Zane Kelley

The Relation Between Discrimination and Relationship Outcomes

Advisor: Vicki Helgeson
Major: Psychology

Abstract

Greater discrimination has been associated with poorer health, greater depression and greater relationship strain for the person who experiences discrimination (target) and their partner (Wofford et al., 2019). One possible explanation for this outcome could be stress spillover, the concept that stressful life circumstances drain an individual’s self-regulatory resources, which has been shown to mediate the relation between daily stress and marital satisfaction (Buck & Neff, 2012). However, other research has shown that individuals who faced more frequent daily discrimination and blamed their partner for their stress-related behaviors were more likely to report a mutual approach to coping with discrimination and more positive relationship qualities, implying that a shared view of discrimination may be beneficial (Murdock & Wood, 2022). In support of this finding, longitudinal research with African American couples has found a positive association between experiencing racial discrimination and quality of support (Clavél et al., 2017). To examine these contradictory findings on the relation between discrimination and relationship outcomes, I will be conducting a meta-analysis examining the literature on this topic. I will gather articles from psychology databases using key terms related to discrimination and relationship outcomes. Alongside a trained research assistant, I will examine the articles that we have selected and extract the necessary information needed for the meta-analyses. Following extraction, I will conduct the statistical analyses examining the effect size between discrimination and relationship outcomes. Additionally, I will conduct necessary moderator analyses to examine possible differences between studies that may relate to the effect size. Once the analyses are conducted, I will write up these analyses into a paper interpreting the outcomes.

Bio

I am pursing a degree in psychology, with a concentration in social/health psychology. My research interests include cardiovascular response to chronic stress, social support and interpersonal relationships. I began working as a research assistant in Vicki Helgeson’s Gender, Relationships and Health Lab in the spring of 2022 where, alongside assisting with other projects, I conducted an observational study examining the relation between experience of discrimination and relationship quality, as well as an experimental study examining the effect of disclosure of discrimination on support interactions. In addition to my research with Helgeson, I began working as a research assistant in Michael Trujillo’s Stigma, Health Equity and Resilience Lab in the summer of 2023 where I conducted a large-scale data exploration on how connectedness with others influences the relation between experience of rejection and blood pressure. Outside of my academic interests, I enjoy all things related to music, as well as coming up with “culinary” creations in the kitchen.