9421433 Several hypotheses regarding the psychosocial consequences of racial identity are derived from a multi-dimensional model of racial identity. The proposed research focuses on generating stimulus materials and pilot data that will permit the PI to test these hypotheses in two studies to be proposed in a subsequent grant application. The goal of the first pilot project is to refine stimulus materials (video-tapes of violent behavior and group composition) and dependent measures of racial and gender identity salience for use in a future study of contextual influences on racial and gender salience. A sample of African American female college students will watch a video-tape of either a black male (race salient), white female (gender salient), or white male (neutral) being beaten by a white male and complete the dependent measures of racial and gender identity salience. Feedback from the subjects will be used to assess the effectiveness of the stimuli in making race or gender salient as well as to standardize the level of violence experienced. Also, estimates of reliability and inter-measure consistency will be produced. In a second pilot project, survey instruments designed to measure racial identity, self-esteem, and educational efficacy will be given to approximately 450 African American college students from two universities. The reliability and underlying structure of the measures will be assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques. These measures will be used in two future studies investigating (1) the relationship between racial identity and self-esteem and (2 ) role of racial identity in academic beliefs and performance of African American college students. This research consists of two pilot studies which are designed to improve the methodology of two future studies which will investigate the racial identity of African American college students. This research is important in it's potential for developing a sophisticated, multi-dimensional mod el of racial identity which will contribute to our understanding of: a) the situational factors that make racial identity salient; b) the relationship between racial regard and self-esteem; and c) associations between racial identity and academic performance.
