Racial Identity as a Moderator of Daily Exposure and Reactivity to Racial Discrimination

The role of racial identity in the stress process was examined in a sample (N = 174) of African American doctoral students and graduates of doctoral programs. Racial discrimination and psychological distress (negative affect, depression, and anxiety) were assessed each day for a period of two weeks. Multilevel random coefficient modeling analyses revealed that unique dimensions of racial identity were associated with greater exposure to daily racial discrimination. Individuals higher in racial centrality were more likely to report daily encounters of racial discrimination than those lower in racial centrality. In contrast, individuals higher in private regard were less likely to report these encounters than those lower in private regard. Finally, the daily association between racial discrimination and psychological distress was stronger for individuals high in racial centrality. Specifically, racial centrality exacerbated the effects of daily racial discrimination on negative affect and depression. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the daily experiences of African Americans in doctoral contexts.