Racial Discrimination and Stress Response

Overseen By Qingfang Song, Ph.D.

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Western Kentucky University

Disqualifiers: Severe depression, severe anxiety, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

160 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to learn about whether ethnic minority adolescents' racial discrimination experience is related to dysregulated biological responses to subtle racism, and how the relationship may be attenuated or exacerbated by a set of social and cognitive factors. The main questions it aims to answer are: * to reveal the relationship between racial discrimination experiences and ethnic minority adolescents' stress response to subtle racism * to test parental ethnic-racial socialization, children's attribution to subtle racism and their racial identity as potential risk and protective factors.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Peer Rejection Task for addressing racial discrimination and stress response?

The research suggests that social rejection, especially from different-race evaluators, can lead to increased stress responses, such as anger and cardiovascular reactivity, which are linked to racial discrimination. Understanding these responses can help in developing treatments like the Peer Rejection Task to manage stress and improve health outcomes for those experiencing racial discrimination. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Peer Rejection Task safe for humans?

The studies suggest that experiencing discrimination, such as in the Peer Rejection Task, can lead to stress responses like increased anger, changes in heart activity, and risk-taking behavior. These responses are not inherently unsafe, but they indicate stress, which can have negative health effects if experienced frequently. ^{1 2 4 6 7}

How does this treatment for racial discrimination and stress response differ from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on the neural and physiological responses to racial discrimination, such as cortisol release and emotion regulation, rather than using a standard drug or therapy. It explores how social exclusion and perceived racial discrimination impact stress and health, offering insights into the psychological and biological processes involved. ^{1 2 3 8 9}

Research Team

Qingfang Song, Ph.D

Principal Investigator

Western Kentucky University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for Latino American or Black/African American adolescents in 6th-8th grade living in Warren County, Kentucky. Their parents must also participate. It's not for those with frequent racial discrimination experiences, severe depression, peer victimization, or severe social anxiety or generalized anxiety disorders.

Inclusion Criteria

Living in Warren county of Kentucky

Identified as Latino American or Black/African American

I am the parent of a teenager who qualifies for this study.

Exclusion Criteria

I have severe social anxiety and will not do the peer rejection task.

I often feel bullied or left out by others.

I have severe generalized anxiety disorder and will not do the peer rejection task.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Stress Induction

Participants complete an adapted peer rejection task and an impossible puzzle task to elicit stress responses

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Data Collection and Analysis

Participants' cardiovascular activity, salivary samples, and emotional responses are collected and analyzed

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for any delayed stress responses and overall well-being

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Peer Rejection Task

Trial Overview The study examines how subtle racism affects stress responses in ethnic minority teens and looks at factors like parental guidance on race issues, the kids' interpretation of racism, and their sense of racial identity as possible influencers.

Participant Groups

Group I: stress inducing task Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Adolescents will complete an adapted peer rejection task on the computer to elicit the experience of subtle racial discrimination from White peers, as well as an impossible puzzle task to elicit cognitive stress.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Western Kentucky University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

12

Recruited

1,400+

Findings from Research

Participants showed negative emotional and physiological responses, such as increased cardiovascular reactivity and poorer performance, after social rejection from same-race evaluators, while acceptance led to positive responses.

In interactions with different-race evaluators, social rejection triggered anger and heightened activation in all participants, but social acceptance resulted in White participants feeling more positive than Black participants, who displayed vigilance and threat responses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How attributional ambiguity shapes physiological and emotional responses to social rejection and acceptance. Mendes, WB., Major, B., McCoy, S., et al.[2021]

fMRI scans of Black participants experiencing perceived racial discrimination revealed that those who felt more distressed showed heightened neural activity related to social pain and decreased activity in areas responsible for regulating emotions.

Participants who attributed their exclusion to racial discrimination exhibited less neural activity associated with social pain and more activity related to emotion regulation, suggesting that understanding the cause of discrimination may help mitigate its emotional impact.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An FMRI investigation of attributing negative social treatment to racial discrimination. Masten, CL., Telzer, EH., Eisenberger, NI.[2022]

In a study of 276 Black/African American emerging adults, racial exclusion led to increased cortisol release, indicating a stress response, and was associated with greater negative feelings and lower perceived control.

