Surviving and thriving: Voices of Latina/o engineering students at a Hispanic serving institution.

This study examined factors that played a role in Latina/o undergraduate students' persistence in engineering at a Hispanic serving institution (HSI; N = 10) using the consensual qualitative research method (CQR; Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). Data analyses resulted in five domains: institutional conditions, additive intersectional burdens, personal and cultural wealth, coping skills, and engineering identity. Participants described how they persisted in the face of stressors, citing specific coping skills they developed over time as well as general personal and cultural strengths they carried with them into their pursuit of engineering. Although the structures of the students' institution were generally described as supportive, Latina participants reported experiences with gendered racism that created added barriers to their persistence in engineering. Supportive institutional conditions, personal and cultural assets, and adaptive coping strategies appeared to facilitate the development of a strong engineering identity, which helped to solidify students' sense of belonging, pride, and commitment to complete their degree. Results highlight the need to address intersecting experiences of privilege and oppression to promote access and equity for Latinas/os in engineering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Bicultural stress, coping, and psychological functioning among Mexican-descent and White college students.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates associations between bicultural stress, coping, and responses to stress (RTS) in relation to depressive symptoms and self-esteem for Mexican-descent and non-Latinx White college students. METHOD: With a sample of 268 Mexican-descent and non-Latinx White college students, two multiple-mediation path models and two moderation models are examined. RESULTS: The hypothesized mediation models were both supported indicating higher bicultural stress is associated with higher reporting of engaged and disengaged forms of coping and RTS. Engaged coping was associated with mental health resiliency while disengaged coping and RTS contributed to vulnerability. Disengaged and secondary engaged coping were mediators in the depressive symptoms and self-esteem models. In terms of moderation, disengaged coping and RTS were both moderators in the bicultural stress-depressive symptoms relationships. CONCLUSIONS: College students' reactions to bicultural stress may either promote mental health resiliency through engaged strategies or increase vulnerability through disengaged coping and involuntary RTS.

Social cognitive predictors of engineering students' academic persistence intentions, satisfaction, and engagement.

The demand for high quality engineers is of particular importance as engineering jobs are projected to grow in the next 10 years (United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). More work is needed to understand factors related to academic engagement, satisfaction, and persistence intentions of Latino/as and women in engineering: 2 underrepresented groups in the engineering pipeline. We present findings that explored the role of social-cognitive, environmental, and personality variables in engineering persistence intentions, engagement and satisfaction of a diverse sample of 1,335 engineering students using an extension of the integrative social cognitive career theory model (SCCT; Lent et al., 2013). Results indicated that (a) the hypothesized model fit the data well for the full sample and across 8 subsamples based on gender-ethnicity (i.e., Latinas, Latinos, White women, and White men) and ethnicity-school type (i.e., Latina/os at Hispanic-serving institutions [HSIs], Latina/os at predominantly White institutions [PWIs], Whites at HSIs, and Whites at PWIs), (b) all but 5 model parameters were significant and positive for the full sample, (c) a subset of model parameters differed by the interactions of race/ethnicity-gender and race/ethnicity-school type groups, and (d) the relations within the model explained a significant amount of variance in engineering academic engagement, satisfaction, and persistence intentions for the full sample and 8 subsamples. Implications of the findings for educational and career interventions aimed at retaining Latina/os and women in engineering are discussed in relation to building on social cognitions in engineering academic engagement, satisfaction, and persistence intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Effectiveness and cost of recruiting healthy volunteers for clinical research studies using an electronic patient portal: A randomized study.

INTRODUCTION: It is not clear how to effectively recruit healthy research volunteers. METHODS: We developed an electronic health record (EHR)-based algorithm to identify healthy subjects, who were randomly assigned to receive an invitation to join a research registry via the EHR's patient portal, letters, or phone calls. A follow-up survey assessed contact preferences. RESULTS: The EHR algorithm accurately identified 858 healthy subjects. Recruitment rates were low, but occurred more quickly via the EHR patient portal than letters or phone calls (2.7 vs. 19.3 or 10.4 d). Effort and costs per enrolled subject were lower for the EHR patient portal (3.0 vs. 17.3 or 13.6 h, $113 vs. $559 or $435). Most healthy subjects indicated a preference for contact via electronic methods. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy subjects can be accurately identified from EHR data, and it is faster and more cost-effective to recruit healthy research volunteers using an EHR patient portal.

Gender Matters: The Influence of Acculturation and Acculturative Stress on Latino College Student Depressive Symptomatology.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between acculturation-related variables with depressive symptomatology among Latino college students and the extent to which acculturative stress mediates the association. The extent to which gender moderates these relationships was also examined. Participants were 758 Latina and 264 Latino college students from 30 colleges and universities around the United States. Participants completed measures of acculturation, acculturative stress, and depression. Multigroup path analysis provided excellent model fit and suggested moderation by gender. Acculturative stress mediated the acculturation-depression relationship. One indirect effect was moderated by gender with effects stronger for men: Heritage-culture retention to depressive symptoms via Spanish Competency Pressures. Acculturation and acculturative stress contribute to depression differently for male and female Latino college students. Future research should note the influence of gender socialization on the acculturation process and mental health.

