Love Styles Utilized by African-American Men as Predicted by Stages of Racial Identity and Perceptions of African-American Women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the interactions among racial identity levels and perceptions of African-American women, and the possible effects of the levels and perceptions on loves styles utilized by African-American men in interpersonal romantic relationships. The study included a sample of 239 African-American men. Participants completed three assessments: the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS), the Perceptions of African-American Women Scale (PAAWS), and Love Styles: Short Form (LS: SF) assessment. First, correlational coefficients were generated in order to determine possible relationships among the assessments. Afterward, an exploratory multiple regression was performed for the six separate love styles in order to study the possible interaction effects of racial identity levels and endorsement of belief of certain African-American female images. Results indicated that statistically significant relationships do exist among the variables presented, conveying that racial identity and endorsement of certain images of African-American women could impact love style. Additionally, the current study found that certain racial identity levels and images of African-American women could possibly increase or decrease the endorsement of particular love styles. Implications for these findings are discussed. Recommendations for the counseling profession related to African-American males are also considered.