Status-based rejection sensitivity among asian americans: implications for psychological distress.
We examined whether anxious expectations of discrimination among Asian Americans can help explain this group's elevated levels of internalizing symptomatology, such as lower self-esteem (Twenge & Crocker, 2002) and higher depressive symptoms (Okazaki, 1997, 2002) relative to European Americans. Study 1 reports on the development and validation of a scale measuring status-based rejection sensitivity among Asian Americans (RS-A). In Study 2, scores on the RS-A were related to spontaneous discrimination attributions specifically in situations where discrimination is both applicable and possible for Asian Americans. Study 3 revealed that shame mediated the relationship between RS-A and internalizing symptomatology. Implications for well-being and intergroup interactions are discussed.
Chan
Wayne
W
University of California, Berkeley, USA. wychan@berkeley.edu
Mendoza-Denton
Rodolfo
R
D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011287:Prejudice; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012752:Shame; D012928:Social Desirability; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult