The minority stress theory proposes that higher rates of mental illness among individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual result from various factors that one may experience as a function of their minority status (Meyer, 1995, 2003). Such factors include internalized homophobia, concealment of one’s sexual identity, and the experiences of discrimination and rejection, whether real or perceived. This study investigated the relationship between minority stress and working memory. Based on the well documented research finding of the higher prevalence of mental illness among individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, relative to their heterosexual counterparts (S. D. Cochran, Sullivan, & Mays, 2003; Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Mays & Cochran, 2001), it was hypothesized that higher levels of minority stress would predict higher levels of psychological distress. In addition, models of chronic stress have predicted that individuals who are under constant stress conditions are more likely to have working memory deficits (Egeland et al., 2005; Schmader & Johns, 2003). Thus, it was hypothesized that the relationship between minority stress and working memory would be mediated by psychological distress. Identity valence is the evaluation of one’s identity and could be either positive or negative (Ashmore, Deaux, & McLaughlin-Volpe, 2004; Meyer, 2003). It was hypothesized that identity valence would further mediate the relationship between minority stress and working memory. Participants included 309 adults who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB), recruited via community-based and snowball sampling techniques (Meyer & Colten, 1999; Meyer & Wilson, 2009). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine direct and indirect effects of the relationship between minority stress and working memory. Results indicated that higher levels of working memory predict higher levels of psychological distress. Further, the relationship between minority stress and working memory was mediated through psychological distress and rumination. Finally, identity valence did not have the protective factor that was hypothesized and demonstrated in previous literature (Kertzner, Meyer, Frost, & Stirratt, 2009; Meyer, 2003). Rather, higher levels of identity valence predicted higher levels of psychological distress. Implications, strengths, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. / School Psychology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/1551 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Jones, Paul Christopher |
| Contributors | Pendergast, Laura L., Fiorello, Catherine A., Laurence, Janice H., Estrada, Armando X. |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 150 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/1533, Theses and Dissertations |
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