Racial identity, generalized self-efficacy, and self-esteem: A pilot study of a mediation model for African American women

Authors

Kimberly Williams Collins, University of Memphis
Owen Richard Lightsey, University of MemphisFollow

Abstract

In this pilot study, the authors tested the hypothesis that a generalized sense of self-efficacy mediates the relationship between racial identity attitudes and self-esteem among African American women. The Racial Identity Attitude Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale were administered in counterbalanced order to 70 African American women volunteers from two local agencies: a church and a private misdemeanor probation institution. Generalized self-efficacy (GSE) mediated the relationship between pre-encounter racial identity attitude and self-esteem. Lower pre-encounter attitude predicted higher GSE, which predicted higher self-esteem. Higher emersion attitudes predicted higher self-esteem and GSE more strongly in the probation subsample. This and other significant differences among the subsamples suggest that racial identity attitudes may play a different role in self-esteem in different groups of African American women. © 2001 The Association of Black Psychologists.

Publication Title

Journal of Black Psychology

Recommended Citation

Collins, K., & Lightsey, O. (2001). Racial identity, generalized self-efficacy, and self-esteem: A pilot study of a mediation model for African American women. Journal of Black Psychology, 27 (3), 272-287. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798401027003002