Differences and similarities between ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness links among diverse parents of color.

Parents of color's critical consciousness development (understanding of and actions to redress societal inequalities) is an important yet understudied area, especially relative to the burgeoning literature on youth's critical consciousness development. As with youth of color, ethnic-racial identity, or the meaning and importance placed on one's ethnic-racial group membership, likely plays a notable yet complex role in parents' critical consciousness. Specifically, parents' participation in activities that engage them in the culture of their racial-ethnic group (exploration), the importance they place on race-ethnicity (centrality), and their perceptions of how society views their group (public regard) may each be differentially associated with understanding of inequalities (critical reflection), motivation toward ending inequalities (critical motivation), and the behaviors parents engage in to address inequalities (critical action). Further, it is possible that associations may vary across racial-ethnic groups given different sociocultural histories, experiences (including immigrant experiences), and positionality within the United States. In the present study, we employ multigroup structural equation modeling among a sample of 203 Black, 193 Asian American, and 188 Latinx parents (total N = 584, Mage = 44.46, SD = 2.49, 59.6% mothers) of an adolescent child between the ages of 13 and 17 to examine associations between ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness across groups. Results indicate highly complex, group-specific relations between identity and critical consciousness: public regard was most consistently predictive of critical consciousness dimensions among Black parents. Exploration and centrality were most predictive among Asian American and Latinx parents, respectively. Implications for relations between ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness in light of different group experiences are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

We got this: Evaluating racial socialization competency among diverse ethnic-racial groups.

Historically, research on racial socialization (RS) has centered on frequency, beliefs, and content of parent-child communications, with varied applications and implications across racial and ethnic subgroups. The Racial Socialization Competency Scale (RaSCS; Anderson et al., 2020) was developed to assess three dimensions of a novel construct, RS competency (confidence, skills, stress), among Black caregivers. In this article, we investigated the psychometric properties of the RaSCS across diverse ethnic-racial groups. Participants were 778 caregivers (Mage = 44.4 years) of youth between the ages of 10 and 18 recruited from across the United States. The sample was intentionally racially and ethnically diverse, with 26.1% identifying as Black, 24.2% identifying as Latinx, 24.9% identifying as Asian American, and 24.8% identifying as White. Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the previously identified structure of the RaSCS subscales, and scores were reliable. Multigroup measurement invariance analyses supported full scalar invariance across the four racial/ethnic subgroups for the Confidence, Skills, and General RS Stress subscales and partial scalar invariance for the Call to Action RS Stress subscale. These findings suggest that the RaSCS is an appropriate tool for assessing RS competency across racial and ethnic groups and that RS competency as a universal construct is relevant across groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Measurement invariance of the LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale among LGBTQ+ youth.

The LGBT People of Color Microaggressions Scale (LGBT-PCMS) is a widely used measure of intersectional microaggression experiences among sexual and gender minority people of color. Although it is widely used-and increasingly used in adolescent and young adult samples-it is unknown whether the LGBT-PCMS demonstrates similar measurement properties across subgroups of sexual and gender minority youth of color (SGMYOC). Among 4142 SGMYOC (ages 13-17) we found evidence for either partial or full scalar invariance (item loadings and intercepts were generally equal) across sexual orientation, race-ethnicity, and gender identity groups for all three subscales. Specific patterns of invariance and noninvariance across groups, as well as implications for the use of the LGBT-PCMS and its subscales among SGMYOC are discussed.

Parental ethnic-racial socializations messages direct and indirect associations with shift-and-persist coping among minoritized American adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The current cross-sectional study examined whether parental cultural socialization, preparation for bias messages, and adolescents' ethnic-racial identity (ERI) were associated with shift-and-persist coping strategy characterized by reappraising and accepting uncontrollable stressors (e.g., discrimination, poverty) while maintaining purpose and a positive future orientation. METHOD: Participants were 367 diverse ethnically/racially minoritized (42.2% Black, 25.9% Latinx, 16.1% Asian/Asian American, 12.5% multiracial, 3.3% from other groups) adolescents (Mage = 15.85, SD = 1.17, 68.9% girls). Structural equation models examined the direct effects of parental cultural socialization and preparation for bias messages on youth's ERI and shift-and-persist, as well as the indirect effects of socialization messages on shift-and-persist. RESULTS: Preparation for bias and cultural socialization were directly related to a stronger ERI for adolescents, but only cultural socialization was directly associated with greater shift-and-persist. Stronger ERI was associated with greater shift-and-persist, and both cultural socialization and preparation for bias were indirectly associated with greater shift-and-persist. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent parental preparation for bias may be indirectly associated with minoritized adolescent's shift-and-persist coping, whereas cultural socialization impacts youth's shift-and-persisting both directly and indirectly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

It's how I was raised: How ethnic-racial socialization patterns influence antiracism actions in minoritized emerging adults.

