Although several studies have characterized common and unique neural circuitry associated with social and non-social emotions, none to date have attempted to differentiate between social emotions that occur in very different contexts. Grieving the death of a loved one and being a target of perceived discrimination may implicate potentially distinct social processes (e.g., attachment versus affiliation). When examined separately, prior neuroimaging research has shown that both grief and perceived discrimination involved diffuse brain regions implicated variously in social stress processing and emotion, however no studies to date have directly compared these experiences. In the present study, we examined neural correlates of grief and perceived discrimination among South Asian women (n = 10), using an idiographic emotional imagery task. Grief-related imagery elicited activation in the precuneus, midbrain, dorsal striatum, and thalamocingulate regions, consistent with previous neuroimaging studies of grief and attachment. Participants showed greater activation in the anterior cingulate, hippocampus, occipital cortex, and cerebellum during Grief relative to Discrimination. We observed dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) activation in Discrimination>Neutral, which may reflect greater self-regulatory effort involved in coping with discrimination experiences. Greater temporal pole and amygdala activation in the Discrimination condition were associated with greater lifetime perceived discrimination, poorer self-reported physical health, and more depressive symptoms. Results of this pilot study suggest that there are observable differences in the brain response to these two types of social stressors, suggesting future directions for a more fine-grained view of the mechanisms through which the social environment may influence health and well-being.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The number of women working in STEM areas of academia declines as rank progresses—a phenomenon termed the “leaky pipeline” (Burke, 2007). The leaky pipeline is due in part to discrimination. Women in STEM report high perceived discrimination, which is associated with negative career outcomes (Settles, Cortina, Stewart, & Malley, 2007; Pascoe & Richman, 2009). No research to date has examined whether mentoring might buffer the negative effects of perceived discrimination for female professors working in STEM areas of academia. This study examines whether mentoring relationships moderate the relationships between perceived discrimination and career outcomes including job satisfaction and work engagement for women in STEM. 118 women faculty in STEM completed an online survey of perceived discrimination, job satisfaction, and engagement. Although results revealed main effects of perceived discrimination and mentoring, mentoring did not moderate the relationship between perceived discrimination and outcomes. Exploratory analyses provide future research directions to understand the leaky pipeline.

Thesis advisor: David L. Blustein / Recent immigration into the United States is characterized by an increase in the influx of people from Latin America, Asia and Africa (Larsen, 2004). The increased diversity of the immigrant population calls for greater attention to the needs of this population, particularly as immigrants and their children are entering the education system. A growing body of literature documents the experience of immigrant youth in schools and the implications of school engagement, and academic achievement for their future success (e.g., Suárez-Orozco, Suárez-Orozco & Todorova 2008). Vocational and ethnic identity represent different aspects of the implementation of the individual's self concept which are relevant to students' academic engagement and success (Kenny, Blustein, Haase, Jackson & Perry, 2006; Suárez-Orozco, et. al., 2008). Previous research has examined separately the contribution of perceptions of discrimination and vocational variables to the school engagement experiences of immigrant students and students of color respectively; however, the collective contribution of these variables has not been studied. The present study brings together these two bodies of literature to understand the relationship between school engagement, perceptions of discrimination, vocational and ethnic identity variables in a sample of 125 Cape Verdean immigrant students. The participants were first through second generation high school students with at least three years of residence in the US. Specific ethnic/ acculturation profiles (ethnic, national, bicultural, and diffuse) developed by previous researchers were confirmed in this sample. Differences were found in perceptions of discrimination between those students in the bicultural and diffuse profiles. The results of a regression analysis indicate that perceived discrimination moderates the relationship between vocational variables (career planfulness and vocational identity) and school engagement. The third set of hypotheses, examining vocational variables as mediators of the relationship between perceptions of discrimination and school engagement were not supported. The findings highlight the importance of including considerations of ethnicity, acculturation and perceptions of discrimination as one considers the academic and vocational functioning of immigrant students. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

abstract: A theme in the life experiences of ethnic minority adolescents is the perception of discrimination and its concomitant challenges. Although existing literature has examined the perception of discrimination in adolescents, little research has examined how the cultural and familial setting may heighten or alleviate the impact of perceived discrimination on psychological outcomes in Latino youth. The current study investigated how traditional cultural values and parent-adolescent relationships prospectively interact with perceptions of group based discrimination to influence Latino adolescent mental health, adjustment, and risky behaviors. Data used from the Parents and Youth Study included 194 Mexican American (MA) adolescents. Adolescents reported on their perceptions of group discrimination, endorsement of traditional Mexican cultural values, and parent-child relationships in the 7th grade (Time 1). The study also used indices of externalizing (mother report), internalizing, substance use and risky sexual behavior (adolescent report) in 10th grade (Time 2). The findings demonstrated that traditional Mexican cultural values, particularly familism, moderated the relationship between perceived group discrimination and adolescent sexual behavior. Additionally, a better overall relationship with mother and father buffered the detrimental effects of perceived group discrimination on risky sexual behavior. The current work discusses future directions of how the context of culture and family may shape an adolescent's response to perceived discrimination and the well-being of minorities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Psychology 2011

