Unveiling The Longitudinal Dynamics Of Discrimination, Identity, And Mental Health Over Time Within U.S. Muslims Among On-Going Palestine Genocide, Manal Aboargob

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Discrimination is a pervasive stressor that shapes mental health through both direct experiences and indirect, or vicarious, exposure. In contemporary contexts marked by global media saturation, individuals may repeatedly witness discrimination and violence directed toward their social group, amplifying psychological burden. The present longitudinal study examined how direct and vicarious discrimination were associated with affective well-being among U.S. Muslims during the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and whether religious identity and religious coping moderated these associations over time. Participants (N = 103) completed a baseline survey and up to 11 weekly surveys over a three-month period. Multilevel mixed-effects growth models were …

Speaking Up: A Courage Framework Of Bipoc Voices In The Workplace, Aishah Khan

All Theses

Despite the many beneficial outcomes of voice in the workplace, employers and employees do not often utilize it to its full potential, particularly those from historically marginalized groups. Past literature has examined the many ways in which the experience of minority-group members differs from that of majority-group members; however, scarce work has been done exploring the “mental calculus” that those from marginalized groups go through when deciding whether to advocate for themselves or others at work. To provide insight into this specific experience, I manipulated representation and context in a novel fashion – and examined if and how safety, risk, …

Social Identity And Eating Behaviors: How Cultural Norms Impact Disordered Eating, Cierrah J. Fulenwider

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs), such as frequent dieting, emotional eating, and obsessive “clean eating,” are increasingly prevalent in our society and have been linked to significant physical and psychological health risks. However, the role of sociocultural influences, such as discrimination and social media, are often overlooked. This study examined the relationship between disordered eating behaviors and perceived discriminatory experiences, social media use, physical self-description, and attitudes toward eating among undergraduate college students. The sample consisted of 110 undergraduate students. Participants completed an electronic survey comprised of the Everyday Discrimination Scale-S (EDS-S), Social Media Usage Scale (SMUS), Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), …

A Cross-Sectional Examination Of Rejection-Identification And Collective Action Among Latino College Students Following The Walmart Shooting In El Paso, Xavier Vera-Adrianzen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Objectives: The present study aimed to test predictions derived from the rejection-identification model and collective action perspectives. Using a cross-sectional design, hypothesis 1 examined whether ethnic identification mediated the association between perceived discrimination and psychological distress, and hypothesis 2 examined whether attitude toward activism moderated the mediating effect of ethnic identification on the association between perceived discrimination and issue-specific activism. Method: 372 (77.4% female; Mage = 20.9 years, SD = 4.2) Latino undergraduate students from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) completed an online survey within approximately two years after the El Paso Walmart shooting, the deadliest attack …

Fleeing Structural Stigma: Psychological Outcomes For Transgender And Gender-Diverse Internally Displaced Persons, Max E. Cartagena

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In 2025, at least 1,000 bills targeting transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals were introduced across the United States, contributing to an environment of escalating structural stigma. As a result, many TGD individuals have relocated from states with high levels of stigma to those with lower levels in search of safety, access to care, and social affirmation. This study examines these individuals as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and is informed by refugee psychological literature, as both experiences arise from coercive structural forces that compel individuals to relocate. This perspective highlights the involuntary nature of their migration, driven by the need for …

Nondisclosure Of Trans Group Status Among Transgender Individuals, Alexander Williams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to investigate motivations for concealment of transgender group status beyond a qualitative scale. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the role one’s identity centrality, salience, and valence played in concealment behavior and attitudes. It was hypothesized that factors found in the extant literature (i.e., gender dysphoria, lack of connection, safety, stigma, and discrimination concerns) would apply presently. It was hypothesized that those individuals with low identity centrality, salience, and valence would be less likely to disclose their trans status. Results indicated that the previously named factors for concealment were present among participants with particularly …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Asian American Perception Of Mental Health, Emily Tseung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study describes a qualitative study using a grounded theory, constructivist approach, which sampled (N = 6) Asian American college students who lived in the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that COVID significantly impacted the Asian American perception of mental health, including mental health help- seeking behaviors and discrimination experienced. The long-term effects of this are still largely unknown. In depth, semi-structured interviews were used to explore the lived experiences of these Asian Americans. Qualitative analysis revealed thematic differences for the following themes: (a) experience with mental illness, (b) mental health help- seeking …

Psychosocial Factors Associated With Substance Use Vulnerability In Black Americans, Aanya Mehta

