Ethnic Identity, Family Environment, and Psychological Outcomes - Essay Example

? Developmental Psychology - Examining Relationships between Ethnic Identity, Family Environment, and Psychological Outcomes for African American Adolescents Name: Lecturer: Institution: Course: Date: Developmental Psychology - Examining Relationships between Ethnic Identity, Family Environment, and Psychological Outcomes for African American Adolescents Abstract Introduction Ethnicity identity has been linked to diverse healthy psychological outcomes for many African America adolescents. Varied literatures have attempted to reveal the way family environment specifically family conflicts and cohesion have been the major contributing aspects for mental health among the African American adolescents (Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes, 2009; Erikson, 1963). The research hypothesis attempts to determine whether the ethnic identity is linked to the level of conflicts and cohesion in the family environment and the psychological results among the African American adolescents. The study aims to examine the way ethnic identity plays significant roles in the psychological development of African American adolescents. Q.1 Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes (2009) define ethnic identity as the developmental tasks during adolescents or components in which membership is determined by attributes that are associated to particular attributes. Ethnic identification is more salient to African American societies than the whites; thus members of minority groups have always struggled to retain their dormant cultural heritage. The definition of Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes can be compared to those of Erickson and Marcia because both authors attempts to look at ethnic identity as the developmental tasks during adolescents that centers around the formation of identity (Erikson, 1963). Q.2 Based on the literature review provided by Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes (2009), the benefits of having a strong ethnic identity for the ethnic minority youth’s mental health include lower scores on depression measures, higher self-esteem, less stress, better health psychological outcomes and less maladaptive behaviors including substance abuse or antisocial behaviors. Q. 3 The consequences of poor ethnic identity development for ethnic minority youths includes poor psychological wellbeing, loss of sense of belongings, less self-esteem and increased stress due to discrimination and these aspects might contribute to mental health outcomes. Shaffer and Kipp (2010) find out that ethnicity identity matters a lot in child development because it contributes to better psychological outcomes during childhood to adolescent development stages. Q. 4 The family environment is linked to adolescent mental health especially the issue of family conflicts and cohesion. Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes (2009) argue that family conflict contribute to poor psychological outcomes of adolescent whereas cohesion improves the adolescent mental health. The ethnic identity and cohesion in the family environment is linked to lower depression, higher self-esteem and better positive interpersonal relations but conflicts is linked to less health psychological outcomes (Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes, 2009, p. 413). Q. 5 The primary objective of the present study is to examine the way ethnic identity plays significant roles in the psychological development of African American adolescents. The research links the ethnic identity to family environment especially family conflicts and cohesion in order to determine the psychological outcome of African American adolescents. Q.6 The primary hypothesis is to determine whether the ethnic identity is linked to the level of conflicts and cohesion in the family environment and the psychological results among the African American adolescents. Method Q.7 The number of participants who participated in the study included 61 African American adolescents aging 10 to 14 years and also their parents. The African American research assistant recruited youths from 6th, 7th and 8th grades through use of sample surveys and also distributed flyers to anticipated parents and youths (Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes, 2009). A half of parents who participated in the study were a half of single parents living in single parent homes while others parents lived in two parent homes (Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes, 2009). The research assistants collected data from both parents of youth including their mothers, fathers or guardians. The fathers who participated in the study were 23 in number and there mean average age was approximated 37.82 while the mean average age for mothers was 38.78 years of age. Q.8 The study employed sample survey method for data collection; thus family environment scale was used to measure family conflicts and cohesion in the family environment. The items measures were formatted as false and true statements in order to provide the intended results. Another measure of multi-group ethnic identity was employed to measure ethnic identity; therefore, this measure allowed participants to identity their personal ethnicity such as sense of identity, ethnic and positive ethnic attitudes. Q. 9 The researcher employed cross sectional research design because the study focused on group of participants including fathers, mothers and adolescents who differed in age groups. Cross sectional studies is vital because the searcher attempts to reduce the amount of time in developmental study by examining varied ages at the same time instead of same groups over an extended length of time. The researcher focused on the theory regarding social development but examined a group of participants with different age groups (Shaffer and Kipp, 2010). Q. 10 The research assistants recruited African American adolescents and their parents through use of sample survey. They examined family functioning among the youths and parents who wished to participate; thus they signed the consent and assent form. The researcher distributed study questionnaires to all participants and the researchers read items loudly to participants with reading difficulties in order to enable them fill the questionnaires effectively. Results Q. 11 The research study findings revealed that there is a link between ethnic identity and family environment. According to Street, Harris-Britt and Walker-Barnes (2009), ethnic identity and family cohesion is linked to lower scores on depression measures, higher self-esteem, positive interpersonal relationships while family conflicts is linked to less health psychological outcomes. Secondly, it was found that adolescent self-esteem scores showed some variations where family environment and ethnicity identity were taken into considerations. Although ethnic identity did not seem to be significant aspect for predicting self-esteem, the adolescent report indicated that family conflict contributed to varied variations between self-esteem and ethnic identity. Lastly, the research study found that parental marital status seemed to have an influence on family functioning with two parent household less likely to have conflicts and being more stable than the single parent household which seemed to have more conflicts. Discussion Q. 12 The relation between ethnic identity and family cohesion is that the lower scores on adolescent depression are predicted. The family cohesion were found to be an effective salient in predicting depressive symptoms for adolescents that positively identified the ethnic group of an individual. These findings have implications on the treatment of minority youth depression because African American minority youths are discriminated; thus they are likely to develop mental health issues. Q. 13 The findings that parent’s reports of greater cohesion in the family predicted lower self-esteem in minority youths are contradictory. Family cohesion and ethnic identity were found to be among the significant and salient aspects for increasing self-esteem among the African American adolescents. The findings are consistent with other research studies which reported that high level of family cohesion increases self esteem and improve personal relationships; thus contributing to less depression (Erikson, 1963; Shaffer and Kipp, 2010). The difference in adolescent and parents reports of cohesion indicated that parents find it socially desirable to describe their family as more connected but fat her and mother individual report on family cohesion were somewhat poor. Reference Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society. New York: Norton. Street, J., Harris-Britt, A., & Walker-Barnes, C. (January 01, 2009). Examining Relationships Between Ethnic Identity, Family Environment, and Psychological Outcomes for African American Adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18, 4, 412-420. Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2010). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Read More