Date of Award
Spring 2016
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Program
Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Torres, Lucas
Second Advisor
Heck, Nicholas
Third Advisor
de St. Aubin, Ed.
Abstract
Minimal research has examined within-group discrimination even though it may be more distressing than out-group discrimination (Lee & Ahn, 2012). Within-group discrimination has primarily focused on Latinos discriminating each other for being too acculturated (i.e., intragroup marginalization; Castillo et al., 2007). Qualitative research suggests that Latinos also report discrimination from one another for being too enculturated (Cordova & Cervantes, 2010), coined intragroup stereotyping for the current study. Yet, intragroup stereotyping has received no research attention. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the role of within-group discrimination in predicting mental health symptoms while accounting for out-group discrimination. Secondary goals include investigating how cultural factors, namely acculturation and nativity status, influence the relationship between within-group discrimination and symptoms of mental health. A community sample of Latinos (N = 170) were recruited to complete multiple self-report surveys. Within-group discrimination predicted depression and anxiety symptoms above and beyond that of out-group discrimination alone in a series of hierarchical regressions. Though, Latino and Anglo cultural orientations and nativity status did not serve as moderators for various forms of within-group discrimination and psychological distress. Evidence was found for intragroup stereotyping, a potential subtype of within-group discrimination that may better define within-group discrimination for foreign-born Latinos. This study aimed to elucidate an understudied cultural stressor that Latinos in the U.S. experience.