Scholarly interest in racial socialization is growing, but researchers' understanding of how and when racial socialization relates to subjective well-being is underdeveloped, particularly for multiracial populations. The present study investigated the possibility that the relationship of racial socialization to subjective well-being is mediated by racial identification and that this mediation depends on physical racial ambiguity. Specifically, the proposed study used a moderated mediation model to examine whether the indirect relation of egalitarian socialization to subjective well-being through racial identification is conditional on physical racial ambiguity among 313 multiracial individuals. Results suggested egalitarian socialization was positively correlated with subjective well-being. The results provided no support for the moderated mediation hypothesis. The present study examined the complex interaction between racial socialization, racial identification, physical racial ambiguity, and subjective well-being among multiracial individuals. Despite receiving no support for the moderated mediation hypothesis, this research helped to further explicate a distinct pathway through which egalitarian socialization impacts well-being through racial identification for multiracial individuals independent of physical racial ambiguity.

The prevalence of chronic illness among children in the United States is on the rise (CDC, 2014). Having a child with a chronic illness can be a substantial source of stress for a couple, including physical, emotional, and financial demands of caregiving as well as difficult decision-making regarding the child’s health (Mayo Clinic, 2015). Coping with such stressors can have a negative effect on the couple’s well-being, and, if not managed within the relationship, can lead to increased negative outcomes for both partners. Partners can, however, learn to cope with stress by engaging in the coping process together with dyadic coping (DC). Couples can engage in positive (i.e., supportive emotion-focused, supportive problem-focused, and delegated) or negative forms of DC. DC has been shown to mitigate stress for couples, while increasing reports of individual well-being (IWB) and relational well-being (RWB), but it has not been examined in the context of couples with a child with a chronic illness.

To bridge this gap, the present study examined how couples cope with general stress as well as stress associated with their child’s diagnosis of a chronic illness (CI-related stress) and whether positive DC and negative DC moderate association between stress (general stress and CI-related stress) and well-being (IWB and RWB). Consistent with hypotheses, there were significant main effects of both types of stress (general and CI-related stress) on both types of well-being (IWB and RWB). Contrary to the hypotheses that DC (positive DC and negative DC) would moderate the associations between both types of stress and both types of well-being, only one significant interaction was found between CI-related stress and negative DC on IWB. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Employing ethnographic content analysis of 110 top Hip-Hop songs of 2004-2014 from Billboard and BET awards, this study investigated the most popular value themes of 4th generation Hip-Hop music and compared the messages of female and male rap artists. The 12 most frequently referenced messages included: 1) Celebration of Personal Success (77%), 2) Urban Consciousness, Identity, and Pride (68.8%), 3) Sexual Prowess/Seductive Power (62.1%), 4) Recreational Drug Use (54.9%), 5) Ready and Willing to Become Violent (48.8%), 6) Sexual Objectification (48.2%), 7) Reappropriation of Stigma Labels (36.4%), 8) Drive and Ambition (28.5%), 9) Self-Objectification (28.5%), 10) Struggle and Resilience (20%), 11) Providing Resources in Exchange for Sex (15.1%), and 12) Providing Sex in Exchange for Resources (10.3%). Male and female rap artists expressed similar messages. However, female rap artists were more likely to reappropriate stigma labels, promote self-objectifying lyrics, and depict themselves as providing sex in exchange for resources in their lyrics than were male rap artists. Male rap artists were more likely to sexually objectify others in their lyrics and depict themselves as providing resources in exchange for sex than were their female counterparts. Implications for counseling and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This qualitative study investigated the postpartum experiences of mothers who used hypnosis to birth. This research project was based on a constructivist version of Grounded Theory. Qualitative inquiry and analysis were conducted on 15 semi-structured interviews; two pilot interviews were also conducted. Phone and in-person interviews were completed with Caucasian, Hispanic, and multiracial mothers who were between one month and 15 months postpartum. The following 12 major themes emerged: bonded with child, development of self-efficacy, breastfeeding success, family criticism, online support, impact on family, practice effect, amazement to misevaluation, induction overwhelm, holistic benefits, minimal post partum depression, and birth stories. Mothers of two or more children appreciated birth more, reported an increased sense of calm and closeness within their nuclear and extended family, believed that the benefits of hypnosis for birthing assisted in the areas of bonding with their newborn, self-efficacy, breastfeeding and overall postpartum success. First-time mothers appreciated the physical aspect of recovery after delivery. They emphasized the birth narrative despite cultural differences in sharing their stories. Although they attributed much success to the use of hypnosis for birthing, they tended to make more indirect attributions to the bond with their child, self-efficacy, breastfeeding, and overall postpartum success. Mothers who required a c-section, epidural, or induction during birth experienced feelings of guilt and viewed hypnosis as an isolated tool for birth and a tool to reduce guilt and stress postpartum. Mothers who birthed naturally used hypnosis postpartum in more ways. Hispanic mothers expressed greater difficulty with balancing their roles as a career woman and mother. They had different expectations around the participation of their partner during birth preparation and postpartum. Breastfeeding was most important to this group and reflected communal values. Hypnosis for birthing was described as being helpful for mothers who had a psychological history with depression, anxiety, or trauma. Participants reported overall effectiveness of hypnosis for birthing methods despite mixed reactions from birthing professionals, family, and friends. The importance of these findings for counseling psychology is discussed.

