Asian Values, Intergenerational Conflict, Needs, and Attachment in Asian/Asian American Women’s Disordered Eating

I tested a path model that integrated cultural and psychological factors as predictors of disordered eating among Asian and Asian American college women. Asian values of honoring family through achievement and conformity to norms, and intergenerational family conflict due to acculturation gap were the cultural predictors. Psychological needs thwarting and anxious parental attachment were the indirect psychological factors through which the cultural factors predicted disordered eating. Two-hundred forty-four Asian and Asian American women participated in an online survey. Structural equation modeling analysis results indicated that the Asian value of honoring family through achievement and intergenerational family conflict were indirectly associated with both binge eating and restricted eating via thwarted psychological needs, but not via anxious parental attachment. The Asian value of conformity to norms was directly associated with restricted eating. These cultural factors need to be addressed when treating disordered eating among Asian/Asian America women.

Family and Social Cognitive Predictors of Southeast Asian American College Students’ Academic Satisfaction

Southeast Asian Americans have unique sociopolitical histories compared to other Asian American ethnic groups in the United States. These experiences may distinctly shape their academic experiences. Given the low academic attainment rates in this population, we tested a cultural and social cognitive model of academic satisfaction with a sample of 111 Southeast Asian American college students. Specifically, we examined the degree to which intergenerational family conflict and social cognitive factors (e.g., self-efficacy) related to academic satisfaction. We found that intergenerational family conflict was negatively related to family academic support. Contrary to expectations, family academic support and self-efficacy were not directly linked to academic satisfaction, family academic support was not directly linked to self-efficacy or outcome expectations, and outcome expectations was not linked to goal progress. Other social cognitive predictors were related directly and indirectly to academic satisfaction, consistent with prior research. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are addressed.