Honors Scholar Theses

In 2010, the World Health Organization developed the Conceptual Framework for the Social Determinants of Health as a response to epidemiologists’ and public health workers’ need to estimate the impact of social inequality. Within this framework, psychosocial factors are intermediary determinants of health that influence an individual’s interactions with their environment. This paper analyzes data and results from ten articles from the Family and Community Health Study (FACHS), which looks at the impacts of psychosocial, contextual, and family effects on health and developmental outcomes in Black American families. The findings across the ten articles provide strong evidence that there are …

The Influence Of School Policies On Black Students' Mental Health, Ama Ogyaa Boateng

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

When educators target Black students’ hair through school policies, they inadvertently target their racial identity, causing harm to their mental health (Joseph- Salisbury & Connelly, 2018). While previous research has looked at the relationship between a school’s racial climate and Black students’ mental health (Mattison & Aber, 2007), this research study explored the mental health of Black adults who have experienced racial discrimination or racial microaggressions, in relation to hair and dress codes, as Black students in the K-12 school system.

A retrospective survey was used to explore the experiences that Black young adults had in the K-12 school system …

Examining The Effects Of Mental Health Barriers On Black Undergraduate Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions, Patrice N. Storey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black college students are experiencing mental health issues at an alarming rate. There is, however, a reluctance among Black college students to seek assistance. There is a stigma surrounding mental health. An individual with a mental illness is often stereotyped as weak, uncontrollable, or paralyzed by demons. Historical incidents such as slavery, the Tuskegee Experiment, Jim Crow, and the forced sterilization of Black women have led the Black community to distrust the medical system. The stigma embedded in the Black community is passed down from generation to generation. This literature review examines existing research on Black students and their perception …

“As If I Use A Filter, And It Has Become A Part Of Me”: Discriminatory Workplace Experiences Of Lesbian And Gay Employees Of India, Sucharita Maji, Tushar Singh, Meghna Hooda, Kumari Sarika

The Qualitative Report

In 2018, the Indian penal code scrapped section 377 and decriminalized consensual homosexuality. However, there exists a significant knowledge gap regarding what extent Indian workplaces have been successful in ensuring a discrimination-free environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) employees. Thus, to address this gap, the current study explored discriminatory workplace experiences encountered by Indian lesbian and gay (LG) employees. The qualitative data has been collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed through the thematic analysis method. A hybrid of the inductive and theoretical thematic analysis revealed four themes, that is, subtle discrimination, disclosure dilemmas, dressing and appearance …

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 …

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 …

Dinstinction Between Prejudice And Stereotyping For Negative In-Group Attitudes, Manal Aboargob

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There are conflicting findings for disadvantaged group membersâ?? attitudes towards their group. Some studies suggest that disadvantaged groups have positive in-group attitudes, while other studies suggest they have negative in-group attitudes, or even outgroup favoritism. This may be in part due to the simultaneous measurement of stereotypic and prejudicial attitudes, and I suggest that studying their distinction might better explain the discrepancy found in the literature. Further, research has yet to look at how differences in personal attitudes versus perception of public attitudes is related to the differing results found in disadvantaged group attitudes. In the proposed study, it is …

Attitudes Of Muslim Americans Regarding Prejudice And Discrimination Displayed By Non-Muslims, Munder Abderrazzaq

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

Abstract

Muslim Americans have reported experiencing racial profiling, physical threats, and verbal abuse based on their religion, ethnicity, and color (Samari, 2016). These types of lived experiences can have negative personal consequences for Muslim Americans and influence their attitudes and behavior toward non-Muslims. A literature review conducted by Simon et al. (2018) suggests the need for research that explores the point of view of minorities regarding intolerance displayed by majority members. Intolerance is defined as the refusal and unwillingness to tolerate or respect individuals from different social or minority groups who hold different beliefs. Prejudice and discrimination can hinder the …

Microaggressions Against Ethnic Individuals From Minorities In Counseling, Joan Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEven though the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among ethnic minority people and implications for counseling, no qualitative research that included the voices of ethnic minority individuals was found. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in counseling sessions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the lived encounters of ethnic minorities concerning racial microaggressions in counseling. The study issue was analyzed through the lens of critical race theory. Four participants were recruited from the Walden University participation pool. Data were selected through semi-structure interviews and narrative analysis was used to analyze data to …

Racial Disparities In Policing: Psychological Consequences Over The Lifespan, Kelly C. Burke, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Margaret C. Stevenson

