The Blacky Pictures as Personality Measures for Undergraduate Areas of Specialization

Thematic Apperception Test (Murray, 1943) responses of 69 Asian American (hereafter, Asian) and 83 White students were coded for defenses according to the Defense Mechanism Manual (Cramer, 1991b) and studied for differential validity in predicting paper-and-pencil measures of relevant constructs. Three tests for differential validity were used: (a) differences between validity coefficients, (b) interactions between predictor and ethnicity in criterion prediction, and (c) differences between groups in mean prediction errors using a common regression equation. Modest differential validity was found. It was surprising that the DMM scales were slightly stronger predictors of their criteria among Asians than among Whites and when a common predictor was used, desirable criteria were overpredicted for Asians, whereas undesirable ones were overpredicted for Whites. The results were not affected by acculturation level or English vocabulary among the Asians.     

Separation-individuation in late adolescence: an investigation of gender and ethnic differences

Gender and ethnic differences in separation-individuation were assessed in a sample of 125 male and 175 female undergraduates (M age = 19.56, SD = 1.29) self-identified as White, African American, Hispanic, or Asian. Measures used included a demographic questionnaire and the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA; J. B. Levine, C. J. Green, & T. Millon, 1986; J. B. Levine & S. Saintogne, 1993). Except for results showing a greater tendency among the men to shun dependent ties and a superior capacity for forming close peer attachments among the women, separation-individuation development tended to be indistinguishable between the genders. Additional findings suggest that (a) Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans are more concerned with engulfment fears and needs for nurturance than Whites are; (b) Asians are more apt to shun dependent ties than Whites are; and (c) compared with Whites, African Americans anticipate rejection more and are less adept at forming close attachments with teachers.     

Ethnic characteristics of mental disorders in five U.S. communities

The study examined the ethnic ratio of 16 DSM-III mental disorders among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. A total of 18,126 residents from 5 sites and 2,939 residents from the Epidemiological Catchment Area's Los Angeles site were studied separately. Logistic regression analysis was performed. Results showed that Blacks were significantly less likely than Whites to have major depressive episode, major depression, dysthymia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug and alcohol abuse or dependence, antisocial personality, and anorexia nervosa, but they were significantly more likely than Whites to have phobia and somatization. Lifetime prevalence rates of schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic, and drug abuse or dependence were significantly lower among Hispanics than among Whites. Asians also had significantly lower rates than Whites of schizophreniform, manic episode, bipolar disorder, panic, somatization, drug and alcohol abuse or dependence, and antisocial personality. Compared with the overall findings, ethnic differences at the Los Angeles site were lessened between Blacks and Whites, enhanced between Hispanics and Whites, and basically unchanged between Asians and Whites.     

Asymmetrical effects of contact between minority groups: Asian and Black students in a small college

Recent meta-analyses of intergroup contact research revealed that majority members' attitudes toward minorities are improved to a greater degree by contact compared to those of minority members (Tropp & Pettigrew, 2005). While previous research focused on contact between majority and minority groups, this study explored effects of intergroup contact between two minority groups that differ in status: Black and Asian college students. Because of different stereotypes and social status, the college experiences of the two groups were expected to differ in the extent to which they felt their group was respected by others (public regard). A survey conducted with 104 Black and Asian American students in a small, Midwestern liberal arts college demonstrated that the two groups differed in public regard, which led to differences in attitudes toward the majority Whites, contact with Whites, experiences of discrimination, and trust in college authorities. Further, while contact with Black students was positively associated with more favorable attitudes toward Blacks for Asians (higher status minority), contact with Asian students was not related to attitudes toward Asians for Blacks (lower status minority). The role of public regard and attitudes toward the majority as potential moderators of the relationship between contact with Asians and Blacks' attitudes toward Asians were explored. Implications for multicultural solidarity between targeted groups were discussed.     

Doing better but feeling worse: an attributional account of achievement—self-esteem disparities in Asian American students

Asian American students often report lower self-esteem than their peers from other racial groups even though they are doing better academically. The current study attempted to explore this paradox from an attributional perspective. Academic achievement, self-esteem and attributions for academic failures (i.e., low ability and low effort) were examined in an ethnically diverse sample of 3546 White, Black, Latino, and Asian American 8th grade students (M_age?=?14.03 years) from California. Results showed that Asians had the highest grade point average but the lowest self-esteem among the four major racial/ethnic groups. Asians and Latinos also endorsed more low ability attributions than Whites and Blacks. The self-esteem gap between Asians and their White and Black peers was partly explained by more endorsement of low ability attributions. Implications for future research and interventions were discussed.     

