A measurement development and validation study of the Strong Black Woman Schema in Intimate Partnerships Scale (SBWS-IP)

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Black women report higher prevalence rates of lifetime IPV than White and Latina women. These experiences result in a number of physical and mental health consequences for Black women, including greater rates of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidality, and low self-esteem. In addition, they face unique forms of discrimination as a result of the prevalence and persistence of negative gendered-racial stereotypes that characterize them as hypersexual Jezebels, verbally aggressive Sapphires, or resilient and emotionally tough Strong Black Women (SBW). As Black women negotiate the socio-cultural expectations of these stereotypes, their investment in and capacity to effectively seek help and support when they experience IPV may be significantly hampered. Yet, little is known about the culturally sanctioned help-seeking behaviors utilized by Black female survivors of IPV. The current proposal uses an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design to understand how embodying the SBW schema influences not only Black women’s help seeking behaviors, but their overall mental health. In Aim 1, the research team will perform a scoping review of the qualitative and quantitative literature on schematic characteristics of the strong Black woman stereotype to generate an initial pool of preliminary items for Strong Black Woman Schema in Intimate Partnerships (SBWS- IP) scale. Focus groups and cognitive interviews will be conducted with young Black women in Aim 2 to explore the content validity of the developed SBWS-IP scale and ensure item clarity. Aim 3 will utilize an online survey assessment of the SBWS-IP and examine the reliability and construct validity of the measure, using item response theory, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The final study aim will use data from the online assessment and structural equation modeling to test the intermediary pathways through which internalization of the SBW schema is linked with IPV help seeking strategies and mental health. Completion of the proposed study will result in a quantitative tool that will provide a more nuanced understanding of the culturally specific gender norms that prevent Black women from engaging in IPV related help seeking behaviors that foster resilience and promote mental health.