Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair and Members

Philip S Wong, Chair

Sara Haden

Caroline Clauss-Ehlers

Keywords

Asian American, Covid-19 Discrimination, Metastereotype, Model minority, Perpetual foreigner

Abstract

Reports of anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic are concerning, particularly given that Asian Americans may especially perceive and anticipate being stereotyped by others as virus-carrying foreigners due to their Asian American identity (e.g., increased perpetual foreigner metastereotype awareness). The present study explored metastereotype awareness (MSA) – an individual's belief that someone holds a stereotype about them as a result of their group membership – in a sample of 1.5 and 2nd generation East and Southeast Asian Americans (N = 422). Participants completed an MSA activation paradigm, followed by self-report measures assessing their MSA of the perpetual foreigner, model minority, and unsociable stereotypes as well as affective and interpersonal functioning. Results of a path analysis and structural equation modeling indicated overall negative outcomes associated with heightened levels of MSA, such as decreased self-esteem, increased interpersonal shame, greater intergroup anxiety, and heightened state anger. However, results also provided support for the Rejection- Identification Model, a means through which these negative effects can be mitigated. Individuals who demonstrated a greater propensity to attribute their experiences of MSA to prejudice demonstrated a stronger affiliation with their ethnic identity, which in turn, protected against the negative effects observed between MSA and self-esteem. Exploratory analyses examined the creation of an Asian American MSA latent construct, which allowed for three historically and conceptually interrelated metastereotypes to be explored concurrently. Clinical implications, limitations of the present study, and future directions are also discussed.

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