Multicultural Psychology Commons^™

Microaggressions Versus Blatant Discrimination And Their Effects On Mental Health, Ian Lock

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examined the relationship between types of discrimination and its effect on mental health. Specifically, comparing microaggressions and blatant discrimination to see which variable had a significant impact on depression and anxiety. Microaggressions, derogatory slights/insults directed at members of an oppressed group, are a primary focus for researchers looking at racial discrimination. The impact of microaggressions is prevalent across a myriad of different marginalized groups such as people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Microaggressions have a large negative impact on mental and physical well-being in individuals, with research finding that it has a negative impact on symptoms …

Transcendence: Exploring The Connections Between Transgender/Gender Non-Conforming Identities And Experiences Of Nature Through Art, Mc Jackson

Undergraduate Theses

“Transcendence: Exploring the connections between transgender/gender non-conforming identities and experiences of nature through art” is the written portion of a creative thesis revolving around an immersive art installation and short film. Transcendence, the installation, was created to promote connection by exploring the overlap between transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) experiences and experiences of nature. Part of this installation is a short film of interviews conducted with transgender and GNC individuals about nature, their gender experiences, and the transcendent nature of the two. The written thesis analyzes existing literature on nature as a restorative, therapeutic, spiritual setting, offers insight into …

A Systematic Review Of Cultural Adaptations Of School-Based Social, Emotional & Behavioral Interventions For Students Of Color: A Replication & Update Of Brown Et Al, 2018, Courtney Coleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Underrepresented minority students are excluded from schools for disciplinary reasons at a higher rate than majority students. School-based positive social, emotional, and behavioral interventions could be implemented to support URM students who have behavioral needs. These interventions might need adaptations to meet the needs of diverse students in K-12 schools. However, there have been limited syntheses of these adaptations. The purpose of this review is to update Brown et al.’s (2018) systematic review of culture adaptations to social, emotional, and behavioral interventions. The current article pool consisted of seven articles from 2016 to 2021. The seven articles for the current …

The Mutual Constitution Of Culture And Psyche: The Bidirectional Relationship Between Individuals’ Perceived Control And Cultural Tightness-Looseness, Anyi Ma, Krishna Savani, Fangzhou Liu, Kenneth Tai, Aaron C. Kay

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

According to the theory of mutual constitution of culture and psyche, just as culture shapes people, individuals’ psychological states can influence culture. We build on compensatory control theory, which suggests that low personal control can lead people to prefer societal systems that impose order, to examine the mutual constitution of personal control and cultural tightness. Specifically, we tested whether individuals’ lack of personal control increases their preference for tighter cultures as a means of restoring order and predictability, and whether tighter cultures in turn reduce people’s feelings of personal control. Seven studies (five preregistered) with participants from the United States, …

Racialized Experiences Of Covid-19: Help-Seeking Patterns In Response To Racial Discrimination Among Asian American College Students, Jeeyun Lee

Student Theses

In the United States, reported anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 164% from 2020 to 2021, with New York demonstrating a difference of 223% (Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, 2021). Ample evidence suggested its deleterious emotional impact; COVID-19-associated racial discrimination was found to be significantly associated with increased levels of mental distress, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms (e.g., Hahm et al. 2021). With an aim of addressing the significant dearth of research on Asian Americans’ help-seeking behaviors in response to COVID-19-associated racism and distress, this study employed grounded theory to explore the experiences of 10 self-identified …

Alternative Approaches To Police Interventions When Responding To Mental Health Crises Incidents, Karen Rivera Apolinar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: This study explored mental health workers perspectives on alternative approaches in responding to mental health crises.

The study was carried out in Southern California, in collaboration with mental health workers who currently work or previously have worked in mental health crisis. It adopted a post-positivists paradigm and data was gathered through individual interviews with mental health workers who have direct experience with mental health crisis response in the community and with the police. The twenty participants in the study were men and women working in the mental health field, and of various backgrounds, licensures, and ages.

