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Examining how Mexican-origin daughters’ and mothers’ ethnic-racial identity co-evolves from adolescence through young adulthood

Fri, April 9, 4:20 to 5:50pm EDT (4:20 to 5:50pm EDT), Virtual

Abstract

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is a multifaceted construct that includes exploration (engaging in activities to learn about one’s ethnic-racial group), resolution (the sense of understanding that one has about their ethnic-racial group membership), and affirmation (the affect that one feels towards their ethnic-racial group; Umaña-Taylor et al., 2004). Prior research has examined parents’ ERI as a predictor of children’s ERI development (Derlan et al., 2016; Dimitrova et al, 2016). However, it may also be the case that children influence their parents’ ERI development. Indeed, social relational theory (Kuczynsk et al., 2009) indicates that parents and children equally serve as socialization agents and contribute to each other’s meaning-making. Thus, the current study examined the bidirectional and dyadic influence of adolescents’ and mothers’ ERI over a 6-year period when adolescents were transitioning from middle to late adolescence. Specifically, we tested (a) the extent to which adolescents’ ERI development was a result of their own (actor effect), and their mothers’ ERI (partner effect), and (b) how mothers’ ERI development was a result of their own and their daughters’ ERI using a series of Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM; Kenny et al., 2006).
Participants (N=204 dyads) were Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (“adolescents” hereafter) and their mother figures (“mothers” hereafter). Data represented three assessments across a 6-year period: W1, W3 (two years later), and W6 (three years after W3). At W1, adolescents were 16.24 years old (SD=0.99), on average, and mothers were 41.15 years old (SD=7.01), on average. ERI exploration, resolution, and affirmation was assessed using the Ethnic Identity Scale (Umaña-Taylor et al., 2004).
An APIM model was estimated for each ERI component using Mplus V7.3 (Muthén & Muthén, 2017). A K parameter (ratio of the partner effect to the actor effect; Kenny & Ledermann, 2010) was calculated and confidence intervals (CI) were examined to determine whether dyad-level findings were more consistent with an actor pattern (i.e., only influenced their own outcomes; K=0) or a couple pattern (i.e., equally influenced their own and their partners’ outcomes; K=1). Regarding exploration (Figure 1a), mother-daughter dyads demonstrated actor patterns across all waves, and there were no differences by family role (K=.08, 95% CI [-.08, .23]). Regarding resolution, mother-daughter dyads demonstrated stronger actor than partner effects across all waves (Figure 1b). However, based on the CI, neither an actor nor couple pattern was supported (K=.30, 95% CI [.07, .58]). For affirmation (Figure 1c), mother-daughter dyads demonstrated a couple pattern at W3, with no differences by family role (K=.70, 95% CI [.08, 2.30]). Both actor and partner effects emerged for adolescents’ affirmation at W6; actor effects were stronger than partner effects. This was supported by the K CI, which did not support either dyadic pattern (K=.22, 95% CI [-.10, 1.36]). A couple pattern emerged for mothers’ W6 affirmation (K=.78, 95% CI [.18, 3.15]).
Findings suggest that daughters’ and mothers’ influence on one another varies by ERI domain, and that resolution and affirmation appear to be particularly influenced by close family members. Discussion will center on bidirectional and dyadic familial influences on ERI development.

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