Date of Award
Summer 2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Program
Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Torres, Lucas
Second Advisor
De St. Aubin, Ed
Third Advisor
Oswald, Debra
Abstract
The present study sought to elucidate the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components associated with the experience of racial/ethnic microaggressions among Latina/os, and the mental health outcomes of this form of discrimination. The study examined data from 175 Mexican and Mexican-American Latina/o adults recruited from a large Latina/o ethnic festival in a moderately-sized Midwestern city. Methodology of the present study incorporated innovative materials, including a quantitative measure of racial/ethnic microaggressions and a vignette to elicit an experience of a racial/ethnic microaggression. Results showed that past six-month experiences with racial/ethnic microaggressions are predictive of psychological distress. Overall, one's greater affective stress response to a microaggression experience resulted in increased probability of the participant having clinically-significant psychological distress, while use of social coping was protective against psychological distress. Differences were determined for sociodemographic variables, including gender and nativity status. The present study provides better understanding of the psychological components associated with racial/ethnic microaggressions, and offers insight for theory, future research, and clinical practice with Latina/os.