The study found …

Discrimination And Cognitive Failures In Singapore And The Us: An Investigation Of Between- And Within-Persons Associations Through Multilevel Modelling, Nadyanna Binte Mohamed Majeed, K. T. A. Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Verity Y. Q. Lua, Mingyao Li, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Experiencing everyday discrimination can have a significant negative impact on an individual’s wellbeing. While much attention has been paid to the physical and mental health consequences of discrimination, less is known about how discrimination can affect cognitive health, and most existing work has been conducted in laboratory settings where participants recall discrimination retrospectively. Given the artificial environment and susceptibility to recall bias in such procedures, the current study utilised two daily diary studies, consisting of young adults in Singapore (Study 1; N = 484) and midlife adults from the US (Study 2; N = 3577), to examine the association between …

Monoracials’ Perceptions Of Biracials In Singapore, Sheila Xi Rui Wee, Chi-Ying Cheng

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objectives: Drawing on social identity theory, present research examined the effects of overlapping racial membership on monoracials’ categorization of biracials as in-/out-group members, as well as its impact on monoracials’ social perceptions of biracials in Singapore. Within Singapore, it is hypothesized that biracials who share racial membership with monoracials would be rated more as monoracials’ racial in-group and be evaluated more positively. Furthermore, monoracials’ positive perceptions of biracials with (vs. without) shared racial membership would be less influenced by biracials’ confrontation of racial prejudice. Method: Studies 1 (N = 242) and 2 (N = 153) sampled Chinese Singaporeans to assess …

Are You Ready For Retirement? Retirement And Quality Of Life As Resources, Hyunsook Kang, Gina Causin, Mary Olle

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Retirement in later life has been considered as an important aspect of life course, because it contributes in many ways to one’s life change, social relations updates, and health declines. Although aging brings with changes and declining all aspects of life, many older adults still remain in active after their retirement. This study will address about relationships between older adults’ retirement and its’ quality-of-life resource. Retirement, itself, may be associated with a loss of professional colleagues and work-related friends (Gloria et al, 2015). By contrast, growing numbers of older adults may maintain their active participation in social networks through …

In-Class Multitasking Among College Students, Huey-Wen Chou, Shuo-Heng Liang

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The use of mobile devices in class has become a common scene on the college campus. The negative effects of in-class multitasking behaviors have been identified in many educational settings, including colleges. This study investigates the factors that drive college students to multitask and seeks to understand the relationship between learning engagement and multitasking behaviors in the classroom. This study also explores whether polychronic traits relate to multitasking behavior.

A total of 282 survey samples were collected from college students in Taiwan. The results confirmed our hypotheses: (1) Students’ multitasking motivation, including social and emotional needs, positively relates to their …

University School Training Model Consultation Practica: Dismantling Anti-Black Racism With Predominately White Educators To Improve School, Family, Community Collaborations With Black Families And Community Stakeholders, Katherine L. Nelson, Joseph R. Morris

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This article outlines a consultation case study facilitated in an urban elementary school through the University School Training Model (USTM) (Colles et al., 2019; Morris et al., 2016). The USTM is a collaboration between an APA accredited Counseling Psychology doctoral program and an urban school district to provide racially responsive counseling and consulting services and graduate level training. The case study details a consultation practica to improve school, family, and community collaborations in an urban elementary school with predominantly Black stakeholders and a predominantly White female school staff. The introduction, background, and self-evaluation of the consultation process are reviewed. Project …

Why Diversity Is Not Enough: Perceptions Of University Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Initiatives Predict Institutional Belonging, Mckennah Lauber

Honors Theses

Belonging, including feelings of being valued in a larger institutional space, is important to student overall well-being. For students of color attending Primarily White Institutions (PWIs) (and other historically marginalized group members), institutional belonging maybe partially dependent on how they perceive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This study aims to assess individual differences in how DEI initiatives are experienced by students at PWIs in order to better understand how experiences of DEI initiatives on campuses may differentially impact students of color compared to White students. Belonging for students of color was found to be contingent on their perceptions of …