What is the effect of decision-making-style (maximizer versus satisficer) and an interdependent-versus-independent self-construal on the subjective happiness of Native Americans? One hundred seventy-nine Native American adult community members were administered the Maximization Inventory, the Self-Construal Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. Correlations between variables in addition to multiple regression analyses were conducted with predictors of decision making style, self-construal, gender, annual income, traditionalism, and Native language ability with subjective happiness as the dependent variable. These variables explained a significant amount of the variance of subjective happiness for this sample of Native Americans. The most variance was explained by satisficing. Maximizing was associated with unhappiness. Individuals with greater satisficing tendencies also tended to be more interdependent. Higher income was positively associated with happiness and negatively associated with maximizing. Interdependence did not have an effect on happiness. However, independence increased happiness while having no effect on maximizing. No gender differences were found for maximizing. Traditionalism and Native language ability were not associated with satisficing nor interdependence. Limitations, implications for counseling, and future directions are explored.

ABSTRACT



While the cross-cultural literature on body dissatisfaction among Mexican and Mexican-American women has continued to grow, the traditional Latino female gender role of marianismo, sociocultural factors related to ethnic culture and mainstream/American culture ideal perceived discrepancies in body size, and one’s romantic relationship have not been explored with this population in relationship to body satisfaction. The current study included 227 female participants predominantly from a large southwestern university in the United States and a large university in northern Mexico. The study examined differences in marianismo and body satisfaction between 120 Mexican and 107 Mexican-American women, investigated the role of marianismo as a mediator between weight-related teasing and body satisfaction, and explored the relationship between marianismo, Partner Ideal Discrepancy, Ethnic Culture Ideal Discrepancy, Mainstream/American Culture Ideal Discrepancy, Perceived Weight-Related Criticism/Teasing, Relationship Support, Relationship Depth, and Relationship Conflict to overall body satisfaction. Results indicated Mexican-American women endorsed less overall body satisfaction than did their Mexican counterparts suggesting that Mexican American women may be more influenced by societal messages about thinness and beauty than are Mexican women. The findings also revealed a possible trend for marianismo as a mediator between weight-related criticism and body satisfaction. Marianismo and weight-related teasing were found to have a negative relationship with body satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses revealed that Partner Ideal and Mainstream/American Culture Ideal discrepancies accounted for significant variance in body satisfaction. Relationship Conflict accounted for a smaller but still significant amount of the variance in body satisfaction. Ethnic Culture Discrepancy, Relationship Support, and Relationship Depth were not significant predictors. These findings from this study suggest that both cultural variables and romantic relationship variables are related to the body image of Mexican American and Mexican women. These findings have important implications for the adaptation of current etiological models explaining body satisfaction among Mexican and Mexican-American women as well as highlighting the need to consider the role of both cultural and relationship variables in designing clinical interventions for Mexican American and Mexican women coping with body image concerns.

