Shifting Can Be Stressful for African American Women: A Structural Mediation Model

The present study was designed to examine shifting, the phenomenon of altering or modifying one’s self-presentation in different social contexts, as a mediator of the predictive effects of African American women’s acculturation on their perceived race-related stress. To explore this issue, measures of African American acculturation, shifting, and race-related stress were examined within a structural model. The current study quantitatively examined the relationships of these variables among a sample of 366 African American women. Results of a structural equation model indicated full mediation; greater levels of immersion in African American acculturation resulted in greater levels of shifting, which, in turn, generated increased levels of race-related stress. These data extend previous work and expand the literature regarding African American women’s shifting. Implications for clinical work and future research with African American women are also discussed.