Cultural Concepts Of Distress And Clinical Intake Processes For Chinese And Chinese American Populations In The United States, Jasmina Harambasic

Undergraduate Theses

Research shows that Chinese Americans underutilize mental health services more than any other ethnic group in the U.S. This project aims to explore the mental health experiences of Chinese American and immigrant communities, with a specific focus on clinical intake processes, including interviews and screening assessments. Cultural concepts of distress refer to ways that cultural groups experience and communicate mental distress, and an exploration of these illness experiences within Chinese American populations can inform how to adapt or develop screening and interview tools to fully capture personal narrations of illness during intake processes in preparation for treatment. Challenges that may …

Experiences Of Post-Master's Arts Based Supervision With Art Therapists Of Color, Madoka Urhausen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explored experiences of art therapists of color who underwent post-master’s arts-based supervision (ABS) to obtain an art therapy credential. ABS emphasizes creation of clinical insight and knowledge through not only reviewing and evaluating client’s art and art processes but also having supervisees to engage in their own artmaking in response to their clinical work. The sample was chosen for their intersectional identities that added a layer of complexity to their identity formation. This qualitative phenomenological study employed Culturally Responsive Focus Group (CRFG) with Arts-based Research (ABR) methodology to explore two questions: (1) What are the experiences of …

Mental Health In Transnational Contexts: Reconsidering Conceptualizations, Coping Strategies, And Racism Through The Narratives Of Refugees Resettled In The United States, Ryeora Choe, Ryeora Choe

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation examines refugees’ mental health conceptualizations in their resettled contexts, their views on Western mental health services, and their perspectives on how changing experiences related to discrimination affect their mental health. Despite refugees’ social and cultural contexts changing multiple times, little is known about their views on and interactions with the dominant biomedical model of mental health in their country of resettlement and how their hybrid identities and experiences embedded in multiple locations affect their understanding of mental health and healing practices. A transnational framework emphasizing continuity between various locations and “in-between the designations of identity” across borders, and …

Psychic Cartography: A Review Of Tantric Psychophysics: A Structural Map Of Altered States And The Dynamics Of Consciousness, Michael Pdryzdia

Journal of Conscious Evolution

In 1920 Rudolf Steiner gave a lecture entitled Healing of the Social Organism which is collected in a small and fairly obscure book (Oswald Spengler: Prophet of World Chaos). The lecture was given after Spengler’s The Decline of the West had become a best-seller. In the lecture, Rudolf Steiner takes it upon himself to “deconstruct” his fellow German scholar/intellectual. In the piece, Steiner attacks Spengler’s opposition between “the man of blood” – the man who gets things done, the man of action -- versus “the man of contemplation” -- the theologian, the priest, the scientist with his concept …

Clinician Heal Thyself: Turning The Mirror Inward To Dismantle The Barriers Of Psychotherapy, Lynne-Marie Shea

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The practice of psychotherapy developed in the United States within and in response to its sociopolitical context. As such it has always been unable to live up to its stated value of being accessible and effective for all people who are willing to seek and accept help. We explore the practice of psychotherapy within the larger field of Psychology and its ongoing commitment to capitalism and the social hierarchy at its center. We consider how Psychology’s intentional avoidance of class identity in the therapy space has allowed the field to justify and maintain this hierarchy while simultaneously ignoring its existence. …

Female Perpetrators Of Ritually Motivated Pedicide And Mutilation Of Children, Chima Agazue

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Ritually motivated pedicide is among contemporary Africa’s most severe crimes against children. Most of these crimes involve brutal acts of violence or mutilation of the victim. While men are most often the perpetrators of violent crimes, ritually motivated pedicide and mutilation equally attract women. The role of women in these crimes is not restricted to the less violent aspects of the crimes; instead, they also extend to the most brutal elements, often involving mutilation, decapitation or outright murder of the victim. This article explored the involvement of women in these crimes that target children for mutilation and pedicide. The article …

