Date of Award
2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Organizational Unit
Morgridge College of Education, Counseling Psychology
First Advisor
Patton O. Garriott
Second Advisor
Andi M. Pusavat
Third Advisor
Duan Zhang
Keywords
Acculturation, Asian, Discrimination, International students, Mental health, Shame
Abstract
This study examined the impact of discrimination, shame, and acculturation on the psychological wellbeing of East Asian international students in the U.S. Using the Minority Stress Theory as a framework, discrimination and shame were hypothesized to have a significant negative relationship with wellbeing while acculturation was hypothesized to moderate these relationships. A sample (N = 281) of East Asian international undergraduate students completed a web-based survey with measures of perceived discrimination, interpersonal shame, acculturation, and mental health outcomes. Regression analyses containing wellbeing (outcome), acculturation (moderator), discrimination (predictor), and shame (predictor) were performed to test the hypotheses using SPSS PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2018). As hypothesized, discrimination and shame were found to negatively predict wellbeing. Acculturation was found to moderate the relationship between shame and wellbeing. Specifically, adherence to the heritage culture intensified the impact of both external shame and family shame on wellbeing. Adherence to the host culture was found to intensify the impact of family shame but not external shame on wellbeing. Different from the hypothesis, acculturation did not moderate the relationship between discrimination and wellbeing. Implications were provided to guide future directions for research, practice, and policy.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Shao-Jung Stella Ko
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
en
File Size
131 pgs
Recommended Citation
Ko, Shao-Jung Stella, "Examining the Impact of Discrimination, Shame, and Acculturation on Psychological Wellbeing of East Asian International Students" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2134.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2134
Copyright date
2022
Discipline
Counseling psychology
Included in
Counseling Psychology Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons