Racial Exclusion Causes Acute Cortisol Release Among Emerging-adult African Americans: The Role of Reduced Perceived Control

Overview

Journal J Soc Psychol

Publisher Routledge

Specialty Psychology

Date 2020 Mar 4

PMID 32122284

Citations 13

Authors

Laurel M Peterson

Michelle L Stock

Janet Monroe

Brianne K Molloy-Paolillo

Sharon F Lambert

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Racial discrimination contributes to stress-related health disparities among African Americans, but less is known about the acute effects of racial exclusion on the hypo-pituitary-adrenocortical response and psychological mediators. Participants were 276 Black/African American emerging-adults (54% female; = 21.74, = 2.21) who were randomly assigned to be excluded or included by White peers via the game Cyberball. Racial exclusion (vs. inclusion) predicted: greater negative affect ((1, 276) = 104.885, < .0001), lower perceived control ((1, 276) = 205.523, < .0001), and greater cortisol release ((1, 274) = 4.575, = .033). Racial exclusion's impact on cortisol release was mediated by lower perceived control (95% CI: .027, .112), but not negative affect (-.041, .013). These findings suggest that racial exclusion contributes to acute cortisol release, and that reduced perceived control is a consequence of racial discrimination that has important implications for the health of those who experience discrimination.

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