Kiasu (Fear Of Losing Out): An Indigenous Psychological Construct In Singapore And Its Impact, Chi-Ying Cheng, Sheila X. R. Wee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

“Kiasu,” a Hokkien term, which directly translates as the “fear of losing out” is synonymous with the Singapore identity. Yet, there has been little empirical research investigating this indigenous psychological construct in Singapore. This paper first delves into Singapore’s Kiasu culture and existing research of Kiasu, which diverges on the operationalization and measurement of Kiasu as a psychological construct. While early research conceptualized Kiasu as a behavioral tendency, more recent investigations have begun to construe Kiasu as a mindset. Next, we review Kiasu-related outcomes in four domains: academic performance, learning strategies, well-being, and creativity. Finally, we propose a new theoretical …

Psychosocial Outcomes Of African American Traumatic Race-Based Stress, Zenith Lamb

Senior Theses

Most research into trauma-related mental health concerns has focused predominantly on European American participants, leading to many African American individuals receiving inaccurate diagnoses, if they are able to receive diagnoses at all. This project sought to help fill that gap by identifying clear definitions and examples of “racial trauma” and “race-based stress” - as defined during participation in a focus group interview by the collective experience-based responses of two undergraduate African American students at a predominantly White institution - and identifying symptoms of posttraumatic stress and dissociation - measured by an online survey distributed to the participants that included questions …

Lack Of Counseling Services Among Adults Aged 50 And Greater, Madalyn Olson

Counselor Education Capstones

The geriatric population is increasing every year which may indicate a rising need for retirement and mental health counseling. It is essential for individuals aging out of the workforce to prepare for a life after work and know how to create a new identity. Counselors need to be aware of the different scales and assessments that are available to help determine one’s attitude towards retirement and willingness to seek counseling to prepare for retirement. Additionally, it is important to be aware that although there are counseling services available for mental health disorders and substance use disorders, these services are limited …

Sticky Situations: Understanding The Law And Life, Krystal Banks

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Law and life go hand in hand. Understanding the law and how it connects to life can be an effective tool in teaching youth and adults the value of making good decisions when it comes to life and the law. Sticky Situations places real-world situations in the context of learning how to apply the law and effectively respond to life's sticky situations.

Experiences Of Covid-19-Related Racism And Impact On Depression Trajectories Among Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adolescents, Sabrina R. Liu, Elysia Poggi Davis, Anton M. Palma, Hal S. Stern, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

In 2020, racially/ethnically minoritized (REMD) youth faced the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and racism, both significant stressors with potential for adverse mental health effects. The current study tested whether short- and long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic differed between REMD adolescents who did and did not endorse exposure to COVID-19-era-related racism (i.e., racism stemming from conditions created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic).

Methods

A community sample of 100 REMD adolescents enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of mental health was assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 51% girls, mean …

Quarterlife Crisis In The Uk And India: Perceived Standards And Unfulfilled Expectations, Raginie Duara, Siobhan Hugh-Jones, Anna Madill

The Qualitative Report

The term “quarterlife crisis” is associated with difficulties transitioning to adulthood that are accompanied by feelings of panic, loss, and uncertainty. However, we argue that this experience could vary largely depending on the sociocultural context and requires delving into nuances to understand and appreciate the lived experiences of the young population transitioning in different contexts. The aim of this study is to explore young people’s experiences of quarterlife crises triggered from interactions with the social environment, taking into consideration both British and Indian contexts. Our participants are 22-30 years of age from the UK (n=16) and India (n=8) who self-define …

Cultural Factors Associated With Human Trafficking Of Girls And Women In Northern Tanzania: The Case Of Arusha Region, Rehema John Magesa

