ETHNIC IDENTITY AND PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ATTITUDES: THE MEDIATING AND MODERATING ROLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND SELF-REGULATION

The current study addressed the deficiency in research by examining risk factors for immigrant children that may lead to academic disengagement (such as ethnic discrimination by peers and teachers, and psychological distress) and resilience factors that promote academic engagement (such as the development of a positive ethnic identity). Children who had stronger, more positive ethnic identities had more positive academic attitudes. Furthermore, the more the children were teased by their peers and graded unfairly by their teachers because of their ethnicity, the more they thought school was less important, less useful and felt less efficacious about school and valued school less. Also as expected, the more the children perceived discrimination, the more depressed and anxious they felt. Perceptions of discrimination negatively predicted self-regulation such that children who perceived more discrimination were less capable of regulating their attention and inhibitory control. In turn, children who were less able to self-regulate reported more psychological distress and lower academic attitudes. These results support the importance of supporting children’s ethnic identities, being sensitive to perceived discrimination experiences, and working to offset depression and anxiety. Other important implications include using the school setting and including teachers in an active way to influence the children’s environment

Korean American Adolescents and Their Mothers: Intergenerational Differences and Their Consequences

The current study examined the links and mechanisms associated with intergenerational cultural conflict, psychological distress, and the intergenerational differences in acculturation and model minority stereotype (MMS) endorsement for South Korean immigrants. Specifically, Korean American adolescents’ (ages 12-19, M = 15.3, SD = 1.71) and their mothers’ (N = 209 dyads) acculturation difference and MMS endorsement difference were measured and analyzed as predictors of intergenerational cultural conflict and psychological distress for adolescents. Furthermore, the study analyzed intergenerational cultural conflict as a mediator in the acculturation gap-distress and the MMS endorsement-distress paths. Results indicated that when mothers and their adolescents differed in their acculturation, they also differed in their endorsement of the MMS. Next, as expected, the adolescents who had mothers who were not as acculturated to the American culture, experienced more cultural conflict with their parents and, in turn, felt more psychological distress. Furthermore, the adolescents who had mothers who endorsed the MMS to a greater degree, experienced more cultural conflict with their parents and, in turn, felt more psychological distress

Customers\u27 Perceptions of the Marketing Mix and the Effect on Taiwan Hypermarkets\u27 Brand Equity

Brand equity has increased in importance and created the need to develop more complex measures than are now used. Customer-based brand equity (CBBE) evolved from brand equity and was based on customer\u27s perceptions of brands. Using the marketing mix (price, store image, advertising spending, distribution intensity and price deals) to predict CBBE (brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality and brand association) was an essential goal of this study. Comparing customers\u27 perceptions of the marketing mix, and hypermarket stores (Carrefour, RT-Mart, COSTCO and Geant) effect on CBBE in Taiwan was an additional goal. The study\u27s final purpose was to test the relationship among the marketing mix, hypermarket stores and customer characteristics to determine their influence on CBBE. Two instruments (Marketing Mix Scale and Customer-Based Brand Equity Scale) were combined and used in this study. The Marketing Mix Scale was adapted from Yoo, Donthu, and Lee (2000); and the CBBE Scale was adapted from Pappu and Quester (2006). These two instruments were tested and were found to be reliable and valid measures. Descriptive analysis, t-tests and one-way ANOVA with post hoc comparisons were used to answer the two research questions in this study. In addition, three major hypotheses, each having four sub-hypotheses, were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression. Store image, distribution intensity and price deals were the essential variables that affected CBBE. The findings were, consistent with prior literature, that the marketing mix, store image, distribution intensity and price deals significantly influenced CBBE. All (four) of the hypermarkets also significantly influenced CBBE. Of the nine customer characteristics, however, only (prior) purchase experience showed strength in predicting CBBE. Customers of the four hypermarkets were not brand loyal, which was not surprising for price sensitive, mass (general) merchandise stores. Suggestions were provided as to which marketing mix variables work best to brand equity, and what benefits can be obtained from improving customers\u27 perceptions of hypermarkets through effective marketing strategies. The study concluded with interpretations of the findings and suggestions to hypermarket marketers and managers for increasing CBBE and market share. Limitations of this study and recommendations to scholars for future research were presented