RACIAL EXPERIENCES OF YOUTH LABORATORY
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Current and Future Projects

 

Racial Discrimination and Biomarker Indicators

 

Racial discrimination experiences begin as early as middle childhood for Black American adolescents, and their racial discrimination experiences occur more often than their non-Black counterparts. Racial discrimination has been linked to a host of negative mental health and developmental indicators including lower life satisfaction levels, decreased self-esteem and increased depressive symptoms including increased depressive symptoms on the following day among Black American adolescents. I conducted a study of racism and biomarker indicators among Black American college students. The study examined daily racial discrimination experiences, racial identity, physiological outcomes (e.g., cortisol outcomes, C-reactive protein) and mental health. The study utilized the experiential sampling procedure with daily collections of racial discrimination and salivary samples among Black American college students.

 

Racial Discrimination Measure

 

Measurement is a critical issue since prior research has mainly utilized measures that were developed for and/or modified from Black American adults. One area of my research concerns the measurement of racial discriminatory experiences among Black American youth. I conducted a mixed-methods study (e.g., surveys, focus groups, semi-structured interviews) to develop items for an intersectional racism measure. My ultimate goal is to develop a racism measure that assesses items at the intersection of race and gender for use with Black adolescents.

 

Pubertal Development

 

I will continue examining the intersection of pubertal development, race and gender among Black American youth children and adolescents. I am also examining these phenomenon among Korean adopted youth and Mexican-origin youth.

 

Eleanor K. Seaton, Ph.D.

Arizona State University
P.O. Box 873701
Tempe, AZ 85287-3701

Email: Eleanor.Seaton@asu.edu

Twitter: doctor_seaton@SeatonEleanor
Instagram: drekseaton

Email: reylab8@gmail.com
Website: www.reylab.com