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

We review the psychological consequences of racialized policing for people of color over the course of their lives, organizing our review within Bronfrenbrenner’s (1979) social-ecological model and emerging science on racial, legal, and racial-legal socialization. First, we consider the broader social climate that criminalizes and punishes people of color, and thereby generates racialized policing (macrosystem). Then, we turn to the institution and practice of policing and how this influences the way people of color come to think about their relationships with police (exosystem). Next, we examine how vicarious experiences with police shape attitudes toward police (mesosystem), and how direct experiences …

Ableism In Education: Professor Perpetuation Of Disability Discrimination Through Accommodation Non-Compliance, Kasey Bumgardner

Scripps Senior Theses

This proposed study aims to explore factors that may decrease professor compliance with their disabled students’ documented academic accommodations, including pre-existing ableist beliefs held by professors, race of the disabled student, and visibility of the student’s disability. Participants will consist of undergraduate professors from colleges and universities across the United States, varying in size and geographical location. Participants will complete scales to assess their ableist beliefs, and will be asked to report their likelihood of complying with, or fully meeting, various disabled students’ documented accommodations. It is expected that results will reveal that professors who hold more ableist beliefs tend …

Badges And Blush: Gender Expression In Policework, Aubrey Powell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Gender roles are a social construct ingrained in American culture. Stemming from this problem is the femininity versus competency bind. This means that women in the workplace are seen as either feminine or competent, but never both. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the perceived deficit is due to gender expression or biological sex. Additionally, the project examined the masculine of policework and the neutral profession of teaching. Participants were assigned to one of four conditions (feminine woman, masculine woman, feminine man, and masculine man) in which they rated a potential hire for a police precinct or …

Microaggressions Against Ethnic Individuals From Minorities In Counseling, Joan Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEven though the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among ethnic minority people and implications for counseling, no qualitative research that included the voices of ethnic minority individuals was found. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in counseling sessions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the lived encounters of ethnic minorities concerning racial microaggressions in counseling. The study issue was analyzed through the lens of critical race theory. Four participants were recruited from the Walden University participation pool. Data were selected through semi-structure interviews and narrative analysis was used to analyze data to …

Seeing The System Vs Seeing The Individual: How Contextual Information And Framing Facilitate Perceptions Of Structural Inequality, Derek Kahng

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study investigates factors that facilitate adolescents' structural attributions. Namely, we focus on two main factors. First, we investigate if contextual information such as intergroup/intragroup comparisons and group/individual level framing of inequalities affects the likelihood of making structural attributions to race-based inequalities in academic achievement. Second, we investigate if the likelihood of making structural attributions differs based on individual characteristics, such as the individuals’ race/ethnicity, subjective and objective social status, and belief in meritocracy and a just world. Results and its implications will be discussed in the paper.

Emotional Experiences Of Muslim Americans Regarding The Intolerance Displayed By Non-Muslims, Munder Abderrazzaq

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Muslims in the United States report experiencing unequal treatment and racial profiling from non-Muslims. Recent literature (Simon et al., 2018) suggests the need for further research on the intolerance displayed by majority members from the point of view of minority members in the United States. The unwillingness or refusal to respect or tolerate individuals from a different social group or minority groups, who hold beliefs that are contrary to one’s own, is referred to as intolerance. The display of intolerance among members of different cultural and religious backgrounds can hinder the discovery of new information needed to promote positive social …

The Social Psychology Of Inclusion: How Diversity Framing Shapes Outcomes For Racial-Ethnic Minorities, Jamillah Bowman Williams

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Research on the efficacy of organizational diversity efforts has yielded mixed results. It remains unclear when positive or negative outcomes should be expected, and why. This article fills a gap in the sociological literature by examining critical social psychological mechanisms. In Experiment 1, I found that common diversity messaging led to increased bias towards racial minorities. In Experiment 2, I examined how alternative framing may influence these outcomes. Findings revealed that the common “business case” emphasizing profit and performance gains made decision-makers less likely to select a Black job candidate than emphasizing civil rights law. I then examined social psychological …

Social Experiences Of Muslim Americans Regarding The Intolerance Displayed By Non-Muslims, Munder Abderrazzaq

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Non-Muslims in the United States have openly expressed their opposition regarding Muslim Americans, which has led to the racial profiling and unequal treatment of Muslim Americans. Literature regarding the intolerance displayed by majority members indicates a need for further research that explores the point of view of minorities in the United States. Intolerance is defined as the refusal and unwillingness to respect or tolerate persons of a different social group or members of minority groups who hold beliefs contrary to one’s own. The intolerance displayed among members of different religious and cultural backgrounds can limit the ability to discover new …

