Showing papers in "Journal of Black Psychology in 2011"
TL;DR: This paper used a strength-based approach to determine whether racial socialization messages preserved African Americans' resilience when experiencing racial discrimination and found that racial discrimination was negatively associated with resilience for students reporting a greater number of these messages.
Abstract: Research has indicated that racial discrimination places African Americans at risk for psychological distress, in which they experience low levels of well-being. Yet many African Americans are resilient, or have preserved well-being, when faced with this adversity. Using a strength-based approach, this study determined whether racial socialization messages preserved African Americans’ resilience when experiencing racial discrimination. Results with a sample of 290 young adult African American college students indicated that overall racial socialization messages, as well as specific messages to appreciate cultural legacy, moderated the relationship between racial discrimination and resilience. As expected, racial discrimination was negatively related to resilience for students who reported fewer racial socialization messages, and racial discrimination was no longer negatively associated with resilience for students reporting a greater number of these messages. Additionally, racial socialization messages pr...
166 citations
TL;DR: The following argument calls for the radical reconceptualization of the concept of resiliency and resilience for street life-oriented Black men: as discussed by the authors argues that the notion of resilience can be used to describe the resilience of street life oriented Black men.
Abstract: The following argument calls for the radical reconceptualization of the concept of resiliency and resilience for street life–oriented Black men. This theoretical analysis critiques assumptions embe...
65 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a study examined psychological resources (ego resilience and dispositional optimism) and the experience of racial stress as a function of geographical location (north vs. south).
Abstract: A total of 52 African American senior citizens (aged 59-99 years) were asked to participate in a study examining psychological resources (ego resilience and dispositional optimism) and the experience of racial stress as a function of geographical location (north vs. south). This is an understudied population, and African American seniors who remain relatively active within their respected communities may provide useful information regarding these psychological constructs in particular and successful aging in general. Participants completed the ego resilience, optimism, stress, and distress surveys. When collapsed across geographical location, resilience was negatively correlated with distress and positively correlated with optimism. Dispositional optimism was negatively correlated with levels of psychological distress. African American seniors who resided in the north reported significantly less distress than those in the south. Findings support resiliency and optimism as stress buffers for older African ...
51 citations
TL;DR: Results indicated that between pre- and postintervention, BAM participants displayed significant reductions in self-reported hostility and 24-hour systolic ABP, and participants receiving LS showed a significant reduction in hostility but not in 24-hours ABP.
Abstract: This study examined the impact of breathing awareness meditation (BAM), life skills (LS) training, and health education (HE) interventions on self-reported hostility and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in 121 African American (AA) ninth graders at increased risk for development of essential hypertension. They were randomly assigned to BAM, LS, or HE and engaged in intervention sessions during health class for 3 months. Before, after, and 3 months following intervention cessation, self-reported hostility and 24-hour ABP were measured. Results indicated that between pre- and postintervention, BAM participants displayed significant reductions in self-reported hostility and 24-hour systolic ABP. Reductions in hostility were significantly related to reductions in 24-hour systolic ABP. Between postintervention and follow-up, participants receiving LS showed a significant reduction in hostility but not in 24-hour ABP. Significant changes were not found for the HE group in 24-hour ABP or self-reported hostility, but these change scores were significantly correlated. The implications of the findings are discussed with regard to behavioral stress reduction programs for the physical and emotional health of AAs.
50 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that people use a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies to cope with difficulties and problems, and culture influences the strategies that are chosen. Unfortunately, little is known about the factors that influence these strategies.
Abstract: When faced with difficulties and problems, people use a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies to cope, and culture influences the strategies that are chosen. Unfortunately, little is known...
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tested the moderating effect of culture-specific coping strategies to understand the relationship between race and gender-based discrimination and psychological symptoms for African American women.
Abstract: The present study tested the moderating effect of culture-specific coping strategies to understand the relationships between race- and gender-based discrimination and psychological symptoms for African American women. Previous literature suggests that African American women experience adverse psychological outcomes related to race and gender discrimination. Therefore, it was hypothesized that coping strategies would influence the severity of discrimination-related psychological consequences, such that frequent use of coping efforts would be related to less severe psychological symptoms. Moderated structural equation modeling was used to test the study hypothesis. Results revealed that race and gender discrimination were associated with increased psychological symptoms. No moderating effect of coping strategies was found. Implications for future research are discussed.
46 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present strategies for recruiting and retaining Black students and professionals in psychology, using the grounded theory constant comparative analysis (CCTA) approach, and analyze data collected from 44 black students and 3 Black faculty.
Abstract: To circumvent the disproportionately low number of persons of African descent in psychology, this study offers strategies for recruiting and retaining Black students and professionals. Data for this study were collected from 44 Black students and 3 Black faculty. Participants responded to questions that inquired about their perspectives regarding (a) effective recruitment and retention strategies, (b) being the vast minority in school/work settings, and (c) counselor race-ethnicity. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory constant comparative analysis approach. This study contributes to all psychology fields in at least two ways: first in its presentation of innovative strategies that have the potential to enhance racial-ethnic diversity in psychology and second in its presentation of insights that may improve the mental and behavioral health services provided to diverse people. While the need for greater diversity is highlighted for the school psychology subfield, it is noted that psychology in gene...