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Human trafficking is persistent in many regions of Tanzania despite different efforts to reduce the practice by the Government and other stakeholders. Girls and young women are more affected by this practice in violation of their human rights than men and boys. This study explored the cultural factors attributing to the trafficking of girls and women in Northern Tanzania. The study involved 400 girls and young women for a quantitative and qualitative study on cultural determinants of human trafficking. The study found the following cultural practices pushed girls and women towards situations in which they could be trafficked: female genital …

Confusion Of Tongues: Translation And Transfers Of Attachment In A Post-Monolingual Condition, Hiji Nam

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Confusion of Tongues” proposes an intersubjective, dialogic approach to translation, psycholinguistics, and patient and clinicians’ relationships to the “mother tongue” and secondary languages. By tuning in to linguistic and translational shifts, stutters, and gaps, the study presents a consideration of the challenges and rewards presented by what I call a “post-monolingual clinical condition.” An individual’s self-state in a specific language will be shadowed by the emotional history and associations one brings to that language, which will also ripple into the counter-transferential matrix—we might call this the “transference to language,” or attachment styles that manifest and repeat an individual’s forgotten libidinal …

Adolescent Psychological Assets And Cardiometabolic Health Maintenance In Adulthood: Implications For Health Equity, Farah Qureshi, Anne‐Josee Guimond, Elaine Tsao, Scott Delaney, Julia K. Boehm, Laura D. Kubzansky

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Positive cardiometabolic health (CMH) is defined as meeting recommended levels of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in the absence of manifest disease. Prior work finds that few individuals—particularly members of minoritized racial and ethnic groups—meet these criteria. This study investigated whether psychological assets help adolescents sustain CMH in adulthood and explored interactions by race and ethnicity.

Methods and Results

Participants were 3478 individuals in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (49% female; 67% White, 15% Black, 11% Latinx, 6% other [Native American, Asian, or not specified]). In Wave 1 (1994–1995; mean age=16 years), data on 5 psychological assets (optimism, …

Faking And Conspiring About Covid-19: A Discursive Approach, Rosa Scardigno, Alessia Paparella, Francesca D'Errico

The Qualitative Report

In the more general climate of post-truth - a social trend reflecting a disregard for reliable ways of knowing what is true, mostly acted through massive use of misinformation and rhetoric calling for emotions - an alarming “infodemic” accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting healthy attitudes and behaviors and further lessening trust in science, institutions, and traditional media. Its two main representative items, fake and conspiracy news, have been widely analyzed in psycho-social research, even if scholars mostly acknowledged the cognitive and social dimensions of those items and devoted less attention to their discursive construction. In addition, these works did not …

Is Biological Death Final? Recomputing The Drake-S Equation For Postmortem Survival Of Consciousness, Adam J. Rock, James Houran, Patrizio E. Tressoldi, Brian Laythe

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This participatory team science project extended Laythe and Houran’s (2022) prior application of a famous probabilistic argument known as the ‘Drake equation’ to the question of postmortem survival. Specifically, we evaluated effect sizes from peer-reviewed, empirical studies to determine the maximum average percentage effect that ostensibly supports (i.e., "anomalous effects") or refutes (i.e., "known confounds") the survival hypothesis. But unlike the earlier application, this research included a study-specific estimate of the hypothesized variable of ‘living agent psi’ via a new meta-analysis of empirical studies (N = 17) with exceptional subjects vs participants from the general population. Our updated analysis found …

Native American Youth & Substance Abuse Treatment: An Adjustable Intervention For Healing, Megan K. Saboo

Honors Capstone Projects

Substance abuse and mental health disparities are major issues that impact the lives of Native American people. In order to combat the issue of early onset substance abuse experienced by Native youth, culturally sensitive interventions have been created and utilized by Indigenous communities. However, little research has examined these interventions. In this project, existing interventions are examined and conclusions and implications from the discussion will be used to propose an intervention that may be utilized to treat substance use disorder among Native youth.