Measuring Microaggression and Organizational Climate Factors in Military Units

Brown, Ulysses J.

doi:10.1037/e564892012-001

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

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“…Scholars have addressed gender microaggressions in a variety of contexts, such as undergraduate education (Gartner, 2021), medical school (Struble et al, 2022), and the workplace (Basford et al, 2014). With the notable exception of a technical report (Brown, 2011), gender microaggressions have not yet been addressed in the military. Sue and Spanierman (2020) defined microaggressions as "verbal and nonverbal interpersonal exchanges in which a perpetrator causes harm to a target, whether intended or unintended … [They] communicate hostile, derogatory, and/or negative slights to the target" (p. 8).…”

Section: Gender Microaggressions: a Form Of Covert Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Microaggressions That Target Women in the U.S. Military: Examining Links with Depression and the Moderating Role of Rank and Coping

Kim,

Dimberg,

Spanierman

et al. 2023

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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In this study, we examined active-duty women's experiences with gender microaggressions in the U.S. military and their associations with depressive symptoms. We also tested if rank and coping strategies would moderate the link between gender microaggressions and depressive symptoms. Participants comprised 682 self-identified women from the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy. Results from an online survey indicated that active-duty women's experiences with gender microaggressions were positively and significantly associated with their scores on a measure of depressive symptoms. Military rank moderated this association but coping strategies did not. Specifically, among those in lower military ranks (i.e., enlisted service members) we found a stronger association between gender microaggressions and depressive symptoms, whereas higher rank (i.e., officers) served as a buffer. Our results suggest that clinicians should be aware of the potential effects of gender microaggressions on active-duty women's mental health, especially among enlisted women. Commanding officers and military policymakers should consider potential implications of gender microaggressions on unit cohesion, unit performance, and mission effectiveness.

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