OBJECTIVES: Research highlights the benefits of critical action on individual and community well-being; however, more needs to be understood about the ways ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) influences emerging adults' participation in antiracism actions. METHOD: The present study examined patterns of parental ERS messages received by a sample of 668 racially and ethnically minoritized emerging adult college students (Mage = 18.76, SD = 1.23; female = 81.8%), and their associations with the emerging adults' demographic characteristics and three forms of antiracism actions. RESULTS: A latent profile analysis revealed a five-profile solution and showed variability in patterns of parental cultural socialization and preparation for bias messages. Participants in profiles reflecting far higher than average frequencies of both messages (high frequency) and those who received mean preparation for bias and above-average cultural socialization (culturally focused) tended to engage most frequently across all forms of antiracism. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the importance of parental ERS messages for fostering engagement in antiracism actions among diverse college students. Results are informative for those who work with minoritized emerging adults navigating racist contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mexican-Origin Children's Trajectories of Ethnic-Racial Pride from Childhood through Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Mothers and Fathers' Trajectories.

Ethnic-racial pride (positive feelings about one's ethnic-racial group) is critical to healthy identity development across the lifespan. Research on ethnic-racial pride development among Latinx populations has focused exclusively on youth, without regard to pride development amongst parents and relations between pride within family units. Using multivariate Latent Growth Curve Modelling among 674 Mexican-origin youth and their parents (673 mothers; 437 fathers), the trajectory of youth's pride from 5th grade through emerging adulthood (14 years/12 waves of data) as well as relations with parental pride trajectories were examined. Respondents' pride generally decreased from waves 1 to 7 (~age 11-17 in youth) and increased after wave 7. Youth's and mothers' trajectories were unrelated, but complex associations emerged between youth's and fathers' trajectories. This study supports the dynamic nature of ethnic-racial pride across distinct life stages and underscores the complex interplay of youth and parental pride trajectories, emphasizing the pivotal role parents may play in co-shaping identity development alongside their children.

Family-based and external discrimination experienced by multiracial individuals: Links to internalizing symptoms and familial support.

Multiracial individuals are exposed to many forms of interpersonal racial discrimination, including general discrimination against their monoracial groups and discrimination against being multiracial. Because their families include members of different racial groups, multiracial people may also be exposed to various forms of discrimination from within the family. In the present study, we leverage recent advances in latent profile analysis to identify distinct patterns of family-based and external (i.e., from outside the family unit) discrimination experienced by multiracial college students, the differential impacts of these discrimination patterns on depressive and anxiety symptoms, and whether parental support of participants' multiracial experiences and identity impacts their exposure to different forms of discrimination. In a sample of 635 diverse multiracial college students (Mage = 21.2, SD = 5.3, range = 18-57, 74.0% female) from three U.S. universities, we identified three distinct discrimination profiles: High External and Familial Discrimination (43.2%), Average External Low Familial Discrimination (32.1%), and Low External and Familial Discrimination (24.7%). Profiles differed in depressive and anxiety symptomatology, with those in the High External and Familial Discrimination profile displaying the worst outcomes. Parental support of multiracial experiences was associated with lower levels of family-based discrimination. The complex relations between parental support, family-based discrimination, and multiracial participants' internalizing symptomology are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Ethnic-racial identity and ethnic-racial socialization competency: How minoritized parents "walk the talk".

OBJECTIVES: Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) has important implications for individual psychosocial functioning as well as familial processes. For example, parents' ERI can shape children's developmental contexts through ethnic-racial socialization (ERS). Yet, existing research has tended to focus on the content or frequency of socialization messages themselves rather than on internal factors like socialization competence. Such competence, as reflected through confidence, skills, and stress, represents critical dimensions that permeate the socialization process and can impact the delivery of messages. The present study examines whether parents' ERI (i.e., private regard, centrality, exploration) is related to perceptions of their socialization competence. METHOD: Data from 203 Black, 194 Asian American, and 188 Latinx parents (N = 585, Mage = 44.46 years, SD = 9.14, 59.70% mothers) of adolescents between the ages of 10-18 were collected via Qualtrics panels. RESULTS: Across all parents, private regard, centrality, and ethnic-racial exploration were positively associated with perceived confidence and skills in engaging in ERS. Regard was additionally associated with lower socialization stress. CONCLUSIONS: The results point to consistent benefits of ERI in helping parents navigate ERS, furthering the understanding of ERI's developmental implications through parents' comfort with and ability to "walk the talk" with their children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender differences in perceived racism threat and activism during the Black Lives Matter social justice movement for Black young adults.

