David Rollock

Coping with Communicentric Bias in Knowledge Production in the Social Sciences

The authors examine several problems posed for emperical and theoretical research by the achievement of hegemony by one culture or system of thought over others. The issue is addressed from the special perspective of social scientists of African American descent who practice in a European /American dominant society. Several highly respected tenets of science, such as objectivity, positivism, and logical consistency, are questioned as to their universal utility when the life experiences, mores, and values of subjects studied are quite diverse. We suggest adapting the design and management of the conduct of inquiry to better accommodate cultural, class, ethnic, and gender diversity under conditions of subpopulation variance and cultural hegemony

Acculturation and depression among Hispanics: the moderating effect of intercultural competence.

In the present study the authors examined the relative contributions of typical acculturation indicators, general coping, and intercultural competence in predicting depression among 96 Hispanic adults. The results indicated that intercultural competence served to moderate the relationship between acculturation and depression. The combination of high acculturation and high intercultural competence was associated with fewer symptoms. General coping accounted for significant amounts of variance in predicting depression, over and above traditional acculturation variables alone, suggesting that an active problem-solving style was associated with a healthier outcome. The findings are discussed within the context of integrating competence-based variables into psychological conceptualizations of cultural adaptation and the importance of group-specific abilities as potential buffers against negative mental health consequences.

Physiological response to a minimal social encounter : Effects of gender, ethnicity, and social context

This study examined physiological response to an encounter with and touch by an unfamiliar person. Fifty-five African American (23 male, 30 female) and 51 European American (23 male, 28 female) undergraduates participated. A Black or White interactor entered the room, introduced himself or herself, checked equipment for 30 s, and then took a pulse for 30 s. Entry of the interactor resulted in increased corrugator and zygomaticus facial muscle activity (EMG), increased skin conductance (SC), and heart rate (HR) acceleration. Corrugator EMG was greater among Black subjects; White subjects responded with more zygomatic EMG and SC and greater HR acceleration. Women showed a more positive facial expression than did men. Being touched reduced EMG and HR but resulted in increased SC. White and Black males showed more HR acceleration when encountering a Black male interactor.

A test of Spielberger's state-trait theory of anger with adolescents: five hypotheses.

Spielbergers state-trait theory of anger was investigated in adolescents (n = 201, ages 10-18, 53% African American, 47% European American, 48% female) using Deffenbachers five hypotheses formulated to test the theory in adults. Self-reported experience, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) responses to anger provoking imagery scripts found strong support for the application of this theory to adolescents. Compared with the low trait anger (LTA) group, adolescents with high trait anger (HTA) produced increased HR, SBP, and DBP, and greater self-report of anger to anger imagery (intensity hypothesis) but not greater self-report or cardiovascular reactivity to fear or joy imagery (discrimination hypothesis). The HTA group also reported greater frequency and duration of anger episodes and had longer recovery of SBP response to anger (elicitation hypothesis). The HTA group was more likely to report negative health, social, and academic outcomes (consequence hypothesis). Adolescents with high hostility reported more maladaptive coping with anger, with higher anger-in and anger-out than adolescents with low hostility (negative expression hypothesis). The data on all five hypotheses supported the notion that trait anger is firmly entrenched by the period of adolescence, with few developmental differences noted from the adult literature.

Field Dependence/Independence and Learning Condition: An Exploratory Study of Style Vs Ability

Recent reviews have concluded that field-independent individuals typically show learning equal or superior to that of field-dependent individuals. However, many studies supporting these conclusions have not capitalized fully on the stylistic strengths of field-dependent learners. Among 35 field-independent and 42 field-dependent undergraduates, when grade-point average was controlled, no significant differences were found in scores on an examination following an audiotaped lecture. However, field-dependent learners significantly outperformed their field-independent peers on follow-up quizzes when material was presented interactively, using examples that required social sensitivity for full appreciation. These results are discussed as supporting the importance of further study of the stylistic aspects of field dependence/independence and the narrowness of conceptualizations of individual differences when teaching.

