City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2018 Stereotype Threat as an Explanation for Sexual Risk Taking Behavior in Gay Men: A Multi-Study Exploration of Mechanisms Inna Saboshchuk The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2801 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Running head: STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK STEREOTYPE THREAT AS AN EXPLANATION FOR SEXUAL RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR IN GAY MEN: A MULTI-STUDY EXPLORATION OF MECHANISMS by INNA SABOSHCHUK A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2018 STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK ii © 2018 INNA SABOSHCHUK All Rights Reserved STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK iii Stereotype Threat as an Explanation for Sexual Risk Taking Behavior in Gay Men: A Multi- Study Exploration of Mechanisms by Inna Saboshchuk This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty Psychology in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. __________________ _________________________________ Date Sarit A. Golub Chair of Examining Committee __________________ _________________________________ Date Richard Bodnar Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Catherine Good John E. Pachankis Cheryl Carmichael THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK iv ABSTRACT Stereotype Threat as an Explanation for Sexual Risk Taking Behavior in Gay Men: A Multi- Study Exploration of Mechanisms by Inna Saboshchuk Advisor: Sarit A. Golub Stereotype threat is a hindrance in performance that occurs when an individual’s awareness of negative stereotypes associated with his/her group results in inadvertent conforming to that stereotype. Stereotype threat research has been conducted on myriad group and domain identifications but gay men are strikingly absent from the stereotype threat literature. One of the most prevalent stereotypes about gay men indicates they are sexually promiscuous and that this promiscuity is linked to HIV infection. In a series of three research projects, a theoretical model proposing stereotype threat as a mechanism for sexual risk taking behavior in gay men is tested. In Study 1 we aimed to find evidence for a link between distinctiveness and threat and to explore whether gay men would endorse stereotypes about their group when exposed to threat, in Study 2, we aimed to find evidence for a link between message priming and threat and to explore if gay men would engage in stereotype avoidance by rejecting stereotypes about themselves and in Study 3, we tested the theoretical model as a whole in an experimental setting. First, we sought to establish a link between stereotype threat and working memory deficits. Second, we explored the ways in which stereotype threat induced working memory deficits lead to impaired decision making and attempted to provide preliminary evidence that sexual identity threat leads to increased physiological arousal and consequently impaired decision making. In study 1 our findings supported the claim that stereotypes about gay men’s sexual behavior exist, and that gay men are significantly more aware of them than straight men. In study 2, we did not find evidence STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK v for stereotype threat, but important findings about sexual identity differences in reaction to HIV advertisements emerged. Study 3 provided preliminary data to support stereotype threat as a mechanism for sexual risk taking behavior in gay-identified men. Future research will need to address the paths of the theoretical model which were not supported by the present research. Implications for intervening on stereotype threat in gay men are discussed. STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK vi Acknowledgements As a social psychologist, I am well aware that my environment has had an extraordinary impact on the completion of this work. First and foremost I would like to thank the institutions that have accepted me and nurtured my intellectual curiosity and passion for psychological science. Both Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center provided me with an excellent education and plenty of opportunities to succeed. Had I not attended Hunter, I may not have met my brilliant and talented advisor Dr. Sarit A. Golub. Sarit, at my admissions interview for the Graduate Center you told me you believed that an advisor has the power to make your graduate school experience either positive or negative. My time in graduate school was remarkable. It has been a privilege to watch you teach, present, develop research ideas, pore over data tables, mentor and inspire your students and lead a lab that felt like a second home to me. If I could emulate a small percentage of your academic and professional skill I would consider myself incredibly successful. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the rest of my dissertation committee: Dr. Catherine Good, Dr. John Pachankis, and Dr. Cheryl L. Carmichael. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback and hard questions. Your careful consideration of this document has helped make me a stronger researcher. Without my academic family at the Hunter HIV/AIDS Research Team (HART) I would have had a substantially more difficult time with this work. Specifically, I would like to thank Louisa Thompson for all your help with learning the ins and outs of the physiological equipment and Anthony Surace for the programming of the working memory task and all the other support you provided throughout my time at Hunter. Mikayla Holzwarth, Anna Odessky, Joshua Salazar, STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK vii Patricia Ruiz and Maria Agronovsky, you are the most competent, trustworthy and talented group of undergraduate research assistants I could have asked for. Similarly Dr. Corina Lelutiu-Weinberger, Dr. Brooke E. Wells, Dr. William Kowalczyk, and Dr. Kristi Gamarel have all played a vital role in my education and training. You were all in my life since before I even applied to graduate school, and I am so lucky to have had your guidance and friendship throughout my journey. Kailip Boonrai and Andrea Vial, there are not enough words to express the impact you have had on both my career and my life. Your support has ranged from helping me figure out what programming mistake I made in R to helping me figure out whether or not I should move to Spain. Thank you for all of the discussions about theory, data, and the more intimate aspects of our lives. I also would not be where I am without the support of my wonderful non-academic friends: Sasha, Jenny, Jein, Pearlie and Urooj. Thank you for being my support system and believing in me unconditionally. My family has worked tirelessly to provide the support structure I needed to succeed. My parents, Aleksandr and Nelya Saboshchuk immigrated to the US with a 3 year old child when they were both younger than I am now. As much as I try, I am sure that I cannot fully comprehend how difficult it must have been to start a new life under these conditions. My father graduated at the top of his class from his university and has spent the last 25 years working a manual labor job so that I could have a shot at achieving whatever it is that I wanted. My mother earned a master’s degree in a language that she was still learning while taking care of a small child and struggling with less than ideal financial circumstances. My grandparents, Svetlana Saboshchuk and Kim Shterenberg have been and continue to be my greatest fans. They have STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK viii supported every decision I have made and have continued to make it clear that they will continue to do so. I often think that I am not deserving of such sacrifice, but I will spend my life attempting to be. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my husband, Yago Varela Auge. I could write a whole dissertation outlining all the ways that you have been instrumental to my success. Thank you for your interest in my work, for listening to me talk about stereotype threat so much that you could probably present this dissertation on my behalf, for asking me difficult questions that forced me to work harder, for pushing me when I wasn’t at my best and celebrating with me when I was, for teaching me python and excel macros, for helping me create a home full of intellectual curiosity and a passion for learning and for inspiring me with your own hard work and brilliance. I am so lucky that you’re the person I get to go on this journey with. STEREOTYPE THREAT AND SEXUAL RISK ix ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................................... 1 The Present Research .............................................................................................................................. 22 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................................