Individual differences in the impact of vicarious racism: African American students react to the George Zimmerman trial.

Mason, Tyler B.; Maduro, Ralitsa S.; Derlega, Valerian J.; Hacker, Desi S.; Winstead, Barbara A.; Haywood, Jacqueline Eunice

doi:10.1037/cdp0000099

Cited by 34 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Finally, to better understand who is likely to be affected by observing racial discrimination, future work could investigate how individual differences may moderate the effects of observing racial discrimination against others. While researchers have not yet examined this question with respect to executive functioning, studies suggest that factors related to racial identity, such as group identification, can shape how racial minorities are otherwise affected by and respond to information about incidents of discrimination (Mason et al, 2017;Roberts et al, 2017). For example, Roberts et al (2017) examined Black students' reactions to race-related fatal shootings of unarmed Black people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cognitive Effects of Experiencing and Observing Subtle Racial Discrimination

Ozier

Taylor

Murphy

2019

Journal of Social Issues

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Most research on the cognitive effects of subtle racial discrimination among racial and ethnic minorities focuses on direct experiences of it wherein stigmatized individuals are the targets of discriminatory treatment. However, it is not necessary for people to be the direct target of discriminatory behavior to experience the negative consequences associated with it. Although exposure to discriminatory behavior is increasingly common given the accessibility of smartphones and social media, we know relatively little about how this exposure affects people's executive functioning. Here, we provide a systematic, comparative review of the extant literature on the effects of (a) personally experiencing versus (b) observing instances of subtle racial discrimination toward others on three core executive functions: inhibition, shifting, and updating. We highlight where more work is needed to understand the cognitive consequences of observing discrimination and we provide initial evidence that observing subtle discrimination impairs updating—a previously unexplored relationship. Finally, we discuss the implications of executive function impairment due to observing and experiencing subtle discrimination for long‐term outcomes, such as academic achievement, employment, and mental health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cognitive Effects of Experiencing and Observing Subtle Racial Discrimination

Ozier

Taylor

Murphy

2019

Journal of Social Issues

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“…Third, individuals in this sample may not have the racial identity profile that predisposes them to be more negatively affected by racismrelated stress. Greater centrality of racial identity and lower public regard have been shown to intensify the psychological correlates of direct and vicarious racism (Mason et al, 2017;Sellers & Shelton, 2003). Future studies therefore should examine socioeconomic status and racial identity to further examine the conditions under which racism-related experiences are associated with psychological maladjustment among African Americans.…”

Section: Distinct Racial Group Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Racial Microaggression, Overt Discrimination, and Distress: (In)Direct Associations With Psychological Adjustment

Lui

2020

The Counseling Psychologist

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Scholars in diverse disciplines have examined the associations between psychological adjustment and microaggression, and overt discrimination. It remains unclear whether the roles of microaggression in adjustment outcomes can be differentiated from the roles of overt discrimination and neuroticism. I examined the extent to which racial microaggression explained unique variances of negative affect, alcohol consumption, and drinking problems while controlling for overt discrimination and neuroticism among African American, Asian American, and Latinx American college students ( N = 713). Intervening roles of psychological distress linking microaggression and overt discrimination to adjustment outcomes were also tested. Among African Americans, microaggression and overt discrimination did not consistently predict psychological adjustment. Among Asian and Latinx Americans, microaggression and overt discrimination predicted negative affect via psychological distress. Microaggression also explained the variances of alcohol use outcomes among Asian Americans. Findings are discussed in the context of an acute racism reactions model and underscore the importance of considering overt discrimination and microaggression simultaneously as determinants of psychological adjustment.

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“…Race-based stress reactions can also be triggered vicariously through third-party exposure, such as hearing another person discuss their own negative experiences with law enforcement (Mason et al, 2017). Vicarious racism is secondhand exposure to racial discrimination and/or prejudice directed at another individual or group of individuals (Heard-Garris et al, 2018).…”

Section: Collective Racial (Historical and Intergenerational) Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic Stress Related to the Killing of Michael Brown and Resulting Civil Unrest in Ferguson, Missouri: Roles of Protest Engagement, Media Use, Race, and Resilience

First¹,

Danforth²,

Frisby³

et al. 2020

Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research

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A significant body of research has examined the psychological harm of exposure to collective traumas such as disasters (e.g., tornados, hurricanes, mass violence). Less well studied are the mental health effects of exposure to macro-level race-related traumas, such as instances of police violence toward African Americans and subsequent civil unrest that are widely covered by traditional and social media. Method: This study examined posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in a sample of 936 Black and white residents of the St. Louis, MO, metropolitan statistical area surveyed following the August 2014 fatal shooting of Michael Brown and subsequent civil unrest in Ferguson, MO. We used structural equation modeling to examine direct, indirect, and conditional relationships among race, protest engagement, media use, and resilience on PTS symptoms. Results: Race and protest engagement were directly associated with PTS symptoms, whereas media exposure was indirectly associated with PTS through protest engagement. Resilience had an inverse relationship with PTS symptoms. Conclusion: Our results suggest that social workers should provide mental health resources and interventions for community members experiencing macro-level race-related events and work to address racial injustices that compound trauma and increase risks for posttraumatic difficulties.

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Individual differences in the impact of vicarious racism: African American students react to the George Zimmerman trial.

Abstract: RS-Race and specific components of racial identity are likely to sensitize African Americans to incidents of racism that happen to other African Americans, leading to negative psychological reactions when these events occur. (PsycINFO Database Record

Cited by 34 publications

References 43 publications

The Cognitive Effects of Experiencing and Observing Subtle Racial Discrimination

The Cognitive Effects of Experiencing and Observing Subtle Racial Discrimination

Racial Microaggression, Overt Discrimination, and Distress: (In)Direct Associations With Psychological Adjustment

Posttraumatic Stress Related to the Killing of Michael Brown and Resulting Civil Unrest in Ferguson, Missouri: Roles of Protest Engagement, Media Use, Race, and Resilience

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