The present study was designed to examine shifting, the phenomenon of altering or modifying one’s self-presentation in different social contexts, as a mediator of the predictive effects of African American women’s acculturation on their perceived race-related stress. To explore this issue, measures of African American acculturation, shifting, and race-related stress were examined within a structural model. The current study quantitatively examined the relationships of these variables among a sample of 366 African American women. Results of a structural equation model indicated full mediation; greater levels of immersion in African American acculturation resulted in greater levels of shifting, which, in turn, generated increased levels of race-related stress. These data extend previous work and expand the literature regarding African American women’s shifting. Implications for clinical work and future research with African American women are also discussed.
The present research developed and validated an instrument to measure shifting or self-altering presentation strategies among Asian American women. A 12-item instrument was developed to measure components of shifting phenomena based in part on literature review, focus group feedback, and an assessment from cultural experts. The initial validation study, using principal axis factor analysis with a promax rotation, was conducted with a national sample of 474 Asian American women. A second independent national sample of 247 Asian American women provided data for a confirmatory factor analysis. Results indicated that the new instrument was composed of the following three factors: White Beauty Conformity, Bicultural Shift, and Asian Language/Culture Avoidance. The evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was provided. Implications for the future research are discussed.
Public Significance StatementIn this study, we developed and validated a new instrument, the Asian American Women's Shifting Scale (AsAWSS) that purports to measure shifting or self-altering strategies used by some Asian American women in response to perceived cultural cues. Studying shifting may provide greater understanding of some of the coping mechanisms used by this population.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.