Ethnic Social Comfort I: Construct Validity Through Social Distance Measurement

Emotion-related constructs hold understudied promise for understanding interand intraethnic attitudes and behaviors of African Americans. This article describes preliminary steps taken to explore the construct of interethnic social comfort through the revision and expansion of an existing measure of interethnic social distance, and to explore its psychometric properties among several subsamples of a group of 238 African American undergraduates. Items from the Revised Social Scales were found free from traditional social desirability. Factor analyses suggested a single-factor latent structure for in-group (i.e., Black) social comfort and a two-factor latent structure for out-group (i.e., White) social comfort, which distinguished intimate from nonintimate relationships. Subscales based on these analyses showed high internal consistency reliability and convergent and discriminant validity by patterns of correlations with measures of ethnic identity, related attitudes, self-relevant beliefs, and demographic background. Gender and other demographic differences, limitations, and next steps for establishing validity are discussed.

A black student support group on a predominantly white university campus: Issues for counselors and therapists

Abstract Contextual and ethnocultural influences on group ‘therapeutic factors’ as well as issues for counselors, are illustrated by describing a support group for Black students on a White campus.

Tiger Mother: Popular and Psychological Scientific Perspectives on Asian Culture and Parenting

B attle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua is a memoir of a mother’s selfdescribed parenting efforts and experiences to ensure the “success” of her two daughters—defined primarily by their musical talents and academic accomplishments. Since its release in the United States (and at least 20 more versions internationally), the book has attracted a great deal of attention and generated excited discussions in the popular media because of the author’s invocation of culture as the basis of her approach to raising her children. Specifically, much of the controversy generated among the lay public—and behavioral scientists—has concerned strict adherence to what author Chua describes as traditional Chinese values and parenting practices (including minimal leisure or nonacademic socializing, sanctions for any grades less than excellent, and classical music lessons) and the accurate representation of traditional Asian cultural values and behaviors. Surprisingly, what has been missing from these discourses has been social science: Many investigators have moved well beyond anecdotes to uncover relevant evidence in areas of child development, family studies, and cross-cultural and ethnic minority psychology. Setting aside the controversial account of the author’s personal experiences as a tiger mother and the popular desires to uncover the “secrets” of Asian Americans’ success, the impact of the book necessitates a scholarly examination of relevant data behind the Asian model minority myth, and their relationship to the activation of stereotypes and to the transmission of cultural values in a dynamic multicultural society. Such a critical view suggests very different implications than Chua seems to have implied for parents, mental health professionals, and social scientists.

Effects of Perceived Discrimination on Depressive Symptoms Among Black Men Residing in the United States: A Meta-Analysis:

Research reports that perceived discrimination is positively associated with depressive symptoms. The literature is limited when examining this relationship among Black men. This meta-analysis systematically examines the current literature and investigates the relationship of perceived discrimination on depressive symptoms among Black men residing in the United States. Using a random-effects model, study findings indicate a positive association between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms among Black men (r = .29). Several potential moderators were also examined in this study; however, there were no significant moderation effects detected. Recommendations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Going beyond ethnoracial discrimination and social support in accounting for psychological adjustment: Evidence for the importance of hope as a positive psychological construct in multiethnoracial adults

ABSTRACT In the present study, we examined the role of ethnoracial discrimination, social support (viz., family & friends), and hope (viz., agency & pathways) in accounting for negative psychological adjustment (viz., worry & depressive symptoms) and positive psychological adjustment (viz., vitality & life satisfaction) in a sample of 203 (164 females & 39 males) multiethnoracial adults. Results of conducting a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that beyond ethnoracial discrimination and social support, the inclusion of hope was found to augment the prediction model of psychological adjustment. Within the hope set, agency was found to be uniquely associated with adjustment. Pathways was found to be uniquely associated with positive indices of psychological adjustment. The present findings are the first to highlight the significance of hope in multiethnoracial adults. Some implications of the present findings for understanding psychological adjustment in multiethnoracial adults are discussed.