RELATIONS AMONG RACIAL IDENTITY ATTITUDES, PERCEIVED STRESSORS, AND COPING STYLES IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGE-STUDENTS

This study expanded on previous research with African American college students at predominantly White institutions by examining the theoret ically relevant but unexplored relations among racial identity attitud es and (a) both general and culture-specific stressors and (b) problem -focused coping styles. Ninety African American college students at a predominantly White university completed the Black Racial Identity Att itudes Scale, Black Student Stress inventory Problem Solving Inventory , and Problem-Focused Style of Coping Scale. A series of multivariate regression analyses revealed that specific racial identity attitudes w ere statistically significant predictors of both general and culture-s pecific stressors. In addition, one racial identity attitude status (i mmersion/emersion) was a unique predictor of general perceived stresso rs and problem solving. Results suggest the importance of racial ident ity schemata as a critical factor in predicting stress and coping resp onses of African American students at predominantly White institutions . The findings also underscore the utility in distinguishing between g eneral and culture-specific stressors, which traditionally have been i gnored in the psychological literature.