Perceived social discrimination, a salient chronic psychosocial stressor, has an adverse effect on physical and mental health. Cumulative stress compromises adaptive physiologic processes and triggers changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis functioning. The hippocampus is critical for episodic memory and mediates the HPA stress response. Animal models have demonstrated increased vulnerability of the hippocampus to stress-induced morphological alterations and dysfunction. Previous research has shown that greater psychosocial stress is related to poorer episodic memory performance in older adults. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) studies strongly support the role of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) in episodic memory. Furthermore, psychosocial stress has been associated with white matter (WM) microstructural abnormalities in the UF. Although the effect of chronic psychosocial stress is well established, the effects of social discrimination on WM integrity and episodic memory are not well understood. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that greater perceived social discrimination in older adults is associated with poorer episodic memory performance and structural abnormalities of the UF tract. Twenty-eight participants (63.8 – 73 years, 57.1% female, 42.9% African American) reported experiences of discrimination (EoD) and perceived stress (PSS) and were assessed for episodic memory. High angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) scans were analyzed with probabilistic tractography to examine associations of UF diffusion metrics with EoD scores and episodic memory performance. Spearman’s rank correlation determined a significant positive association between EoD and PSS scores (rs(28) = 0.45, p = 0.017), suggesting perceived discrimination is a chronic stressor and may be a social determinant of health. However, contrary to our expectations, neither EoD nor PSS were significantly related to episodic memory performance and UF diffusion metrics. Future longitudinal research to examine associations between perceived discrimination, episodic memory and WM microstructure in a large cohort is warranted.

No description available.

Decisions made during the transitional age of 18-30, may influence the health and well being of individuals for many years to come. Perhaps more than any earlier life stages, emerging adults have the potential to explore new opportunities, develop their own autonomy, and play a more conscious role in shaping their own development, while overcoming difficulties that may have contributed to their vulnerability in an earlier period of life or the present. To date, few studies have focused on the positive or health promoting, psychosocial factors that contribute to future orientation, particularly among emerging adults. Guided by the Theory of Possible Selves and Social Capital Theory, this quantitative study explored the contribution of perceived discrimination, hope, and social connectedness to future orientation, using a web-based survey. The present study found that perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and social connectedness were significantly and hope was marginally related to the future orientation of 151 emerging adults who were current or former members of the AmeriCorps program in the state of New Mexico. The findings remained significant after controlling for race/ethnicity. Social connectedness served as a resource factor in its association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and the outcome of future orientation. Social connectedness also served a protective function, thereby moderating the association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and future orientation. Findings suggest that further examination of the potential buffering effects that may offset the negative effects of a risk, such as perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, is warranted. Attention should be given to other potential moderating and/or mediating effects in the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and future orientation in subsequent studies. Given the uniqueness of the sample in this study, future researchers should continue to examine populations participating in programs such as AmeriCorps. Results from the current study may have important implications for the value of programs that aim to build civic engagement, social connectedness, and leadership among its members and the communities that are served. / text

Facial feminization surgery (FFS) is a set of procedures performed with the goal of creating a facial appearance that is considered phenotypically female. These procedures are usually sought by cisgender women but have become increasingly popular among male to female (MTF) transgender individuals. FFS has been shown to decrease appearance anxiety and increase quality of life. Sexual minorities, including transgender individuals, are subject to a unique set of stressors termed minority stress, which involves the interplay of perceived and outright discrimination. This type of stress has been shown to lead to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. The workplace is no exception to this type of discrimination, and workplace discrimination has specifically been associated with adverse physical health outcomes. However, there have been few studies to date evaluating workplace discrimination and transgender identity. This study aims to expand on that knowledge, and determine the potential role for FFS as an intervention to reduce perceived bias.

The aim of the current thesis was to investigate the relationship between Alevis and Sunnis through the lenses of Social Identity Theory, Social Dominance Theory, and Contact Hypothesis to understand whether they see the current situation stable and legitimate, and perceive discrimination. It was expected that Alevis and Sunnis will differ in ingroup identifications, social dominance orientations, quantity, and quality of intergroup contact, perception of legitimacy and stability, and perceived discrimination against their ingroup. Moreover, the relationship between the dimensions of religious group identification, social dominance orientation, social contact and legitimacy, stability, and perceived discrimination is expected to differ between groups. The sample was consisted of 157 Sunni and 172 Alevi participants living in Amasya, Turkey. Participants completed a questionnaire package including the measures of religious identification, social dominance orientation, social contact, legitimacy, stability, and perceived discrimination. Results revealed that there were significant differences between Alevis and Sunnis in public religious identity, alienated religious identity, opposition to equality, contact quality, perceived legitimacy of the group status, and perception of discrimination directed against ingroup and outgroup. Moreover, religious group identification and social dominance orientation significantly predicted the perception of legitimacy and stability in both Alevi and Sunni groups. Examination of the associations among the major variables revealed that the relationship between perceived discrimination and ingroup identification was slightly stronger for Alevi group compared to Sunni group. The power of group based dominance was stronger than opposition to equality in predicting the perception of discrimination, especially for the Sunni group. Finally, intergroup contact, especially the quality of contact, had a positive effect on intergroup relations. Considering that this thesis is the first attempt to empirically examine the fundamental social psychological processes underlying the Alevi issue in Turkey, findings were discussed on basis of sociological and political aspects as well as previous work in Western cultures.

Psychologists have begun to examine factors that influence the achievement gap between African American and White students. This is a pressing issue especially for African American students (Steele, 1997; Shelton & Sellers, 2000; Cokley, 2001). To better understand the effects of race and gender on perceived discrimination and academic disengagement, 81 African American students at the University of Texas at Austin were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. Participants either listed ten instances of discrimination they have experienced, five academic successes and five academic failures, or made no lists. The impact of these manipulations on responses to the Disengagement Scale (Major & Schmader, 1998) and the Everyday Discrimination Scale (Williams, Yu, Jackson, & Anderson, 1997) were assessed. Results suggest that gender plays an important role in African American students’ academic function. More specifically, African American males perceive more discrimination in academia than African American females, which is related to higher levels of disengagement. Researchers suggest this difference is related to African American males’ socialization to see discrimination as an insurmountable barrier rather than a navigable obstacle. / text