Conditional Mediation Models of Intersecting Identities Among Female Asian International Students

This study investigated how gender, racial, and nationality discrimination were related to the life satisfaction of female Asian international students directly and indirectly through loneliness, as well as how these pathways differed as a function of gender, racial, and nationality in-group solidarity. Participants were 216 female Asian international students from two public universities. Results demonstrated that all three types of discrimination predicted decreased life satisfaction. Loneliness mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and life satisfaction. In addition, these mediation pathways differed as a function of in-group solidarity (e.g., sense of attachment to one’s racial group), providing evidence for conditional mediation effects. Gender solidarity was a protective factor that mitigated feelings of loneliness when experiencing gender discrimination, whereas racial and nationality solidarity were risk factors for decreased life satisfaction when experiencing loneliness. We provide research implications for international student scholars and clinical implications for university staff and clinicians.

Source: The Counseling Psychologist - May 9, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Liu, T., Wong, Y. J., Tsai, P.-C. Tags: International Forum Source Type: research