A longitudinal study involving 455 Black young adults living in Canada investigated whether gender and autonomous motivation influenced the relationship between perceived racism threat and Black Lives Matter (BLM) activism, and whether BLM activism influenced life satisfaction over time. A moderated mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 58 tested the indirect effect of autonomous motivation on the relationship between perceived racism threat and BLM activism varying by gender. Multiple linear regression assessed how well BLM activism predicted life satisfaction. Black women perceived greater racism threat than Black men related to increases in BLM activism via the influence of autonomous motivation. BLM activism had a positive influence on life satisfaction over time, regardless of gender. This research suggests Black young women are playing pivotal roles in the BLM movement and helps us understand how motivation may be influencing involvement and well-being in social justice issues.

Longitudinal links between maternal cultural socialization, peer ethnic-racial discrimination, and ethnic-racial pride in Mexican American youth.

This paper used cross-lagged panel models to test the longitudinal interplay between maternal cultural socialization, peer ethnic-racial discrimination, and ethnic-racial pride across 5th to 11th grade among Mexican American youth (N = 674, Mage  = 10.86; 72% born in the United States; 50% girls; Wave 1 collected 2006-2008). Maternal cultural socialization predicted increases in subsequent youth ethnic-racial pride, and youth ethnic-racial pride prompted greater maternal cultural socialization. However, peer ethnic-racial discrimination was associated with subsequent decreases in ethnic-racial pride. The magnitude of these associations was consistent across 5th to 11th grades suggesting that maternal cultural socialization messages are necessary to maintain ethnic-racial pride across adolescence, thus families must continually support the development of ethnic-racial pride in their youth to counter the effects of discrimination.

Measurement invariance of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-15) across sexual orientation, gender identity, and race/ethnicity in a sample of sexual minority young adults.

Sexual minority (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual) people are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared to their heterosexual peers. The interpersonal theory of suicide proposes that perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness are central to the desire to die, and both are associated with suicidal ideation in sexual minority samples. The Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) was developed to measure these risk factors and has become the most commonly used measure. However, it is unknown whether the INQ demonstrates similar measurement properties across subgroups of sexual minority people. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine whether the 15-item version of the INQ exhibited measurement invariance (MI) across sexual orientation (gay/lesbian vs. bi +), gender identity (cisgender men vs. cisgender women vs. transgender/gender diverse individuals), and race/ethnicity (non-Latinx White individuals vs. people of color) in a sample of 792 sexual minority young adults (ages 18-29). A series of multigroup measurement invariance models indicated that the INQ-15 met strict invariance (i.e., equal factor loadings, item intercepts, and residual variances) across all three dimensions of identity. This indicates that it can be used and compared across diverse samples of sexual minority young adults. Results also indicated that perceived burdensomeness was greater for transgender/gender diverse individuals than for cisgender men and women, and that perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were greater for people of color than for non-Latinx White individuals. In contrast, gay/lesbian and bi + individuals did not differ. Additional research is needed to understand the factors that account for these group differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Risk taking profiles among college students: An examination of health-risk taking, anti-racism action, and college functioning.

Objective: This study expands the literature on risk taking among college students by exploring anti-racism action as a form of positive risk taking. Participants: 346 Black (64%) and Latinx (36%) college students (85% female) ages 18-27 years (M = 18.75, SD = 1.31). Methods: Participants responded to questionnaires on anti-racism action, health-risk taking, and college functioning. Latent class analysis identified behavioral profiles of risk takers. Indicators of profile membership and associations with college functioning were examined. Results: Three profiles emerged: moderate overall risk taking, high health-risk taking, and high anti-racism action. Personal experience with discrimination was associated with a greater likelihood of health-risk taking. Students in the high anti-racism profile evinced greater educational functioning than those in the high-health risk taking profile. Conclusions: Risky behavior on college campuses is not homogeneous. Specific interventions and support networks are necessary to support students falling within specific risk profiles.

Race terminology in the field of psychology: Acknowledging the growing multiracial population in the U.S.

The field of psychology is coming toward a critical juncture; scholars are increasingly recognizing that race, ethnicity, and culture play important roles in their fields of study, but do not always have the language to integrate race and culture into their own work. Furthermore, common conceptions of race may systematically exclude those from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds in favor of fixed and discrete racial categories that ultimately perpetuate white supremacy. Meanwhile, as the Multiracial population of the U.S. is growing at an unprecedented rate, psychologists need language to acknowledge this population in their studies and pursue research to advance the field's knowledge of this diverse group and its many subpopulations. In an attempt to educate psychologists across subfields and disciplines, we provide a detailed account of preferred terms related to race and ethnicity with emphasis on ways to think about and talk about Multiracial populations in the United States. While preferred terms may change across time, the aim of this article is to provide psychologists with the tools to begin nuanced and necessary discussions about how race informs their research and the populations they work with in uniform and nonstigmatizing ways. By highlighting terminology related to those of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds, we demystify and legitimize these rapidly growing but often hidden populations. Different perspectives on various terms are provided throughout to set psychologists on the path to beginning more race-conscious conversations and scientific inquiries into the experiences of Multiracial Americans and those from other marginalized racial-ethnic groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the promotive versus the protective impact of culturally informed shift-&-persist coping in the context of discrimination, anxiety, and health behaviors.

This study aims to better understand how racially/ethnically minoritized youth exhibit adaptive psychological functioning (less anxiety) and health behaviors (better sleep and less binge drinking) in the context of discrimination, ethnic-racial identity and coping. Among 364 minoritized emerging adults (Mage = 18.79, 85.2% female), we utilized higher-order factor analysis to examine how culturally informed shift-&-persist (S&P), a higher-order construct explaining associations between coping factors (shift, persist, spiritually based coping, civic engagement), and ethnic-racial identity were related to anxiety, binge drinking, and sleep in the context of discrimination. Culturally informed S&P promoted better sleep and less anxiety controlling for discrimination. No significant effects were observed for binge drinking and no moderated effects were observed across outcomes. The harmful effect of discrimination on sleep was intensified for those with stronger ethnic-racial identities. The promotive and potentially protective effects of culturally informed S&P coping differs across mental health and health behavior outcomes.

Facilitating the study of familism across racial/ethnic groups: Creation of the Short Attitudinal Familism Scale.

As the research on familism values, or cultural values relating to support, interconnectedness, and obligations has blossomed, scholars are increasingly interested in the applicability and impact of familism values across diverse racial/ethnic youth. However, existing measures of familism tend to be long, posing potential practicality issues and have not been validated for use across youth from different racial/ethnic groups. Through a series of conceptual steps and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we developed the Short Attitudinal Familism Scale, a 6-item, shortened, unidimensional version of Lugo Steidel and Contreras's (2003) 18-item Attitudinal Familism Scale. This measure was created and validated in a sample of 671 Black, Latinx American, Asian American, and Multiracial youth (Mage = 17.23, 73.6% female). Multigroup measurement invariance testing indicated that the Short Attitudinal Familism Scale was almost wholly noninvariant and may be used reliably across racial/ethnic groups. Finally, we established construct validity by demonstrating negative associations with depressive symptoms in all but Asian American youth and positive associations between familism and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) for all youth. In conducting these tests using regressions using observed mean scores and structural equation modeling (SEM) using latent variables, we demonstrated that using a mean score of this scale led to small and negligible amounts of attenuation in estimates and similar statistical conclusions compared to those derived from SEM. Our study adds to the field by introducing a practical, unidimensional measure of familism values that may be used across racial/ethnic groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Familism and psychological wellbeing among Latinx youth: The role of parental alcohol use.

Familism is a central cultural value endorsed by Latinx youth that has been identified as a promotive factor for their psychological wellbeing (Stein et al., 2014). However, in the context of familial stress, familism values may instead serve to increase risk, but this research has not been extended to consider parental alcohol use as a risk context. Using a sample of 167 Latinx youth (Mage = 12.86, SD = 0.68, 52% female) from an immigrant community in the Southeast, we tested whether parental alcohol use moderated the association between familism values and youth depressive symptoms and self-esteem. Youth familism values were associated with greater self-esteem and fewer depressive symptoms. Parental alcohol use was not associated directly with either outcome, but, consistent with hypotheses, significantly interacted with familism values to predict self-esteem such that the promotive effect of familism on youth's self-esteem was not evident when parental alcohol use was high. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Shift-&-Persist and discrimination predicting depression across the life course: An accelerated longitudinal design using MIDUSI-III.

Life course theorists posit that sensitive periods exist during life span development where risk and protective factors may be particularly predictive of psychological outcomes relative to other periods in life. While there have been between-cohort studies trying to examine differences in discrimination and depressive symptoms, these studies have not been designed to identify these sensitive periods, which are best modeled by examining intra-individual change across time. To identify sensitive periods where discrimination and shift-&-persist (S&P) - a coping strategy that may protect against the negative impact of discrimination - are most strongly predictive of depressive symptoms, we employed latent growth curve modeling using an accelerated longitudinal design to track intra-individual change in depressive symptoms from ages 20-69. Participants were 3,685 adults measured at three time points ~10 years apart from the Midlife in the United States study (Mage = 37.93, SD = 6.948 at Wave I). Results identified two sensitive periods in development where high levels of S&P interacted with discrimination to protect against depressive symptoms; during the 30s and a lagged effect where 40's S&P protected against depressive symptoms when participants were in their 50s. Implications for the life course study of discrimination, coping, and depression are discussed.

Critical civic engagement in Black college students: Interplay between discrimination, centrality, and preparation for bias.

Critical civic engagement (CCE) refers to interpersonal, community, and political actions to combat and cope with racial inequity. While discrimination and identity are well-known drivers of civic engagement, it is less well-known how parental preparation for bias socialization, which teaches Black youth how to cope with unequal social systems, works in concert with discrimination and identity to predict CCE. Furthermore, there are several ways individuals may be civically engaged, and these factors may be differentially associated with the various types of CCE. This study uses a sample of 186 Black college students (Mage = 18.72, age range = 18-29; 86% female) to examine how discrimination, ethnic-racial centrality, and preparation for bias socialization interact to differentially predict interpersonal, communal, and political CCE. Discrimination was associated with political CCE, whereas both discrimination and racial centrality were associated with greater communal CCE. A three-way interaction between discrimination, centrality, and preparation for bias socialization predicted greater interpersonal CCE. Findings highlight the importance of attending to sociocultural factors when supporting Black college student activists in public minority-serving institutions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining Multiracial Pride, Identity-based Challenges, and Discrimination: An Exploratory Investigation among Biracial Emerging Adults.

This study investigated the main and interactive effects of identity-based challenges, discrimination, and Multiracial pride on psychological distress in Biracial emerging adults. Additionally, we examined whether these associations may differ by Biracial sub-group (e.g., Black-White, Asian-White, Latinx-White, and minority-minority) given their unique racial experiences. Participants were 326 Biracial emerging adults (Mage = 19.57 years old; 75.2% female) recruited from three public universities in the United States for an online survey. For all Biracial groups, identity-based challenges were associated with greater psychological distress. After testing a series of competing multi-group regression models, results indicated that the relations between distress and our predictors: identity-based challenges, discrimination, and Multiracial pride do indeed differ across Biracial sub-group. The most apparent and unique differences were displayed by the Black-White Biracial sub-group. These findings highlight identity-based challenges as a unique risk in the Biracial population and suggest that a principled comparison between Biracial sub-groups is necessary to tease apart group-specific associations between these constructs and psychological distress.

Culturally informed shift-&-persist: A higher-order factor model and prospective associations with discrimination and depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Based on the conceptual overlap between shift-&-persist (S&P) and culturally based strategies (critical civic engagement [CCE] and spiritually based coping), this study tests whether associations between these three previously disparate strategies are attributable to the existence of a higher-order coping construct: culturally informed S&P. METHODS: Among 364 diverse minoritized youth (Mage = 18.79, 85.2% female), we tested for the existence of this higher-order factor through confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS: We found theoretical and empirical support for the existence of a higher-order factor structure and for our higher-order factor-culturally informed S&P. Culturally informed S&P promotes fewer depressive symptoms as a main effect in addition to completely protecting against the negative impact of discrimination on depressive symptoms when culturally informed S&P is high. CONCLUSIONS: The current study illustrates relations between three previously distinct coping strategies through their association with culturally informed S&P. Results highlight culturally informed S&P's promotive and protective effects in the face of ethnic-racial discrimination. Implications for subsequent study of culturally based coping are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).