Examining the Role of Identity Centrality Across Domains on Psychological Well-Being in Sexual Minoritized Latinx Youth

• In Event: Identity Development Among Minoritized and Marginalized Populations

Abstract

The establishment of a strong sense of self represents a salient developmental task for all emerging adults (Arnett, 2000). However, this task may be particularly important for minoritized youth as they navigate the complex challenge of developing a positive sense of self amidst a marginalized environment (Mohr & Kendra, 2011). Indeed, the development of a sense of self is marked as a particularly important task for emerging adults who identify both as an ethnic/racial and sexual minoritized individual, as they are likely to navigate greater marginalization and multiple sources of oppression. Although a vast body of literature has separately focused on links between facets of LGB identity (for review, see Mohr & Kendra, 2011) and ethnic/racial identity (for review, see Rivas-Drake et al., 2014), it is important to note that identity operates across multiple domains, with individuals varying in the degree to which they view specific domains as central to their sense of self (Meca et al., 2015). Despite this, limited research has aimed to examine the effects of identity centrality across domains on psychological well-being among ethnic/racial and sexual minoritized youth.

Addressing this gap, the current study utilized preliminary data from an ongoing study to examine the unique effects of ethnic/racial, sexual orientation, personal, and U.S. identity centrality on psychological well-being among sexual minoritized Latinx youth. The current sample consisted of 121 Latinx youth (73.8% female; Mage=20.29 years; SD=1.78 years) who also self-identified as a sexual minoritized individual. Specifically, the sample largely consisted of bisexual (48.4%), asexual (10.7%), questioning (10.7%), lesbian (8.2%), pansexual (7.4%), queer (5.7%), gay (4.1%), fluid (2.5%), and other (2.5%). To examine the unique effects, a linear regression was estimated in SPSS. The overall regression was statistically significant, R2=.20, F (4,116) =7.357, p<.001. As reported in Table 1, although personal (β=.278, p =.002) and ethnic/racial (β=.285, p=.002) identity centrality were positively associated, sexual orientation identity centrality was negatively associated with psychological well-being (β=-.201, p=.025). Additionally, there was no significant association between U.S. identity centrality and psychological well-being (β=.006, p=.944).

Consistent with the literature on personal identity (see Schwartz et al., 2015), personal identity centrality was positively associated with psychological well-being. Not surprisingly, and consistent with prior research on ethnic/racial identity (for review, see Rivas-Drake et al., 2014), ethnic/racial identity centrality was also positively associated with psychological well-being. Taken together, these findings further highlight that a coherent personal sense of self and an ethnic/racial identity serves as an anchor during times of transition (Meca et al., 2020) and in the face of marginalization (Meca et al., 2022). Despite this, although empirical evidence has indicated an LGB identity is protective (for review, see Mohr & Kendra, 2011), sexual orientation identity centrality was negatively associated with psychological well-being. Future research is necessary to not only explore the effects of identity centrality across domains but also to identify unique configurations that may be most adaptive among sexual minoritized Latinx youth.

Authors

• Bethany Cruz, University of Texas at San Antonio
  Presenting Author

• Alan Meca, University of Texas at San Antonio

• Marissa Scurry, The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Hannah Sheikh

• Yobana Solorzano, The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Angela Ragsdale

• Taryn Veniegas, The University of Texas at San Antonio