A Psychophysiological Approach to the Study of the Effects of Racism on the Health of African American Youth

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Gaskin, Ashly Louise
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Abstract

The current study examined individual, situational, contextual, and methodological factors that may influence the relationship between racism and health outcomes in African American youth. The aims of the current study were: 1) to examine how the type of racism (i.e., subtle versus blatant) and the race of the perpetrator influence mood and psychophysiological responses to racism; 2) to investigate how gender moderates the effects of racism on such responses; and 3) to explore similarities between psychophysiological and self-report mood responses to racism analogues while also considering the role of gender. Both type of racism and perpetrator race influenced mood and physiological responses to racism analogues. Gender moderated mood responses but findings regarding physiological responses were inconclusive. Finally, the data revealed some degree of correspondence between mood and physiological data for males and females. These findings are situated within the racism and health literature and clinical implications are discussed.

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