The interdisciplinary network that makes up the Institute of Human Development and Social Change (IHDSC) is full of thought leaders and innovators in equity-driven research. We aim to amplify the work of our affiliate network to a broad audience of scholars, students, local and global community-based stakeholders, and beyond. Check out the latest publications from Drs. Rezarta Bilali, Stephanie Cook, and Lauren Mims on narrative media interventions, discrimination and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and high school experiences of high achieving Black girls.
Narrative media interventions influence efficacy beliefs, social norms, and choice of behavioral options: A field experiment in Burkina Faso
Dr. Rezarta Bilali, Associate Professor of Psychology and Social Intervention
Abstract: Narrative media interventions in the form of edutainment are increasingly used to change behaviors, social norms, and attitudes. The present study examines the effects of a narrative intervention using role models on efficacy beliefs, behavioral options, social norms, and attitudes. I utilize data from a cluster randomized controlled trial with two arms (treatment vs. control) conducted in 132 villages in Burkina Faso (N = 2,904 participants). Randomly selected participants in intervention villages participated in group listening sessions of a radio drama over 3 months. Compared to a business-as-usual control, the narrative intervention increased self- and collective efficacy beliefs to bring about social change, and influenced endorsement of behavioral options to fight corruption. The intervention also reduced the perception that reporting corruption is viewed as dangerous by the community. The findings contribute to the literature on narrative media interventions and social modeling of action.
Suggested citation: Bilali, R. (2023). Narrative media interventions influence efficacy beliefs, social norms, and choice of behavioral options: A field experiment in Burkina Faso. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302231186243
A national examination of discrimination, resilience, and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: the All of Us Research Program
Dr. Stephanie Cook, Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Biostatistics
Objective: To examine the impact of resilience on the association between discrimination and trajectories of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic across racial and ethnic groups.
Methods: Data were drawn from 5 waves of the All of Us Research Program’s survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of American adults. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to assess the association between discrimination exposure throughout the pandemic and depressive symptoms over time. An interaction term was introduced between resilience and discrimination exposure to assess if resilience buffered the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms over time. Race-stratified linear mixed-effects models examined racial/ethnic differences in the association between resilience, discrimination, and depressive symptoms over time.
Results: Fifty-one thousand nine hundred fifty-eight participants completed surveys between May and December of 2020. Results indicated that exposure to more discrimination was associated with increasing trajectories of depressive symptoms over time (b = 0.48, p < 0.001). However, resilience moderated the association between discrimination and well-being over time such that higher resilience mitigated the detrimental effect of experiencing discrimination on depressive symptoms across time (b = −0.02, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Identifying protective features such as resilience can promote the development of culturally tailored interventions to address mental health in the context of discrimination.
Suggested citation: Cook, S. H., Wood, E. P., Risner, E., Weng, C. A., & Xin, Y. (2023). A national examination of discrimination, resilience, and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: the All of Us Research Program. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1175452
“My Greatness Made a Difference There”: Exploring the High School Experiences of High Achieving Black Girls
Dr. Lauren Christine Mims, Assistant Professor of Applied Psychology
Abstract: Recent studies have provided insight into the schooling experiences and lives of Black girls. These studies highlight the challenges that Black girls face in the school environment including underachievement, disproportionality in school discipline, deficit ideologies, and educator and counselor bias. The current study centers the voices on high achieving Black girls in an effort to center their unique and nuanced experiences in high school. Data was collected using in-depth individual interviews and analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. We found that high achieving Black girls must navigate deficit thinking and negative stereotypes similar to their peers while they also pull strength and resilience from their intersecting identities. Further, high achieving Black girls were tenacious in their pursuits and found familial and teacher relationships to be paramount in their success. These findings support the importance of developing intentional and systemic supports to counter intersectional oppression to meet the needs of high achieving Black girls.
Suggested citation: Mayes, R. D., Lowery, K. P., Mims, L. C., Rodman, J., & Dixon-Payne, D. (2023). “My Greatness Made a Difference There”: Exploring the High School Experiences of High Achieving Black Girls. Education and Urban Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245231195001
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IHDSC Summer 2023 Award Announcements
We invite you to join us in celebrating the recent awards received by members of our community. We are thrilled to provide support to these talented and impactful research teams that share our commitment to unraveling inequality and expanding opportunity.
