Poster Session 11 Program Schedule
02/17/2024
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology | Education/Training | Professional Practice Issues
Final Abstract #106
Do Racial Microaggressions and Racial Pride Matter for Cognitive Inhibition? Examining Independent and Interactive Effects Among Black Women
Maryam Ware, University of Louisville, Louisville, United States
Lauren Hall, University of Louisville, Louisville, United States
Dr. Yara Mekawi, University of Louisville, Louisville, United States
Category: Social Cognition
Keyword 1: inhibitory control
Keyword 2: social cognition
Keyword 3: everyday functioning
Objective:
Gendered racial microaggressions are subtle behaviors, comments, or actions that communicate derogatory or negative messages about a person's race and gender identity. Experiencing gendered racial microaggressions has been shown to be harmful to Black women’s mental health, but the cognitive mechanisms through which harm occurs are poorly understood. Given that gendered racial microaggressions are experienced as being cognitively depleting (Lewis et al., 2013), one possibility is that experiences of gendered racial microaggressions may be associated with cognitive inhibition. However, no previous research has examined whether gendered racial microaggressions relate to Black women’s inhibitory control. Furthermore, examining how the gendered racial microaggression and inhibition association differs based on racial identity allows us to understand culturally relevant individual difference factors. This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the independent and interactive roles of gendered racial microaggressions and racial identity pride (private regard) on inhibition difficulty in a sample of Black women.
Participants and Methods:
An adult sample of Black women (n=187) completed measures of gendered racial microaggressions, private regard, and cognitive inhibition (Stroop Task).
Results:
Two types of gendered racial microaggressions, Strong Black Woman and Angry Black Woman stereotypes were associated with worse inhibition. Moreover, private regard moderated the relationship between the Angry Black Woman gendered microaggressions and inhibition, such that at relatively lower private regard, the association between inhibition and gendered microaggressions was stronger.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that inhibition may be a relevant psychological correlate of experiencing gendered racial microaggressions among Black women and that having internalized messages of anti-Blackness may worsen this effect.
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