavior and partially mediated the relation between maternal monitoring and adolescent problem behavior. Adolescent self-esteem partially mediated the relations between maternal punitiveness and adolescent depressive symptoms and fully mediated the relations between parental support and adolescent depressive symptoms. Parental love withdrawal was not significantly …

Unpacking East-West Differences In The Extent Of Self-Enhancement From The Perspective Of Face Versus Dignity Cultures, Hae In Lee, Angela K. Y. Leung, Young-Hoon Kim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The question of whether or not the need for self-enhancement is culturally universal has been a controversial issue in cultural psychology. Though there have been numerous studies arguing that East Asians also have the need for self-enhancement, the controversy remained. We contend that the field is ready to see a cohesive theory that integrates and explains when and why East Asians do and do not manifest their need for self-enhancement. In this paper, we provide the theoretical logics of and rationales behind face and dignity cultures as the new theoretical proxies that integrate and explain East Asians' self-enhancing behaviors, supplementing …

The Importance Of Community Resilience: Developing The American Red Cross International Services Department In The New Hampshire Region, Sarah Romac

Capstone Collection

Disaster management and humanitarian aid organizations have had to reevaluate how communities and individuals can better adapt and prepare for future disaster events. One concept organizations are incorporating into their overall framework is strengthening community resilience. Increasing a community’s resilience level increases its ability to cope with the changes that affect it. Creating awareness of the vulnerabilities in an area, addressing these vulnerabilities with preparedness training, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and sustainable changes made over the long-term can develop a community’s adaptive capacity to be more resilient.

For my practicum, I was given the opportunity to be the International Services …

Overcoming Panethnicity: Filipino-American Identity In A Globalized Culture, Brandon Napenias Oreiro

Global Honors Theses

Filipino-Americans have struggled to create a unique and visible social identity within the United States. Whether it be from their early colonial experiences in America to their more recent status as a ‘minority within a minority’, these groups of individuals are caught in a constantly expanding and increasingly complex identity crisis (Cordova, 1983; Revilla 1997; San Juan 1998). However, due to the effects of globalization and the increased application of technologies such as the internet, new avenues of self-representation have opened up, allowing for the creation of more individualistic and transnational identities that are currently challenging the conventional notions of …

Going Beyond Your Mind And Following Your Heart: The Mediating Role Of Emotion In The Multicultural Experience - Creativity Link, Angela K.-Y. Leung, Chi-Ying Cheng, T.-Y Wu

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

No abstract provided.

Meta-Knowledge Of Culture Promotes Cultural Competence, Angela K.-Y. Leung, Sau-Lai Lee, Chi-Yue Chiu

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

A behavioral signature of cross-cultural competence is discriminative use of culturally appropriate behavioral strategies in different cultural contexts. Given the central role communication plays in cross-cultural adjustment and adaptation, the present investigation examines how meta-knowledge of culture—defined as knowledge of what members of a certain culture know—affects culturally competent cross-cultural communication. We reported two studies that examined display of discriminative, culturally sensitive use of cross-cultural communication strategies by bicultural Hong Kong Chinese (Study 1), Chinese students in the United States and European Americans (Study 2). Results showed that individuals formulating a communicative message for a member of a certain culture …

Priming Bush (Vs. Obama) Increases Liking Of American Brands: The Role Of Intersubjectively Important Values, Letty Y. Y. Kwan, Chi-Yue Chiu, Angela K. Y. Leung

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

Past research has shown that exposure to cultural symbols can influence personal preferences. The present research extends this finding by showing that cultural symbols acquire their cultural significance in part through their associations with intersubjectively important values—values that are perceived to be prevalent in the culture. In addition, cultural symbols can influence personal preferences through the activation of perceived normative preferences. In Study 1, perceived liking of Bush among Americans was linked to the perceived popularity of intersubjectively important values in the USA. In Study 2, both priming Bush and personal endorsement of intersubjectively important values increased Americans' liking of …

Emerging From The Shadows: Civil War, Human Rights, And Peacebuilding Among Peasants And Indigenous Peoples In Colombia And Peru In The Late 20th And Early 21st Centuries, Charles A. Flowerday

Anthropology Department: Theses

Peacebuilding in Colombia and Peru following their late-20^th and early 21^st century civil wars is a challenging proposition. In this study, it becomes necessary as indigenous peoples and peasants resist domination by extractive industries and governments in their thrall. Whether they protest nonviolently or rebel in arms, they are targeted for human-rights violations, especially murder, disappearance and displacement. The armed actors, state, insurgency, paramilitaries or drug traffickers, destroy civic institutions (local or regional government) and the civil (nonprofit) sector and replace them with their own authoritarian versions. Therefore, peacebuilding has emphasized rebuilding civic institutions, civil society and local …

Yaya: Philippine Domestic Care Workers, The Children They Care For, And The Children They Leave Behind, Maria Rosario De Guzman

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

The domestic and care labor sector is integral to the economic and social fabric of almost every nation. Although there has been increasing attention to the plight and experiences of international migrant workers within this field, less is known about the experiences of rural-to-urban migrants employed in this same sector. This study focuses on “yayas”—domestic workers caring for children in affluent families in the Philippines and draws from fieldwork and interviews conducted in Quezon City. Participants were female “yayas” caring for young children while they themselves were separated from their own offspring, most of whom were left behind in their …

Priming Bush (Vs. Obama) Increases Liking Of American Brands: The Role Of Intersubjectively Important Values, Letty Y. Y. Kwan, Chi-Yue Chiu, Angela K. Y. Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Past research has shown that exposure to cultural symbols can influence personal preferences. The present research extends this finding by showing that cultural symbols acquire their cultural significance in part through their associations with intersubjectively important values—values that are perceived to be prevalent in the culture. In addition, cultural symbols can influence personal preferences through the activation of perceived normative preferences. In Study 1, perceived liking of Bush among Americans was linked to the perceived popularity of intersubjectively important values in the USA. In Study 2, both priming Bush and personal endorsement of intersubjectively important values increased Americans' liking of …

Transgender Individuals' Access To College Housing And Bathrooms: Findings From The National Transgender Discrimination Survey, Kristie Seelman

Kristie L Seelman

Within higher education settings, transgender people are at risk for discrimination and harassment within housing and bathrooms. Yet, few have examined this topic using quantitative data or compared the experiences of subgroups of transgender individuals to predict denial of access to these spaces. The current study utilizes the National Transgender Discrimination Survey to research this issue. Findings indicate that being transgender and having another marginalized identity matters for students’ access to housing and bathrooms. Trans women are at greater risk than gender non-conforming people for being denied access to school housing and bathrooms. Implications for practice and research are detailed.

Self-Esteem Influences On Multiple Domains: Stress, Health, Mood, And Social Identity, Kymberlee O'Brien, Hannah Lapp, Stephanie Powers, Celia Moore

Kymberlee M. O'Brien

The present investigation assessed self-esteem effects on biological and subjective chronic stress measures, including cardiovascular parameters, health indicators, and mood. Moderators were examined, including vagal tone and social identity. High self-esteem was associated with higher baseline positivity, lower baseline negativity, and lower subjective stress across numerous domains including: city stress, chaos at home, and perceived stress (all p<.05). Vagal tone moderated the relationship between self-esteem and the chronic stress measure: hair cortisol (p<.05). The high self-esteem group showed lower cortisol, particularly when coupled with high vagal tone. Individuals with low vagal tone had the highest cortisol; for those …