ABSTRACT



Psychological assessments contain important diagnostic information and are central to therapeutic service delivery. Therapists' personal biases, invalid cognitive schemas, and emotional reactions can be expressed in the language of the assessments they compose, causing clients to be cast in an unfavorable light. Logically, the opinions of subsequent therapists may then be influenced by reading these assessments, resulting in negative attitudes toward clients, inaccurate diagnoses, adverse experiences for clients, and poor therapeutic outcomes. However, little current research exists that addresses this issue. This study analyzed the degree to which strength-based, deficit-based, and neutral language used in psychological assessments influenced the opinions of counselor trainees (N= 116). It was hypothesized that participants assigned to each type of assessment would describe the client using adjectives that closely conformed to the language used in the assessment they received. The hypothesis was confirmed (p = .000), indicating significant mean differences between all three groups. Limitations and implications of the study were identified and suggestions for further research were discussed.

The purpose of this study was to create a brief strength of religious
onreligious

worldview scale that has language inclusive for nontheistic populations. An exploratory

factor analysis was conducted using 207 participants from a major public southwestern

university and a public midwestern university in the United States. It was determined

that the Strength of Worldview Scale (SOWS) is a single-factor measure, which also

demonstrated high test-retest reliability. It was hypothesized that scores on the SOWS

would be negatively correlated with the Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Scale (DASS),

positively correlated with the Purpose in Life Subscale, and not correlated with the

Extraversion Subscale of the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Only a modest statistically

significant correlation between the SOWS and Purpose in life was found. A regression

analysis was also conducted with theistic/atheistic belief as a predictor of scores on the

SOWS. A curvilinear relationship was found, indicating that strong theists and atheists

score more highly in the SOWS than those who are unsure of their beliefs on the

existence of a God, Gods, or Higher Power. Preliminary results suggest that the SOWS

may be a promising measure for assessing strength of belief in both theist and nontheist

populations.

Romantic relationships are often viewed as an important, meaningful part of a person's life. Most romantic relationships do not last forever. Research regarding romantic relationship satisfaction and quality have thus grown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals who train for endurance events such as running, cycling, or triathlons with their romantic partner have greater relationship satisfaction and quality than do individuals who do not train with their romantic partner. Participants, 54 males and 60 females whose mean age was 33.4, completed a demographic questionnaire, the Quality of Relationships Inventory (QRI), the Perceived Relationship Quality Component (PRQC), the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS), and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS). Of these 114 participants, 52 trained with their romantic partner. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that individuals who trained with their romantic partner reported higher relationship satisfaction and quality compared to those that did not train for an endurance event with their romantic partner. There were no statistically significant differences in relationship satisfaction or relationship quality between men and women or between married individuals and dating individuals. These findings suggest that couples may benefit from engaging in shared activities.

The current study investigates the relationship between school connectedness and academic achievement and whether this relationship is moderated by ethnic identity. Participants included 436 Mexican-origin youth attending a middle school in a southwestern U.S. state. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze whether school connectedness is predictive of academic achievement, measured as standardized test scores, and whether ethnic identity moderates the association in this sample of Mexican-origin youth. Findings revealed that after controlling for age, lunch status, generational status, and gender, school connectedness was a positive predictor of standardized test scores in reading and math. Results also indicated that ethnic private regard moderated the association between school connectedness and standardized test scores in reading. These findings underscore the importance of possessing a positive ethnic identity for Mexican-origin youth in predicting academic outcomes.