Enduring and Fragile Forms of Positive Ethnic-Racial Affect: A Proof of Concept Study

Considerable developmental theory and research suggest that how positively youth feel about their ethnicity and race, or positive ethnic-racial affect, may confer benefits across a broad range of indicators of adjustment (e.g., mental health, academic achievement, health risk behaviors). Extant conceptualizations of positive ethnic-racial affect have focused on the implications of possessing high versus low positive group feelings (e.g., racial pride, private regard, affirmation). However, people fluctuate in the extent to which they feel positively about their ethnicity or race.

As a Faculty Fellow in Engaged Scholarship, Anthony Ong is examining the extent to which enduring versus fragile forms of positive ethnic-racial affect prospectively predict adjustment outcomes among diverse minority youth. Whereas positive ethnic-racial affect that is enduring reflects positive group feeling states that are relatively stable across time and contexts, positive ethnic-racial affect that is fragile refers to short-term fluctuations in individuals feelings of group esteem and pride that are variable and subject to external influence.