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Angela Serwin

Year: Junior

Major(s):  Psychology, Criminal Justice

Mentor: DeHart, Tracy

Department: Psychology

Project Title: Collective Self-Esteem, Perceived Discrimination, and Relationship Closeness in African American Couples

Project Abstract: The idea that perceived discrimination can influence relationship functioning has been overlooked in research. The current study will examine the link between perceived discrimination and relationship closeness in African American romantic couples. It will also test whether collective self-esteem buffers the relationship between perceived discrimination and ratings of relationship closeness within these couples. A sample of 50 African American romantic couples will be recruited to individually complete a background survey and daily dairy surveys for 21 consecutive days. I expect that African Americans experiencing more discrimination will report feeling less connected to their romantic partner. In addition, I expect that African Americans with high collective self-esteem will feel closer to their partner; whereas those with low collective self-esteem will feel less close to their partner when faced with perceived discrimination.

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