36 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assessed the effect of kin social support on the association of poverty-related stress with smoking and drinking in African American women and found that women with higher levels of kin support were less likely to smoke compared with women with low support.
Abstract: Associations of urban poverty-related stress with smoking and drinking to cope and the moderating role of kin social support were assessed in African American women. Findings revealed that among a sample of 101 poor African American women residing in economically and socially disadvantaged neighborhoods, depressive symptoms and relationship stress were significantly associated with smoking. Similarly, perceptions of neighborhood crime were marginally associated with alcohol use. Kinship support was hypothesized to buffer women from the deleterious impacts of stress. The results revealed that kin social support moderated the association of poverty-related stress with smoking and drinking. For women with higher levels of kin support, the positive association of neighborhood crime and drinking was less apparent compared with women with low support. Also, the links between relationship stress, depressive symptoms, and smoking were less apparent for women with higher kin support compared with those with lower support. Findings are discussed in terms of the need for additional research on the social networks available to economically disadvantaged African American families and the manner in which networks operate.
32 citations
TL;DR: Investigation of protective and risk factors of suicide in a sample of African Americans and a similar sample of Caucasians found results were partially consistent with the hypothesis that African Americans would have higher levels of both protective factors and risk Factors relative to the Caucasians.
Abstract: African Americans have evidenced lower rates of suicide relative to the general population despite being exposed to higher levels of risk factors. This paradox has been proposed to be a result of protective factors such as religiosity and higher levels of familial involvement. The purpose of this study is to further investigate protective and risk factors of suicide in a sample of African Americans and a similar sample of Caucasians. Suicide risk and protective factors were examined in relation to the constructs of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (burdensomeness, belongingness, and acquired capability), hope theory (hope, goals, pathways, and agency), and religiosity. It was hypothesized that African Americans would have higher levels of both protective factors and risk factors relative to the Caucasians. Results were partially consistent with this hypothesis.
32 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the parentification of eight Black American college females and its impact on their college experiences, using focus groups and interviews with eight college females in two 90-minute focus groups.
Abstract: This qualitative study examined the parentification of eight Black American college females and its impact on their college experiences. Two 90-minute focus groups were conducted in order to gain i...
26 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored whether human and social capital act as buffers of the associations between such stressors and maternal depression and found that social support protected against depressive symptoms associated with witnessed violence but seemingly exacerbated depression associated with victimization.
Abstract: Young minority mothers are particularly vulnerable to depression associated with community-level or contextual stressors such as violence exposure and ethnic discrimination. This study explores whether human and social capital act as buffers of the associations between such stressors and maternal depression. Among a sample of 230 urban, African American mothers, who were teenagers when their preschool-age children were born, both being a victim of violence and experiencing ethnic discrimination predicted increased depressive symptoms, and higher educational attainment predicted fewer symptoms. Ethnic identity moderated the association between witnessed violence and maternal depression, and community cohesion moderated the association between ethnic discrimination and depression. Social support protected against depressive symptoms associated with witnessed violence but seemingly exacerbated depression associated with victimization. The specific roles that forms of human and social capital play in moderating the effects of contextual stressors suggest the need for nuanced programmatic efforts to reduce maternal depression among young African American mothers living in violence-prone, urban neighborhoods.
TL;DR: The authors found that kinship support, optimism, and self-esteem were positively associated with mothers' emotional support of their adolescents, and evidence of moderation was found, in that mothers had higher levels of selfesteem.
Abstract: Moderating effects of psychological adjustment on the relationship of kinship support with parenting practices were assessed among 204 low-income African American mothers of adolescents. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that kinship support, optimism, and self-esteem were positively associated with mothers’ emotional support of their adolescents. Moderating effects of mothers’ adjustment revealed that the positive association of kinship support with emotional support was less apparent when mothers were more depressed. Additional evidence of moderation was found, in that the positive association of kinship support with emotional support was more apparent when mothers had higher levels of self-esteem. Kinship support and optimism were positively associated with mothers’ maintenance of organization in the family. Evidence of the moderating effects of mothers’ adjustment revealed that the positive association of kinship support with family organization was more evident when mothers had higher levels ...
TL;DR: This paper found that the extent to which health behaviors were viewed as relatively more descriptive of Blacks (rather than Whites) was associated with higher perceived importance and greater frequency of engagement, particularly among those reporting higher levels of nationalist racial identification.
Abstract: Culturally sensitive health interventions have proven to be vitally important for the elimination of the health disparities that Black Americans face. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the role and importance of health behavior racial typicality and racial identification in how Black Americans view and engage in health behaviors. Black Americans completed racial identity measures and rated a variety of both health-promoting and health-compromising behaviors on whether they were more typical of Blacks or Whites (i.e., racial typicality), personal importance, and frequency of engagement. Results indicated the extent to which health behaviors were viewed as relatively more descriptive of Blacks (rather than Whites) was associated with higher perceived importance and greater frequency of engagement, particularly among those reporting higher levels of nationalist racial identification. Finally, health behavior importance mediated the relationship between racial typicality of the behavior and engageme...