Effects of acculturation on the MMPI-2 scores of Asian American students

The use of the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstron, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) with minorities has been questioned due to potential misinterpretations related to cultural differences. This study examined acculturative differences among Asian American college students and their scores on the validity and clinical scales. A sample of Asian American students (n = 90) was assigned to groups based on acculturation level. Analysis of variance tests indicated that low-acculturated, bicultural, and high-acculturated Asian Americans yielded different profiles. Compared to a matched White student sample, low-acculturated Asian Americans scored significantly higher on 9 scales, and bicultural Asian Americans had 6 significantly different scores. These differences were clinically interpretable with a range from 6.46 to 21.65 T-score points. High-acculturated Asian Americans did not differ from Whites. Cultural variables to be considered when interpreting Asian American profiles are discussed.     

Predicting with the MMPI the adjustment of juvenile delinquents to institutionalization: does gender make a difference?

Relationships between Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales and criteria were evaluated to determine if the MMPI is gender biased when considering a juvenile delinquent population. The MMPI was administered to 549 juvenile delinquents: 105 Black men, 37 Black women, 331 White men, and 76 White women. In addition, behavioral and rating measures were collected; they served as adjustment criteria. Except for the criterion assessing neurotic symptomatology, equations that regressed criteria on MMPI scales neither underpredicted nor overpredicted for a gender. The MMPI tended to underpredict ratings of neurotic symptomatology for women. Significant differences in correlation coefficients for Black men and women occurred for the behavioral, nonrating criteria. Scale 4 was the best predictor for Black men, whereas Scales, 8, F, 1, and 2 tended to be the best predictors for Black women. Some possible explanations for these results are offered.     

An Examination of Five Indexes of Test Battery Performance: Analysis of the ECAT Battery

This investigation evaluated potential revisions to the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The data analyzed were collected from trainees in 17 U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy jobs as part of the Joint-Services Enhanced Computer-Administered Test (ECAT) battery validation study. Predictors included the trainees’ preenlistment scores for the 10 tests in the current ASVAB, plus the 9 experimental ECAT battery tests. The criteria were measures of training performance. All possible combinations of tests that (a) included the Word Knowledge and Arithmetic Reasoning tests of the ASVAB and (b) could be administered in a 134- to 164-min interval were evaluated with respect to 5 indexes of test battery performance: criterion-related validity, classification efficiency, and 3 types of subgroup differences (White vs. Black, White vs. Hispanic, and male vs. female). The 5 indexes were calculated for each of the 16,437 possible combinations of tests. The standard deviations of the indexes across the combinations of tests showed that (a) values on the validity index varied little, (b) values on the classification efficiency and White versus Black and White versus Hispanic subgroup differences indexes varied moderately, and (c) values on the male versus female difference index varied substantially. The validity index of the combinations showed a moderate correlation with the classification efficiency index and a nearly zero correlation with subgroup differences. However, the classification efficiency index showed a small-to-moderate positive correlation with the subgroup difference indexes. The subgroup difference indexes showed moderate-to-high positive correlations with one another. Examinations of the top 20 combinations of tests identified by each index demonstrated that tests that optimize one type of index usually do not optimize each of the other indexes. In particular, trade-offs were observed between (a) the maximization of validity (and classification efficiency) versus the minimization of all 3 types of subgroup differences and (b) the minimization of differences between Whites and Blacks (or between Whites and Hispanics) versus the minimization of differences between men and women. These results suggest that no combination of the tests considered in this investigation simultaneously optimizes all 5 test battery performance indexes.     

The Role of Range Restriction and Criterion Contamination in Assessing Differential Validity by Race/Ethnicity

Purpose

Berry et al.’s (J Appl Psychol 96:881–906, 2011) meta-analysis of cognitive ability test validity data across employment, college admissions, and military domains demonstrated that validity is lower for Black and Hispanic subgroups than for Asian and White subgroups. However, Berry et al. relied on observed test-criterion correlations and it is therefore not clear whether validity differences generalize beyond observed validities. The present study investigates the roles that range restriction and criterion contamination play in differential validity.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A large dataset (N > 140,000) containing SAT scores and college grades of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White test takers was used. Within-race corrections for multivariate range restriction were applied. Differential validity analyses were carried out using freshman GPA versus individual course grades as criteria to control for the contaminating influence of individual differences between students in course choice.

Findings

Observed validities underestimated the magnitude of validity differences between subgroups relative to when range restriction and criterion contamination were controlled. Analyses also demonstrate that validity differences would translate to larger regression slope differences (i.e., differential prediction).

Implications

Subgroup differences in range restriction and/or individual differences in course choice cannot account for lower validity of the SAT for Black and Hispanic subgroups. Controlling for these factors increased subgroup validity differences. Future research must look to other explanations for subgroup validity differences.

Originality

The present study is the first differential validity study to simultaneously control for range restriction and individual differences in course choice, and answers a call to investigate potential causes of differential validity.     

Asymmetric peer selections among Blacks,Asians, and Whites in a virtual environment: Preliminary evidence for triangulated threat theory

Black, Asian, and White participants (N = 210) created self-resembling avatars and engaged in peer-selection tasks during social events in the virtual world, Second Life, that were designed to simulate various types of resource competition. Participants in merit-based resource competition settings had less diversity in their peer groups compared to participants in settings where no resource competition was present, and Asian participants had lower preference for Black peers. Furthermore, these relationships were mediated by out-group discomfort. Results are discussed in relation to partial support for triangulated threat theory of group relations among Blacks, Asians, and Whites.     

What does the implicit association test measure? A test of the convergent and discriminant validity of prejudice-related IATs

Drawing on recent criticism of the Implicit Association Test (IAT), the present study tested the convergent and discriminant validity of two prejudice-related IATs to corresponding explicit prejudice measures in a German student sample (N = 61). Confirming convergent validity, (a) an IAT designed to assess negative associations related to Turkish people was significantly related to the explicit endorsement of prejudiced beliefs about Turkish people, and (b) an IAT designed to assess negative associations related to East Asians was significantly related to explicit prejudice against East Asians. Moreover, confirming discriminant validity, (c) the Asian IAT was unrelated to the explicit endorsement of prejudiced beliefs about Turkish people, and (d) the Turkish IAT was unrelated to explicit prejudice against Asian people. These results further corroborate the assumption that the IAT is a valid method to assess the strength of evaluative associations in the domain of prejudice and stereotypes.     

Understanding how and why adding valid predictors can decrease the validity of selection composites: A generalization of Sackett,Dahlke, Shewach,and Kuncel (2017)

It is usually assumed that adding more valid predictors will increase the predictive power of a selection test battery. Sackett, Dahlke, Shewach, and Kuncel showed that when selection tests are combined using unit weights, adding a valid predictor can lead to a decrease in validity. Situating the Sackett et al. approach in a more general multivariate framework I show how: (a) it is the tradeoff between predictor validity and predictor intercorrelations, and not the differences in predictor validities that determines whether adding a valid predictor to a composite will cause the validity of that composite to increase or decrease; and (b) this same dynamic applies across a wide range of non‐optimal schemes for weighting predictors and/or criteria.     

A comparison of Asians', Hispanics', and Whites' restaurant tipping

Asians and Hispanics are perceived by many restaurant servers as poor tippers. This study tests the validity of those perceptions using data from a large restaurant chain's online customer satisfaction survey. Findings partially support servers' perceptions—Hispanics but not Asians tipped less on average than Whites after controlling for bill size, the customer's own ratings of service quality, and other variables. Discussion centers around the differences between these findings and those of a previous study and on the practical implications of the findings for restaurant managers.     

Birth weight, Apgar scores, labor and delivery complications and prenatal characteristics of Southeast Asian adolescents and older mothers

The study population included 337 adolescents and 876 mothers who delivered live-born, singleton infants in the Maternity and Infant Care Program at the Minneapolis Health Department between 1980-1982. Whites and blacks on the average experienced menarche 1-2 years earlier than the Southeast Asians although age of first pregnancy was 2 years later for the Southeast Asians. In spite of the significantly later ages of entry into prenatal care, lower weight gains, and hematocrits among the Southeast Asians, compared to the white and black populations, overall height-weight status on admission compared favorably with whites and blacks. The virtual absence of alcohol and tobacco consumption among the Southeast Asians may in fact contribute to the generally favorable Apgar scores, length of gestation, and birth weights. The high frequencies of alcohol and tobacco consumption among white adolescents during pregnancy suggest the need for more intervention to discourage smoking in this population. Further, the potential adoption of these substances needs to be discouraged among the Southeast Asian adolescents. While 2-4% of the whites, blacks and Hmong adolescents experienced eclampsia, 1% of the older Hmong mothers and none of the other Southeast Asians experienced eclampsia. The most frequent complication for all groups was perineal laceration.     

Cross-ethnic friendships, perceived discrimination, and their effects on ethnic activism over time: a longitudinal investigation of three ethnic minority groups

This research examines cross-ethnic friendships as a predictor of perceived discrimination and support for ethnic activism over time among African American, Latino American, and Asian American undergraduate participants from a multi-year, longitudinal study conducted in the United States. Our research builds on prior cross-sectional research by testing effects longitudinally and examining how relationships among these variables may differ across ethnic minority groups. Results indicate that, over time, greater friendships with Whites predict both lower perceptions of discrimination and less support for ethnic activism among African Americans and Latino Americans, but not among Asian Americans. Implications of these findings for future research on inter-group contact, minority-majority relations, and ethnic group differences in status are discussed.     

The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale: Cross-Cultural Information

Results on the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA; Suinn, Rikard-Figueroa, Lew, & Vigil, 1987) confirm similarities between Singapore Asians and United States Asians on acculturation factors. The research also compared mean values on the SL-ASIA scale as a method of adding validity information regarding the scale. Singapore Asians did achieve a score indicative of Asian identity, whereas Asian Americans obtained a mean score indicative of higher Western acculturation.     

Ethnocentrism in dating preferences for an American sample: The ingroup bias in social context

Heterosexual dating partner preferences were examined in a multi-ethnic context. Four groups at UCLA were studied: Asian Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, and Euro Americans. Participants completed surveys asking them to rate a ‘typical/hypothetical’ opposite-sex member for each of the four ethnic groups on physical attractiveness, similarity, social network approval, status, and desirability as a dating/marriage partner; social identification with the ethnic ingroup was also assessed. Members of all four ethnic groups demonstrated some degree of ethnocentrism on most measures (especially partner preferences) by rating opposite-sex members of their own group higher than outgroup members rated them; however, Asians and Latinos rated opposite-sex Whites as more physically attractive than typical members of their own group, and Latinos and Blacks rated Whites and Asians as higher status. Overall, Whites received more favourable ratings than any of the three minority groups. Regression analyses indicated that social network approval (by far), similarity, and physical attractiveness were (in that order) the most powerful predictors of ethnocentrism in partner preferences. Avenues of integration and interpretation between theories of inter-personal attraction and intergroup relations were considered, including the dimensionality of ingroup favouritism, and the need for stronger consideration of social influence in theories of intergroup relations.     

Own-Ethnicity Bias in the Recognition of Black,East Asian,Hispanic, and White Faces

Black, East Asian, Hispanic, and White young adult Americans were asked to view and later recognize ethnic faces (Black, East Asian, Hispanic, and White) of children and young adults in a study of own-ethnicity and own-age bias. Own-ethnicity and own-age biases were found. Hispanics recognized Hispanic and White faces better than Asian and Black faces, Blacks recognized Black and White faces better than Asian and Hispanic faces, Asians recognized Asian faces better than Black faces and marginally better than White and Hispanic faces, and Whites recognized White faces better than those of other ethnicities. Results are discussed with respect to contact and facial encoding hypotheses.     

Cultural differences in the impact of social support on psychological and biological stress responses

Social support is believed to be a universally valuable resource for combating stress, yet Asians and Asian Americans report that social support is not helpful to them, resist seeking it, and are underrepresented among recipients of supportive services. We distinguish between explicit social support (seeking and using advice and emotional solace) and implicit social support (focusing on valued social groups) and show that Asians and Asian Americans are psychologically and biologically benefited more by implicit social support than by explicit social support; the reverse is true for European Americans. Our discussion focuses on cultural differences in the construal of relationships and their implications for social support and delivery of support services.