Summary
Cultural Stress, Daily Well-being, and Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms Among Hispanic College Students is an academic article authored by 16 individuals. They are Seth Schwartz, Alan Meca, Alan Waterman, Simon Ozer, Cory Cobb, Colleen Ward, Miguel Ángel Cano, Sofía Puente-Durán, Carolina Scaramutti, Elma Lorenzo-Blanco, Charles Martinez, Jennifer Unger, Maria Garcia, and Maria Duque (Schwartz et al., 2022). Fernanda Ingrid Zeledon and Saskia Vos are the other authors of this journal.
Content of the Paper
The article is subdivided into an abstract, introduction, cultural stressors, externalizing and internalizing symptoms, well-being, the present study, results, discussion, limitations, conclusion, and references. The paper has three primary concerns, namely cultural stressors, well-being, and externalizing and internalizing symptoms among Hispanic university students (Schwartz et al., 2022). Cultural stressors, such as cultural stress, discrimination, and negative reception context, were utilized in the present study to investigate how they would mediate predictive results on externalizing and internalizing symptoms of 873 Hispanic students after 11 days (Schwartz et al., 2022). The latter was achieved by utilizing a 12-day day-to-day diary design. On day one, cultural stressors reports were gathered, while day-to-day reports on well-being were gathered from day two to day eleven. The results were measured on the 12th day having day one findings as the control for the study (Schwartz et al., 2022). Results from the structural modeling equation indicated that on the 12th day, depression and anxiety were observed among the target sample exposed to cultural stressors.
On the other hand, no effects were observed for externalizing symptoms after the 12-day research carried out. The observed results were then constructed using component indicators, for instance, eudaimonic well-being, self-esteem, self-acceptance, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being, to avert the adverse outcomes of cultural stressors. Generally, this paper seeks to establish a relationship between cultural stressors and daily well-being among Hispanic college students and how the negative impacts of cultural stressors can be averted or overcome.
Classification of the Research
The research conducted by Schwartz and others mentioned in the first paragraph can be classified as experimental research. According to Ledyard (2020), experimental research is undertaken using a scientific approach that utilizes two variable sets. A constant is the first set that is used for measuring the differences between the other groups. To understand experimental research better, every quantitative research is under this category. Experimental research is extensively adopted to gather enough data for supporting decisions by first determining the facts. Factors such as the eagerness to comprehend the significance of the cause-and-effect relationship and invariable behavioral patterns between effect and cause facilitate experimental research. It is subdivided into three types, namely quasi-experimental research design (Gopalan, Rosinger, & Ahn, 2020), pre-experimental research design, and true experimental research design (Torgerson & Torgerson, 2017). In this case, this study can be classified as a true experimental survey design. The study has two variables; (a) externalizing problems and internalizing symptoms and (b) well-being (Schwartz et al., 2022). Well-being acts as the constant variable for this research activity.
Other characteristics that make this study fall under true experimental survey design are random distribution, a control group used on day one, and a variable being manipulated by the researchers. A sample population of 824 Hispanic University students was randomly picked with origins from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and Nicaragua. Moreover, the authors try to understand the relationship between well-being and cultural stressors that yield externalizing and internalizing symptoms.
Research Questions
The research questions by the authors can be deduced from the hypotheses being tested. Three research questions can be deduced: how does cultural stress predict increased well-being variability? And how does day-to-day well-being variability mediate predictive impacts of cultural stressors on externalizing behaviors and internalizing symptoms? Thirdly, how do well-being variability and levels mediate predictive impacts of cultural stressors on externalizing behaviors and internalizing symptoms?
Research Findings
The main findings of the research are in accordance with the aforementioned research questions. First, the cultural stressors (bicultural stress, discrimination, and negative reception context) ensued as significant positive determinants of day-to-day well-being ways (negatively) as well as significant positive determiners of everyday well-being fluctuations. Secondly, everyday means for self-acceptance, self-esteem, and life satisfaction inversely foreshadowed subsequent symptoms of depression, and everyday means for self-acceptance and self-esteem inversely forecasted ensuing anxiety (Schwartz et al., 2022). Thirdly, no substantial were attained from the eudaimonic well-being for anxiety or depressive symptoms, as well as no significant mediated or direct effects developed for externalizing difficulties.
What was New to Me from the Research
The new thing about this study in the discipline of psychology is it helps me understand my cognitive behaviors. It goes the extra mile to make me comprehend that there is more to well-being than healthy lifestyles. Therefore, it has found a scientific way of helping not only Hispanic University students but also people worldwide to comprehend cultural stressors as a new topic and barrier to life satisfaction and self-acceptance. Unlike other studies that identify problems and give solutions, this research leaves that opportunity for other researchers. This attribute by the researchers provides room for diversity in the scientific world. Ultimately, the study identifies cultural stressors as an emerging concern that needs immediate intervention.
References
Gopalan, M., Rosinger, K., & Ahn, J. B. (2020). Use of quasi-experimental research designs in education research: Growth, promise, and challenges. Review of Research in Education, 44(1), 218-243. Web.
Ledyard, J. O. (2020). 2. Public goods: A survey of experimental research. In the handbook of experimental economics (pp. 111-194). Princeton University Press.
Schwartz, S. J., Waterman, A. S., Cobb, C. L., Cano, M. Á., Scaramutti, C., Meca, A., Ozer, S., Ward, C., Puente-Durán, S., Lorenzo-Blanco, E. I., Unger, J. B., Duque, M. C., Vos, S. R., Zeledon, I., Garcia, M. F., & Martinez, C. R., Jr. (2022). Cultural stress, daily well-being, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms among Hispanic college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 69(4), 416–429. Web.
Torgerson, C. J., & Torgerson, D. J. (2017). True experimental designs. The BERA/SAGE handbook of educational research. Web.