The relationship between racial exclusion and cortisol release was mediated by the feeling of reduced control, suggesting that the psychological impact of discrimination can have significant health implications.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Racial exclusion causes acute cortisol release among emerging-adult African Americans: The role of reduced perceived control. Peterson, LM., Stock, ML., Monroe, J., et al.[2022]

A study involving 113 adults found that experiences of ethnic discrimination are linked to increased daily anger and negative perceptions of social interactions, suggesting that racism can heighten stress levels.

The research highlights how perceived discrimination can shape individuals' views of their daily experiences, potentially contributing to health disparities among different racial groups.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perceived ethnic discrimination in relation to daily moods and negative social interactions. Broudy, R., Brondolo, E., Coakley, V., et al.[2021]

In a study of 165 Black and White adults, those with a history of high past discrimination showed greater physiological reactivity and slower recovery during an anger recall task, indicating that past discrimination can act as a chronic stressor affecting stress responses.

The findings revealed that while both racial groups experienced similar patterns, Black participants exhibited more intense reactivity and slower recovery compared to White participants, highlighting the unique impact of discrimination on cardiovascular responses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Discrimination, dispositions, and cardiovascular responses to stress. Richman, LS., Bennett, GG., Pek, J., et al.[2022]

Experiencing rejection from individuals of a different race (out-group rejection) leads to distinct physiological responses, such as lower cortisol levels and increased cardiac output, compared to rejection from individuals of the same race (in-group rejection).

Out-group rejection is also linked to greater feelings of anger, increased attentional bias, and higher risk-taking behavior, suggesting that perceived discrimination may contribute to health disparities through both physiological and psychological pathways.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Experiencing discrimination increases risk taking. Jamieson, JP., Koslov, K., Nock, MK., et al.[2022]

Research indicates that experiences of racism and discrimination can lead to increased physiological responses, such as higher blood pressure, particularly in individuals who may not recognize or report these experiences.

The impact of racial discrimination on health outcomes is influenced by personality traits and cultural orientation, although the specific neural mechanisms behind these physiological reactions remain unclear.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physiological responses to racism and discrimination: an assessment of the evidence. Harrell, JP., Hall, S., Taliaferro, J.[2021]

In a study involving young adults during a simulated ball-toss game, neural activity measured through event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed that specific brain responses to social exclusion were linked to the level of distress participants felt after being excluded.

The research found that greater positive amplitude in slow-wave activity in the left prefrontal and medial frontal regions was associated with less distress, indicating that these neural responses can provide insights into how individuals process social exclusion, even during moments of fair play.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exclusion and micro-rejection: event-related potential response predicts mitigated distress. Crowley, MJ., Wu, J., McCarty, ER., et al.[2021]

Race-based rejection sensitivity (RS-race) is linked to increased stress symptoms among Black adults with fewer cross-race friends, indicating that social connections can influence mental health outcomes.

In an experimental study with Latino/a-White dyads, RS-race led to more psychosomatic symptoms when participants had same-race friendships, but this effect was not present when they formed cross-race friendships, highlighting the protective role of diverse social interactions against intergroup stress.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stress and coping in interracial contexts: The influence of race-based rejection sensitivity and cross-group friendship in daily experiences of health. Page-Gould, E., Mendoza-Denton, R., Mendes, WB.[2021]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How attributional ambiguity shapes physiological and emotional responses to social rejection and acceptance. [2021]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An FMRI investigation of attributing negative social treatment to racial discrimination. [2022]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Racial exclusion causes acute cortisol release among emerging-adult African Americans: The role of reduced perceived control. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perceived ethnic discrimination in relation to daily moods and negative social interactions. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Discrimination, dispositions, and cardiovascular responses to stress. [2022]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Experiencing discrimination increases risk taking. [2022]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physiological responses to racism and discrimination: an assessment of the evidence. [2021]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exclusion and micro-rejection: event-related potential response predicts mitigated distress. [2021]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stress and coping in interracial contexts: The influence of race-based rejection sensitivity and cross-group friendship in daily experiences of health. [2021]