Coping Methods of College Women of Color Facing Discrimination

Scholars have documented that experiencing microaggressions can have a negative impact on the psychological and physical health of women of color. Female college students of color specifically have shown to experience microaggressions in the college setting. Researchers have documented that certain coping strategies can protect against the negative effects of racism. This study sought to examine differences in experiences of microaggressions, stress, and use of task and emotion-oriented coping style in 76 Black, Asian American, and Latinx college women. Findings revealed that Black participants reported significantly lower scores on emotion-oriented coping compared to Asian American participants and Latinx participants. There were also statistically significant differences between Black, Asian American, and Latinx participants on the Foreigner, Criminality, and the Low Achieving subscale of the Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale. There were no differences in stress levels across racial/ethnic groups. Finally, emotion and task-oriented coping did not moderate the relationship between microaggressions and stress in any of the racial/ethnic groups. These results add to the literature by highlighting the differences in experienced microaggressions among Black, Asian American, and Latinx college women. The main finding of this study highlights that racial/ethnic minority groups experience and cope with microaggressions differently. Limitations and implication are addressed.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Khalid, Anum

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Nilsson, Johanna

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/97594

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/97594