FORGING LINKS tion of reliability and construct validity. JournalofPersonalityand Social Psychology, 73,805-815. Sellers, R. M., Shelton, J. N., Cooke, D., Chavous, T., Rowley, S.A.J., & Smith, M. (1998). A multidimensional model of racial identity: Assumptions, findings and future directions. In R. L. Jones (Ed.), African American identity development: Theory,research, andintervention. Hampton, VA:Cobb & Henry. Sellers, R. M., Smith, M., Shelton, J. N., Rowley, SAJ., & Chavous, T. M. (1998). Multidimensional model of racial identity: A reconceptualization of African American racial identity. Personalityand SocialPsychologyRe- view, 2 (1), 18-39. Shelton, J. N., & Sellers, R. M. (2000).Situational stability and variability in Afri- can American racial identity. JournalofBlackPsychology, 26 (1), 27-50. Smith, E. (1989). Black racial identity development: Issues and concerns. The CounselingPsychologist, 17,277-288. Smith, J. C. (1993). Understandingstressand coping. New York: Macmillan. Stokes, J. E., Murray, C. 8., Chavez, D., & Peacock, J. M. (1998). Cross' stage model revisited: An analysis of theoretical formulations and empirical evidence. In R. L. Jones (Ed.), African American identity development: Theory,research, and intervention (pp. 121-140).Hampton, VA:Cobb & Henry. Taylor, S. E. (1999). Healthpsychology (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Terrell, F., & Taylor, J. (1980). Self-concept of juveniles who commit black-on- black crimes. JournalofCorrectiveandSocialPsychiatry, 26, 107-109. Terrell, F., & Terrell, S. L. (1981). An inventory to measure cultural mistrust among blacks. WesternJournalofBlackStudies, 5 (3), 180-184. Thompson, V.S. (1996).Perceived experiences of racism as stressful life events. CommunityMentalHealth Journal, 32 (3),223-233. Utsey, S. O. (1998). Assessing the stressful effects of racism: A review of instru- mentation. Journalof BlackPsychology, 24 (3), 269-288. Watts, R. J. (1992). Racial identity and preferences for social change strategies among African Americans. Journalof BlackPsychology, 18 (2),1-18. Weiner, B. (Ed.). (1974). Cognitiveviewsofhumanemotion. New York: Academic Press. Williams, D. R., Brown,T.N., Sellers,S., & Forman, T. (1999). Racismandmen- tal health:Riskfactorsand resources. Unpublished manuscript. Williams, D. R., & Chung, A-M. (in press). Racism and health. In R. Gibson and J. S. Jackson (Eds.), Health in blackAmerica. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. . Williams, D. R., Yu, Y., Jackson, D. S., & Anderson, N. B. (1997). Racial differ- ences in physical and mental health: Socioeconomic status, stress, and dis- crimination. Unpublished manuscript. Wyer, R. S., & Srull, T. K. (1981). Category accessibility: Some theoretical and empirical issues concerning the processing of social stimulus informa- tion. In E. T. Higgins, C. P. Herman, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), Social cogni- tion: The Ontario symposium (Vol. 1, pp. 1-43). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. 3 Parental Characteristics, Racial Stress, and Racial Socialization Processes as Predictors of Racial Coping in Middle Childhood Deborah J. Johnson Ecological models of human development over traditional develop- mental models consider contexts but fall short on the serious consid- eration of culture in family processes associated with socialization. Parental characteristics, perceptions, and practices in child rearing are the primary and critically influential factors in the development of competent children (Bugental & Goodenow, 1998). Key components of emerging developmental models inclusive of ethnic minority chil- dren centralize the contexts and experiences associated with economic and racial discrimination as contributing determinants of parental socialization processes and child outcomes (Garcia-ColI et al., 1996). In these contemporary models, competent children, particularly chil- dren of color, must necessarily develop race-related strategies to cope with the experiences and consequences of societal prejudice and dis- crimination. Few studies have addressed these parental racial social- ization processes and child outcomes simultaneously. Among those who have investigated these relations, the principal outcome of inter- est is most often children's personal and racial identity development (Marshall, 1995; Spencer, 1983;Stevenson, 1995). The relation between parental socialization processes and children's coping in relation to race is only beginning to be addressed empirically. Among the studies of racial socialization that do exist, many have pursued the investigation of adolescent experiences. Stevenson and 2001 In Neal-Barnett (Ed.). Forging Links: Clinical/Developmental Perspective of African American Children (pp.57-74). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.