An Empirical Examination of the Striving Persistent Behavioral Style Among High Achieving Black and Latine Youth

Striving persistent behavioral style (SPBS) is conceptualized as an adaptation to minority stress in which marginalized youth adopt self-regulation strategies to achieve academic and social mobility for themselves and their communities. Specific self-regulation strategies observed under SPBS involve high self-control and sustained high effort behaviors. Researchers have previously identified the role of academic, emotion, and racial socialization messages in the adoption of these strategies, and have suggested likely consequences on their physical and mental health. The current studies address gaps in the literature by testing and expanding on the premises of the SPBS framework among high achieving Black (Study 1) and Latine (Study 2) adolescents. Specifically, we examine the relevance and utility of established and novel measures of high self-control and intersectional high effort coping for understanding mental health. Across studies, participants were high achieving racially minoritized high school students who were recruited to participate in a pilot (Study 1) or randomized trial (Study 2) of a school-based prevention intervention. Participants completed measures of self-control strategies, achievement motivations/pressures, intersectional high effort coping, and depression symptoms. Across samples, correlational analyses revealed significant associations between established and novel measures of self-control of emotions and avoidance of, or resistance to, distressing internal experiences. Additionally, regression analyses consistently identified emotion suppression strategies as a predictor of depression symptoms. We discuss gender differences as well as highlight implications for supporting healthy development among racialized youth persevering in the face of barriers.