El propósito del estudio fue examinar la relación entre las variables relacionadas con la aculturación con sintomatología depresiva entre los estudiantes universitarios latinos y el grado en que el estrés de aculturación media la asociación. Por otra parte, el grado en que los moderados de género fue examinado estas relaciones. Los participantes fueron 758 estudiantes latinas y 264 universitarios latinos de 30 colegios y universidades en todo Estados Unidos. Los participantes completaron medidas de aculturación, el estrés de aculturación, y la depresión. Análisis camino Multigroup siempre excelente ajuste del modelo y sugirieron moderación por género. Aculturativo estrés mediada la relación aculturación - depresión. Un efecto indirecto fue moderado por el género con efectos más fuertes para los hombres: La retención de Patrimonio - cultura a los síntomas depresivos a través de presiones de competencia españolas. La aculturación y el estrés de aculturacién contribuyen a la depresién de manera diferente para los estudiantes universitarios latinos masculinos y femeninos. Las investigaciones futuras deben observar la influencia de la socializatión de género en el proceso de aculturación y la salud mental.

The cultural lens approach to evaluating cultural validity of psychological theory.

In this article, we introduce the cultural lens approach (CLA), a novel approach to evaluating the extent to which a psychological theory applies across cultural groups. The CLA requires scholars to apply their accumulated knowledge about cultural influences and differences (e.g., independent and interdependent self-construals; Markus & Kitayama, 1991) to the ways in which theoretical propositions are interpreted and operationalized. First we highlight three limitations in existing approaches to cultural validity and the ways in which the CLA addresses these limitations. Next, we articulate the five steps involved in the CLA and apply it to three different theories from social, vocational, and positive psychology to demonstrate its broad utility. In all cases, we highlight how applying the CLA can generate multiple novel testable hypotheses to stimulate future research and to advance knowledge that is culturally sensitive.

Academic satisfaction among Latino/a and White men and women engineering students.

The current study tests a model of academic satisfaction in engineering based on Lent, Brown, and Hackett's (1994, 2000) social cognitive career theory among a sample of 527 engineering majors attending a Hispanic serving institution. The findings indicated that (a) an alternative bidirectional model fit the data for the full sample; (b) all of the hypothesized relations were significant for the full sample, except the path from engineering interests to goals; (c) social cognitive career theory predictors accounted for a significant amount of variance in engineering goals (26.6%) and academic satisfaction (45.1%); and (d) the model parameters did not vary across men and women or across Latino/a and White engineering undergraduate students. Implications for research and practice are discussed in relation to persistence in engineering among women and Latinos/as.

Life satisfaction and health related quality of life among low-income medical patients: the mediating influence of self-esteem.

This study investigated the relationship between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and perceived health for an ethnically diverse, low SES sample of primary care patients. Results indicated that several specific domains of health-related quality of life (HRQL), including health perception, social functioning, mental health, and energy/fatigue, significantly predicted life satisfaction in this sample of 60 patients. Self-esteem mediated this relationship, partially with health perception and fully with the remaining three domains. The results of this study underscore the importance of healthcare interventions that consider the bidirectional relationship between physical and emotional well-being.

Social cognitive predictors of Mexican American college students' academic and life satisfaction.

In this study, we used Lent's (2004) social cognitive model of well being to examine the academic and life satisfaction of 457 Mexican American college students attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Using structural equation modeling, results indicated that the model provided a good fit to the data. Specifically, we found positive relations from positive affect to enculturation, acculturation, college self-efficacy, academic satisfaction, and life satisfaction; from enculturation to college self-efficacy; from acculturation to college self-efficacy and college outcome expectations; from college self-efficacy to college outcome expectations, academic goal progress, academic satisfaction, and life satisfaction; from college outcome expectations to academic satisfaction; from academic goal progress to academic and life satisfaction; and from academic satisfaction to life satisfaction. Findings indicated the model was invariant across gender groups, and overall, 38% and 14% of the variance in academic satisfaction and life satisfaction, respectively, were explained by the predictor variables. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Development, reliability, and validity of the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (MOSIEC).

Four studies were conducted on the development and validation of the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (MoSIEC). Exploratory factor analysis of an initial item pool yielded a 22-item measure with 4 distinct factors assessing commitment, exploration, sexual orientation identity uncertainty, and synthesis/integration. Exploratory factor analysis findings support the argument that sexual identity is a broad, multidimensional construct and that the MoSIEC assesses the construct of sexual identity in a manner consistent with J. E. Marcia's (1966) model of identity development. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated the stability of the MoSIEC factor structure, providing evidence of construct validity. Test-retest stability, internal consistency, and validity coefficients supported the use and continued development of the MoSIEC. Significant differences in levels of exploration and sexual orientation identity uncertainty were found among different sexual orientation identity groups, establishing the criterion-related validity of the MoSIEC. Implications for further development and use of the MoSIEC are discussed.