Exploring Online Heterosexist Discrimination Using Meyer's Minority Stress Model

dc.contributor.advisorZapolski, Tamika C.B.
dc.contributor.authorCarson, Ian William
dc.contributor.otherWu, Wei
dc.contributor.otherKnopf, Amy
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-03T14:30:03Z
dc.date.available2023-02-03T14:30:03Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.degree.date2022en_US
dc.degree.disciplineDepartment of Psychologyen
dc.degree.grantorPurdue Universityen_US
dc.degree.levelM.S.en_US
dc.descriptionIndiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)en_US
dc.description.abstractAIM People with marginalized sexual orientations experience mental health and substance use problems at a higher rate compared to heterosexuals. Experiences of discrimination have been identified as a significant factor in explaining such disparities, and a growing body of literature has developed seeking to explore the contexts in which discrimination occurs. However, one context that is understudied is the online environment. Based on Meyer’s (2003) Minority Stress Model (MSM), it is postulated that specific proximal group-specific processes mediate the relationship between discrimination and health outcomes, with other social factors providing protective effects. However, research is sparse empirically investigating different mechanisms, consequences, and potential modifying factors for sexual minority young adults experiencing online heterosexist discrimination (OHD). Thus, the current study aims to explore experiences of OHD among young adults. METHODS Using the MSM as a guiding framework, the study examined proximal factors of internalized heterosexism, online concealment, and rejection sensitivity as mechanisms underlying the effect of OHD on health outcomes and online social support as a moderating factor. 383 young adults (18-35) with marginalized sexual orientations were recruited from an introductory psychology subject pool, two online crowdsourcing platforms (Prolific, MTurk), and the community. They completed measures of OHD, online social support, online concealment, rejection sensitivity, internalized heterosexism, psychological distress, and substance use. RESULTS Path analyses in Mplus revealed that two proximal stressors (rejection sensitivity, sexual orientation concealment) were positively related to psychological distress as a result of OHD. Sexual orientation concealment was associated with increased risk for cannabis use due to OHD. Online social support from LGBTQ+ peers did not buffer these relationships. CONCLUSION The MSM is a viable guiding framework in exploring OHD. Rejection sensitivity and online sexual orientation concealment are important constructs to consider for future research and may be ideal treatment targets for individuals experiencing psychological distress or engaging in cannabis use due to OHD.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1805/31127
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.7912/C2/3090
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectOnline heterosexist discriminationen_US
dc.subjectSubstance useen_US
dc.subjectMinority stress modelen_US
dc.titleExploring Online Heterosexist Discrimination Using Meyer's Minority Stress Modelen_US
dc.typeThesisen
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