1. RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2015
www.PosterPresentations.com
• A language broker (translator) is a
child/adolescent that translates and
interprets for their family in situations
that can be very challenging or
stressful
• Stress and commitment involved in
language brokering is potential risk
factor for heavy brokering children[1,4]
• Prior linkages have been found between
translating and greater prevalence of
psychological maladjustment[4]
• Strong cultural ties in family may help
mitigate the harmful effects of language
brokering[1,2,5]
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES
• Mood and Anxiety Symptoms
Questionnaire- Anhedonic Depression
(MASQ- AD)[6]: Measures anhedonic
depression or low levels of positive
affect.
• Penn State Worry Questionnaire
(PSWQ)[3]: Distinguishes levels of worry
and can indicate risk factors for general
anxiety disorder.
• Cultural Values Scale[2]: Measures
adherence to traditional values (e.g.,
respect towards family, familial
caregiving) or to mainstream American
values (e.g., competition, material
success, independence).
• Bilingual Background Questionnaire[4]:
Assesses level of bilingualism,
generational status, and family
structure. Also examines how often, in
what situations, and at what ages a child
translates for their parents.
PARTICIPANTS RESULTS
• Only certain cultural values may serve
as protective factors for language
translators.
• Having strong cultural values,
particularly familism, helped to lessen
the impact of translating on levels of
worry.
• Mainstream values lessened the
impact of translating on depressive
symptoms.
• Take-away message: Strong bicultural
values may help to lessen the impact
of translating on overall psychological
adjustment in emerging adulthood.
REFERENCES
• 1) Buriel, R., Perez, W., De Ment, T. L., Chavez, D. V., & Moran, V. R.
(1998). The relationship of language brokering to academic
performance, biculturalism, and self-efficacy among Latino
adolescents. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science, 20(3), 283-297.
• 2) Knight, G. P., et al. (2009). The Mexican American cultural values
scale for adolescents and adults. The Journal of Early Adolescence,
30, 444-481. doi: 10.1177/0272431609338178
• 3) Meyer, T.J., Miller, M.L., Metzger, R.L., & Borkovec, T.D. (1990).
Development and Validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.
Behaviour Research and Therapy 28:487-495.
• 4) Rainey, V. R., Flores, V., Morrison, R. G., David, E. J. R., & Silton,
R. L. (2014). Mental health risk factors associated with childhood
language brokering. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural
Development, 35 (5), 463-478. doi:10.1080/01434632.2013.870180
• 5) Ryder, A.G., Alden, L., & Paulhus, D.L. (2000). Is acculturation
unidimensional or bidimensional?: A head-to-head comparison in
the prediction of demographics, personality, self-identity, and
adjustment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 49-65.
• 6) Watson, D., Clark, L.A., Weber, K., Assenheimer, J.S., Strauss,
M.E., & McCormick, R.A. (1995). Testing a tripartite model: II.
Exploring the symptom structure of anxiety and depression in
student, adult, and patient samples. Journal of Abnormal Psychology
104(1):15-25.
• Explore different facets of psychological
adjustment in emerging adults with
adolescent translating experience
• Identify potential protective factors in
the family for language translators.
University of West Florida
Emily Speed and Vanessa Rainey, Ph.D
Cultural Protective Factors on the Mental Health of Language Brokers
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Language Broker Bilingual Non Language
Broker
LevelofWorry(PSWQ
Score)
Low
Heritage
Cultural
Values
High
Heritage
Cultural
Values
463 participants were recruited (M = 19.06
years, SD = 1.42 years, Range = 18-29
years). 313 were considered bilingual non-
brokers (M = 19.06 years, SD = 1.30 years,
Range = 18-29 years) when they were 14-
18 years of age, and 93 were categorized
as active language brokers (M = 19.04
years, SD = 1.76 years, Range = 18- 29
years) when they were 14-18 years of age.
HYPOTHESES
Interdependent cultural values will
moderate the linkage between adolescent
translating and increased levels of worry
and depression during emerging
adulthood. Strong cultural values may
lessen the prevalence of these symptoms
by providing family support.
Figure 1. High levels cultural values (top
portion), particularly familism (bottom portion),
were a protective factor against anxiety for the
language brokers, R2=.03, F(3, 429)= 3.86,
p=.0096; R2=.04, F(3, 429)=6.27, p=.0004.
DISCUSSION
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Language Broker Bilingual Non Language
Broker
AnxietySymptoms(PSWQ)
Low Familism
High Familism
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Language Broker Bilingual Non Language
Broker
DepressiveSymptoms
(MASQ-AD)
Low
Mainstream
Values
High
Mainstream
Values
Figure 2. High levels of mainstream values were
a protective factor against depressive
symptoms for the language brokers, R2=.02 ,
F(3, 429)=2.89, p=.0352.
MEASURES