Measurement Uncertainty in Racial and Ethnic Identification Among Adolescents of Mixed Ancestry: A Latent Variable Approach

Posted in Articles, New Media, Social Science, United States on 2010-04-02 15:23Z by Steven

Measurement Uncertainty in Racial and Ethnic Identification Among Adolescents of Mixed Ancestry: A Latent Variable Approach

Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal
Volume 17, Issue 1 (January 2010)
pages 110 – 133
DOI: 10.1080/10705510903439094

Allison J. Tracy
Wellesley Centers for Women

Sumru Erkut
Wellesley Centers for Women

Michelle V. Porche
Wellesley Centers for Women

Jo Kim
Wellesley Centers for Women

Linda Charmaraman
Wellesley Centers for Women

Jennifer M. Grossman
Wellesley Centers for Women

Ineke Ceder
Wellesley Centers for Women

Heidie Vázquez Garca
Wellesley Centers for Women

In this article, we operationalize identification of mixed racial and ethnic ancestry among adolescents as a latent variable to (a) account for measurement uncertainty, and (b) compare alternative wording formats for racial and ethnic self-categorization in surveys. Two latent variable models were fit to multiple mixed-ancestry indicator data from 1,738 adolescents in New England. The first, a mixture factor model, accounts for the zero-inflated mixture distribution underlying mixed-ancestry identification. Alternatively, a latent class model allows classification distinction between relatively ambiguous versus unambiguous mixed-ancestry responses. Comparison of individual indicators reveals that the Census 2000 survey version estimates higher prevalence of mixed ancestry but is less sensitive to relative certainty of identification than are alternate survey versions (i.e., offering a “mixed” check box option, allowing a written response). Ease of coding and missing data are also considered in discussing the relative merit of individual mixed-ancestry indicators among adolescents.

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Complexities in Researching Mixed Ancestry Adolescents: A Preliminary Study

Posted in Identity Development/Psychology, Media Archive, Papers/Presentations, United States on 2009-11-11 03:35Z by Steven

Complexities in Researching Mixed Ancestry Adolescents: A Preliminary Study

Wellesley Centers for Women
2004

Michelle Porche

Peony Fhagen-Smith, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Wheaton College, Norton Massachusetts

Jo H. Kim

Heidie A. Vázquez García

Allison J. Tracy

Sumru Erkut

Contemporary events, such as the change in the 2000 U.S. Census, highlight the need for a better understanding of political, social, and psychological ramifications of mixed-ancestry identity. To be able to monitor and serve the needs of mixed-ancestry youth, we need to be able to identify who is and is not a mixed-ancestry individual. Subsequently, we need to examine particular risk and protective factors relevant to mixed-ancestry youth. In this paper we review some of the recent literature on mixed-ancestry adolescents’ social adjustment and the assessment of mixed ancestry and present theories of mixed-ancestry identity formation. We then present the results of a preliminary qualitative study of mixed-ancestry college students that illustrate some of the empirical findings and theoretical suppositions.

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