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Scholarly Works (3 results)

  • Thesis
  • Peer Reviewed
UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations (2009)

The goals of the studies reported in this dissertation were to expand on the measurement of Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) and to test BII theory in an ethnically diverse sample of bicultural individuals from different generational groups. BII is an individual difference construct that captures variations in the structure and experience of biculturalism (Benet-Martínez & Haritatos, 2005). In 3 studies, I examined BII using qualitative methods (Study 1) and wrote new BII items based on these qualitative data, examined the quality of the new measure (Bicultural Identity Integration Scale--Version 2 or BIIS-2) using subject-matter experts (Study 2a) and college students (Study 2b), and then collected validation data from bicultural college students (N = 1049) at a large, public university on the West Coast (Study 3). Results showed that the BIIS-2 yields reliable (.81 < α < .86) and stable (n = 240; M = 6.93 days, SD = 0.90 days; Time 1 and Time 2 correlations: .74 < r < .78) scores. I used exploratory factor analyses to select items and establish the factor structure of the BIIS-2 with a random subset of the large sample (n = 600), confirmatory factor analyses to show that the factor structure fit the data well (n = 449), and multi-group confirmatory factor analyses to show measurement invariance in two ethnic groups and two generational groups. The data also revealed interesting and important patterns of correlates. Specifically, there were significant and meaningful correlations with personality traits, acculturative stress, and psychological well-being. In addition, path analyses confirmed that in general, personality and acculturation variables influence individuals' perceptions about their dual identities (BII), which in turn influences adjustment, but there were interesting and important generational differences on how these variables are related. These findings lend support for the construct validity of BII, add to our understanding of the social, personality, and adjustment correlates of the bicultural experience, and have important implications for the well-being of bicultural individuals.

    Cover page: Variations in Biculturalism: Measurement, Validity, Mental and Physical Health Correlates, and Group Differences
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC Davis Previously Published Works (2016)

    Objectives

    Past research has established that the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) exhibits measurement invariance across diverse ethnic groups. However, relatively little research has evaluated whether this measure is invariant across generational status. Thus, the present study evaluates the invariance of the MEIM across foreign-born, second-generation, and later-generation respondents.

    Method

    A large, ethnically diverse sample of college students completed the MEIM as part of an online survey (N = 9,107; 72.8% women; mean age = 20.31 years; SD = 3.38).

    Results

    There is evidence of configural and metric invariance, but there is little evidence of scalar invariance across generational status groups.

    Conclusions

    This study suggests that the MEIM has an equivalent factor structure across generation groups, indicating it is appropriate to compare the magnitude of associations between the MEIM and other variables across foreign-born, second-generation, and later-generation individuals. However, the lack of scalar invariance suggests that mean-level differences across generational status should be interpreted with caution. (PsycINFO Database Record
      Cover page: Evaluating the Invariance of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure Across Foreign-Born, Second-Generation and Later-Generation College Students in the United States
      • Article
      • Peer Reviewed
      UC Davis Previously Published Works (2016)

      Objective

      We examined whether two key emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, moderated the relations between discrimination (i.e., foreigner objectification and general denigration) and adjustment.

      Methods

      Participants were U.S. Latino/a and Asian-heritage college students (N = 1,279, 67% female, 72% U.S. born) from the Multi-Site University Study of Identity and Culture (MUSIC). Students completed online self-report surveys in 2009.

      Results

      Multi-group path analysis demonstrated that a fully constrained model fit well for both Latino/a and Asian-heritage student data. The results showed that with increasing levels of denigration (but not foreigner objectification), the combination of lower cognitive reappraisal and higher expressive suppression was related to greater depressive symptoms, anxiety, and aggression.

      Conclusions

      Our findings highlight the importance of examining multiple emotion regulation strategies simultaneously-considering what strategies are available to individuals and in what combination they are used-to understand how best to deal with negative emotions resulting from experiencing discrimination.
        Cover page: Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression: Links to racial‐ethnic discrimination and adjustment among Latino/a and Asian‐heritage college students
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