Black And White Health Disparities: Racial Bias In American Healthcare, Yasmeen Almomani

Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections

This paper explores the historical implications of race in American society that have led to implicit racism in the healthcare system. Racial bias in healthcare against Black people is a factor in the health disparities between Black and white people in America, such as the gap in life expectancy, infant death, and maternal mortality. Black people are more likely to report racial discrimination from healthcare providers, which is a reason for the decreased quality of care received. The past justifications of slavery, the Tuskegee syphilis study, and the medical experimentations on Black women are horrifying but were considered acceptable in …

Reducing Prejudice Through Law: Evidence From Experimental Psychology, Roseanna Sommers, Sara Burke

Law & Economics Working Papers

Can antidiscrimination law effect changes in public attitudes toward minority groups? Could learning, for instance, that employment discrimination against people with clinical depression is illegal cause members of the public to be more accepting toward people with mental health conditions? In this Article, we report the results of a series of experiments that test the effect of inducing the belief that discrimination against a given group is legal (vs. illegal) on interpersonal attitudes toward members of that group. We find that learning that discrimination is unlawful does not simply lead people to believe that an employer is more likely to …

“Sticks And Stones”: Experiencing Microaggressions From The Perspectives Of The Victim, Bystander, And Perpetrator, Emily Halvorson

Honors Theses

For over thirty years, microaggressions have been studied for their weight on members of groups like ethnic and racial minorities, women and members of the LGBTQ community. Microaggressions are the routine, derogatory interactions like slights gestures, snubs or minor insults. Microaggressions yield physical and psychological distress to victims and communicate to marginalized groups the biases and prejudices against them harbored by majority group members. My thesis study explored factors such as quality of psychical and psychological health, physical health symptoms, occurrence of physical pain, resilience, and self efficacy and relationships with racial, gender, and sexual orientation-based microaggressions. I analyzed these …

The Double Burden Of Racial Discrimination In Daily-Life Moments: Increases In Negative Emotions And Depletion Of Psychosocial Resources Among Emerging Adult African Americans, Nataria T. Joseph, Laurel M. Peterson, Heather Gordon, Thomas W. Kamarck

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Objective: Racial discrimination is a common experience for African Americans, but no research has examined how discrimination reported in daily-life moments influences concurrent negative emotions and psychosocial resources. Method: Emerging adult African Americans (N = 54) reported hourly on momentary racial discrimination, negative emotions, and psychosocial resources across two days. Results: Controlling for past discrimination and trait emotion, momentary racial discrimination was associated with greater negative emotions and lower psychosocial resources (ps < .05). The relationship between momentary racial discrimination and negative emotions was stronger among individuals residing in areas with fewer African Americans (simple slope p < .0001). The relationship between momentary racial discrimination and psychosocial resources was stronger among individuals reporting greater past discrimination (simple slope p < .0001). Vicarious discrimination (exposure to discrimination experienced by another person) was associated with higher negative emotions, p < .01, but not with psychosocial resources. Conclusion: These results are the first to demonstrate that personal and vicarious racial discrimination are associated with negative emotions and lower coping resources …

The Lived Experiences Of Muslim Americans Regarding Prejudice And Discrimination By Non-Muslims, Munder Abderrazzaq

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opposition to Muslim Americans in the United States is openly expressed by majority members, which includes profiling and a recent presidential campaign proposing a “ban on Muslims.” There is a lack of qualitative studies in the United States that explore minorities’ point of view of about the tolerance displayed by majority members. Tolerance involves a degree of restraint about the disapproval and dislike of others of different religious, racial, political, and cultural backgrounds. This limits the ability to develop and implement appropriate policies that are needed to promote positive social change. In this phenomenological study, semistructured interviews were used to …

Attitudes Toward The Electability Of Atheist And Nontraditional Religious Candidates, Brittany Escobedo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Atheists are underrepresented in political office compared to their numbers in the general population. In the United States, anti-atheist prejudice is prevalent, likely contributing to the disparity in atheist representation. Informed by social identity theory and the sociofunctional approach to prejudice, the purpose of this study was to examine the comparative electability of atheists compared to other minority religious identities, as well as one nonminority option for a baseline reference of attitudes. Using the voter likelihood scale and three 7-point semantic differential scales, 579 participants rated their intention to vote for and their feelings of trust, disgust, and fear toward …