Meeting the expectations of your heritage culture: Links between attachment orientations, intragroup marginalization and psychological adjustment

A Multidimensional Developmental Approach to Understanding Intragroup Marginalization and Mental Health Among Adolescents and Emerging Adults of Mexican Descent

The present study investigates whether different forms of intragroup marginalization (IM) are associated with depressive symptoms, suicide risk, life satisfaction, and self-esteem for Mexican descent adolescents and emerging adults.Furthermore, we will investigate whether these associations vary by developmental period. The sample included 722 Mexican descent adolescents and emerging adults (age range = 14-25 years, M = 19.69 years, SD = 1.75 years; 65.9% women). Higher IM-Family was related to higher depressive symptoms, suicide risk, and lower life satisfaction and self-esteem. Higher IM-Friends was related to higher depressive symptoms and suicide risk, and lower life satisfaction and self-esteem. Developmental period moderated the relationship between IM-Friends on depressive symptoms, suicide risk, and self-esteem. In addition, it moderated the relationship between IM-Ethnic Group on suicide risk.The results of this study demonstrate that the various IM dimensions are differentially associated with mental health outcomes for Latinx adolescents and emerging adults. Furthermore, these associations sometimes vary depending on the developmental period membership.

Psychometric evaluation of an abbreviated version of the intragroup marginalization inventory

Tobacco and marijuana use among U.S. young adults is a top public health concern, and racial/ethnic minorities may be at particular risk. Past research examining cultural variables has focused on the individual in relation to the mainstream U.S. culture; however, an individual can also experience within-group stress, or intragroup marginalization. We used the 2014 San Francisco Bay Area Young Adult Health Survey to validate an abbreviated measure of intragroup marginalization and identify associations between intragroup marginalization and tobacco and marijuana use among ethnic minority young adults (N = 1,058). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify factors within the abbreviated scale, and logistic regressions were conducted to examine relationships between intragroup marginalization and tobacco and marijuana use. Two factors emerged from the abbreviated scale. The first factor encompassed items related to belonging and membership, capturing whether individuals experienced marginalization due to not fitting in because of physical appearance or behavior. The second factor encompassed whether individuals shared similar hopes and dreams to their friends and family members. Factor 1 (membership) was associated with increased odds of marijuana use (OR = 1.34, p < .05) and lower odds of using cigars (OR = 0.79, p < .05), controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results suggest that young adults may use marijuana as a means to build connection and belonging to cope with feeling marginalized. Health education programs focused on ethnic minority young adults are needed to help them effectively cope with intragroup marginalization without resorting to marijuana use.

The protective and detrimental effects of self-construal on perceived rejection from heritage culture members

Individuals may perceive themselves as interdependent and similar with close others, or as independent and distinct. Do these differences in self-construal influence perceptions of rejection from those closest to us? Few studies have investigated the antecedents of intragroup marginalization - the perception of rejection from family and friends due to not conforming to the prescribed values and expectations of one's heritage culture. Furthermore, the implications of perceived intragroup marginalization for psychological adjustment and an integrated bicultural identity are unclear. To gage the effects of self-construals on perceived intragroup marginalization and psychological adjustment (i.e., subjective well-being and flourishing) and an integrated bicultural identity, we increased the cognitive accessibility of independent and interdependent self-construals through a priming manipulation. Participants were recruited via Amazon MTurk and completed the measures online. Our results showed that priming an interdependent self-construal decreased perceived intragroup marginalization from family and, in turn, poor psychological adjustment and bicultural identity conflict. Conversely, participants primed with an independent self-construal reported increased perceptions of intragroup marginalization from their family and, in turn, decreased psychological adjustment and increased identity conflict. These findings support the benefits of an interdependent self and the disadvantages of an independent self for minimizing perceived exclusion from heritage culture members.