Religion and African American Political Life

Religion is a central force in the lives of the overwhelming majority of African Americans. However, psychology has been conspicuously silent about the role of religion in African American political life. This work endeavors to challenge the longstanding argument that religiosity promotes an escapist, apolitical stance among African Americans. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which our understanding of the link between religion and African American political behavior is complicated by expanded definitions of what is political and by increased attention to various forms of religious participation. Future directions for research are discussed.     

Culture, Health, and Financial Appraisals: Comparison of Worry in Older Japanese Americans and European Americans

There is limited understanding of the potential impact of cultural identification and values on the emotional experiences of older adults. This study considered potential differences in worry based on culture and acculturation type. The study also evaluated differences in worry based on self-appraisals of perceived health and financial status. Sixty-six older community-based Japanese Americans (JAs) and 65 older European Americans (EAs) completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and the Worry Scale–Revised (WSR). Cultural differences were not found. Social desirability scores were elevated, particularly among JAs who had been relocated to internment camps during World War II. Irrespective of cultural status, elevated average daily worry frequency scores and WSR–Health scores were found in the group who perceived their health status to be poor/fair. Irrespective of cultural status, elevated average daily worry frequency scores, PSWQ scores, and WSR–Financial scores were found in the group who perceived their financial status to be poor/fair. Recommendations for using the WSR with older populations are discussed.     

Cultural differences in self-verification: The role of naïve dialecticism

This research presents the first evidence of cultural differences in self-verification and the role of naïve dialecticism in mediating these differences. Chinese, Asian-American, and non-Asian American students completed a series of personality tests, and were presented with bogus feedback that was either self-consistent or self-discrepant, and either positive or negative. Whereas non-Asians self-verified (i.e., tended to exhibit resistance), mainland Chinese and Asian-American participants tended to adjust their self-views when they received (either positive or negative) feedback that contradicted their prevailing self-conceptions. Mediated moderation analyses showed that naïve dialecticism, mediated cultural differences in self-verification.     

Acculturation and mental health: Current findings and recommendations for future research

Results of existing literature suggest that the relationship between acculturation and mental health is complex. Some studies have found a beneficial association between increased acculturation and mental health, whereas others have found a detrimental association or no relationship at all. We reviewed literature on acculturation and mental health in Hispanics/Latino Americans, Asians/Asian Americans, and other ethnic groups. Results indicate that greater acculturation is associated with increased substance use and abuse. Findings for other disorders and symptoms demonstrate considerable heterogeneity and potential reasons for this variation are provided. Acculturation involves a complex set of processes that appear to have differential impact on mental health outcomes. Critical issues in the measurement of acculturation are discussed, and recommendations for future research are offered.     

从诺贝尔生理与医学奖提名看亚洲的医学地位

诺贝尔生理与医学奖是生命科学领域声誉最高的一个奖项,获得者的多少常被作为衡量一个国家科技实力的一项指标.至今,亚洲的科学家仅有1人获得了该项荣誉,但是已经有多名科学家获得了提名,通过描述从1901年到1951年之间诺贝尔生理与医学奖的提名情况来评价亚洲的医学地位.     

A Review of Childrearing in African American Single Mother Families: The Relevance of a Coparenting Framework

Clinical research on African American single mother families has focused largely on mother-child dyads, with relatively less empirical attention to the roles of other adults or family members who often assist with childrearing. This narrow definition of “family” fails to take into account the extended family networks which often provide support for African American single mother families and the influence of these other adults on maternal parenting and youth adjustment. Our review integrates the literature on the role of extended family members, highlights the strengths and limitations of this work, and proposes the use of theory and methods from the coparenting literature to guide future study in this area. The relevance of the study of coparenting for family-based intervention efforts targeting African American youth from single mother homes is addressed.     

Connecting Asians in global perspective: Special Issue on past contributions, current status and future prospects for Asian social psychology

This Special Issue (SI), which marks the 10th anniversary of the Asian Journal of Social Psychology , carries the triple roles of taking stock of the past, scouting the present, and envisioning the future. In so doing, it connects with the 6th biennial conference of the Asian Association of Social Psychology held in 2005, in which several keynote speakers (Atsumi, Hofstede, Leung, and Ward) addressed the same troika of concerns. Together with invited commentary from Chiu and Matsumoto they form the substance of this SI. As SI Editors, we read the papers several times, for what they were and, just as enlightening, for what they were not. In the process, we reflected on what is social about Asian social psychology and, equally intriguing, on what is Asian about it. The (tentative) conclusion that we have reached is that a practical and creative social psychology that is in, of, and for Asia, and defines itself as a network of like-minded collaborators gathered around a central purpose rather than as a geographic or genetic entity will have the best chance of realizing the potential of Asian social psychology.     

Comments on the future of Asian social psychology

The efforts of Asian social psychology and the Asian Association of Social Psychology (AASP) over the past decade and longer have clearly drawn attention to Asian cultures and their potential influence on psychological processes, and have highlighted the need to incorporate Asian social psychology into a global understanding of social psychology. Despite these advancements, however, all four authors, in their own way, suggest that these efforts are only the tip of the iceberg, and describe how Asian social psychology can shift their contributions to a higher gear. In this brief commentary, I discuss three points raised in the papers by Atsumi, Hofstede, Leung, and Ward: identity, the gold standard of comparison, and the contribution of Asian social psychology to a global social psychology, all in relation to visions of the future.     

Marriage and social support in a British–Asian community

People of South Asian origin represent one of the largest ethnic minority populations in Britain. However, research into the marital beliefs and practices of British South Asians has tended to conflate together different South Asian groups of different religious and geographical origins. This study focused on one large religious group originating from one region (Hindus from Gujarat) resident in one large British town, providing analyses drawn from theories of cultural values, acculturation and social identity. Seventy married couples participated in detailed interviews inquiring about the arrangement of their marriage, their attitude towards marriage, gender roles, and the formal and informal support available in times of marital crisis. Our analysis of these interviews suggested that whilst our respondents maintained largely collectivist values in the family, they also saw marriage very much as an expression of individual fulfilment. Marital choice and gender roles in marriage reflected an integrationist strategy combining the traditional cultural practices and identity priorities with the social preferences and economic realities of their new culture. Finally, social support was largely forthcoming from members of the Asian community, reflecting a degree of separation from the majority community particularly when emotional assistance was desired. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

No need for pedestals: Idealization does not predict better relationships among Asians

The authors tested whether partner idealization was positively associated with relationship quality among 105 intraracially dating Asian American couples (Study 1) and 98 Chinese couples (Study 2) through two methods. The commonly used residual‐based approach found, in both samples, the positive associations between idealizing a partner and relationship quality previously documented among European/European Americans. In contrast, the piece‐wise regression analysis, which distinguished between idealization and derogation, found few positive associations between idealizing a partner and relationship quality. Similarly, being the object of idealization rarely predicted greater relationship quality for either sample, even when perceived idealization was tested. Derogation, however, predicted relationship outcomes. Therefore, future studies should focus on negative behaviors or attitudes (or the lack thereof) in understanding relationship outcomes.