TL;DR: No gender differences emerged in elementary school achievement and no gender-specific disengagement patterns were confirmed among at-risk African American students.
Abstract: The disidentification hypothesis predicts that African American boys achieve less in school than African American girls do because boys have less personal investment in doing well academically (i.e...
TL;DR: This paper explored whether specific variables representing an Afrocultural social ethos (i.e., spirituality, positive affect, and communalism) indirectly influenced the relation between optimism and perceived stress among individuals coping with SCD.
Abstract: Given its prevalence among African diasporic populations, sickle-cell disease (SCD) is an individual and global public health issue that is especially relevant to health psychologists. Despite evidence that sociocultural variables generally exert a significant influence on health outcomes, very little is known about the social and cultural contexts of adjustment to SCD. The present study explored whether specific variables representing an Afrocultural social ethos (i.e., spirituality, positive affect, and communalism) indirectly influenced the relation between optimism and perceived stress among individuals coping with SCD. Eighty-three African American adults attending an outpatient clinic completed a demographic profile and a brief survey assessing optimism, pain, stress, and the aforementioned Afrocultural domains. Multiple mediation analyses controlling for age and pain severity indicated that the relation between optimism and stress was unaffected by an Afrocultural ethos. The implications of these f...
TL;DR: In this article, advocates for the well-being of African American children have long called for a moratorium on the use of intelligence testing for the placement of children in special education, arguing that it is harmful to children.
Abstract: Collectively, advocates for the well-being of African American children have long called for a moratorium on the use of intelligence testing for the placement of children in special education. With...
TL;DR: A two-stage culturally sensitive diagnostic procedure allows for the assessment of cultural factors in paranoid symptom expression among African Americans as discussed by the authors, and the first stage eliminates clinician bias in diagnosis.
Abstract: A two-stage culturally sensitive diagnostic procedure allows for the assessment of cultural factors in paranoid symptom expression among African Americans. The first stage eliminates clinician bias...
TL;DR: In this article, an intergroup forgiveness instrument developed to assess forgiveness between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland was adapted to assess racial forgiveness, and the Internalization Multiculturalist Inclusive identity scale predicted both future and never forgiving.
Abstract: Forgiving a group of individuals for past transgressions instead of a single individual has only recently garnered research attention. The present study was designed to determine the association between Black racial identity attitudes and the forgiveness of Whites. An intergroup forgiveness instrument developed to assess forgiveness between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland was adapted to assess racial forgiveness. Results were generally consistent with our predictions. The Internalization Multiculturalist Inclusive identity scale predicted both Future and Never Forgiving. However, the Immersion-Emersion Anti-White and Internalization Afrocentric scale predicted Never Forgiving but not Future Forgiving. Dispositional forgiveness and personality features were found to be associated with intergroup forgiveness. Research in racial intergroup forgiveness may have implications for areas such as race relations and public policy.
TL;DR: A qualitative analysis of the autobiographical narratives and contributions of 34 psychologists who have received the Association of Black Psychologists' (ABPsi) Distinguished... as discussed by the authors is presented in this paper.
Abstract: The present study is a qualitative analysis of the autobiographical narratives and contributions of 34 psychologists who have received the Association of Black Psychologists’ (ABPsi) Distinguished ...
TL;DR: Those engaging in information-seeking and information-processing decisional styles demonstrated more pro-attitudes toward mammography, greater intention to obtain a mammogram, and actual increase in mammography utilization.
Abstract: While mammography rates are increasing, timely repetition of mammography remains underutilized, particularly for low-income African American women. This study examined the decision-making process used by women during a culturally sensitive attitude change intervention designed to increase adherence to mammography guidelines. The sample included 318 low-income, urban African American women. A Solomon Four design was used to test the intervention in three public health clinics. Participants were followed for 12 months. Women used four different decisional styles (information seeking, 22%; information processing, 22%; advice following, 47%; and ruminating, 8%). Those engaging in information-seeking and information-processing decisional styles demonstrated more pro-attitudes toward mammography, greater intention to obtain a mammogram, and actual increase in mammography utilization. Furthermore, the link between intention and action was significant for those in the information-seeking decisional style but not ...
TL;DR: Applying qualitative methods, various themes on addressing racism emerged, including the following: enhancing self-esteem, increasing cultural pride and knowledge, and enhancing conduct.
Abstract: Racism has been conducive to ostensible health disparities, with African Americans being gravely affected. The lack of cultural responsiveness within the health care system is one reason among others for the persistence of such discrepancies. Family is an integral factor in the culture and history of the African American community, making the inclusion of this variable in health care a potentially ancillary response to culture. The present study endeavored to ascertain the views of African American parents/guardians and health care professionals on how a family health program could address racism and the subsequent ill effects. Applying qualitative methods, various themes on addressing racism emerged, including the following: (1) enhancing self-esteem, increasing cultural pride and knowledge, and enhancing conduct; (2) increasing intraracial community cohesion; and (3) bolstering inter-racial community connection.