Date of Award

6-21-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Elizabeth Vera

Abstract

Research on intersectional internalized oppression among sexual minorities of color is scant. One of the reasons as to why such oppression is understudied amongst such population is the lack of psychological measures. At the same time, sexual minorities of color are faced with the negative impact of living in a racist and heterosexist society. Therefore, this study is one of first to develop and preliminarily validate the Internalized Heterosexist Racism Measure (IHRM) that evaluates internalized heterosexist racism in sexual minorities of color. By applying an intersectionality framework, the IHRM was generated from an extensive literature review and then reviewed by 10 experts to generate scale items. The resulting measure led to 48 items and six dimensions (negative messages, intersectional minority stress and reactivity, assimilation of beauty and self-expression standards, internalized inferiority, internalized isolation and ostracism, and intersectional invisibility). The measure was pre-validated (N = 62) by establishing construct and criterion validities, along with calculating hierarchical multiple regression to provide evidence of incremental validity. Additionally, Cronbach’s alpha was computed to demonstrate internal consistency reliability. Implications are delineated for theoretical contributions, clinical practice, and liberation efforts. Lastly, suggestions for future research and limitations are discussed.

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