cobb
How do Cobb et al. (2016) define allostatic load?
Allostatic load is the cumulative “wear and tear” on the body from repeated adaptation to stressors, measured across multiple physiological systems
How do Clark et al. (1999) operationally define racism in their biopsychosocial model?
Racism is defined as “beliefs, attitudes, institutional arrangements, and acts that tend to denigrate individuals or groups because of phenotypic characteristics or ethnic group affiliation”
What is the HPA axis, and why is it important in stress research?
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis is a system activated during stress: the hypothalamus releases CRF, the pituitary releases ACTH, and the adrenal cortex produces cortisol. While adaptive for acute stress, chronic activation leads to negative physical and psychological outcomes
According to Jones, how is the variable “race” defined in the U.S. context biological construct or social construct?
Race is not a biological construct reflecting innate differences, but a social construct that precisely captures the impacts of racism.
What racial group is disproportionately diagnosed with hypertension?
Blacks
What is colorism and how is it described in Cobb et al.’s study?
Colorism is a system of racial stratification privileging lighter skin and penalizing darker skin. Hunter (2007) notes that while all African Americans face discrimination, its intensity and frequency differ by skin tone
what is the difference between attitudinal racism and behavioral racism?
Attitudinal racism (ethnic prejudice) refers to negative beliefs or attitudes, while behavioral racism (ethnic discrimination) refers to actions or institutional practices that deny equitable treatment
What chronic diseases have been linked to long-term activation of the HPA axis?
Chronic HPA activation has been linked to type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and stroke
Define institutionalized racism and give two examples of how it manifests in society.
Institutionalized racism is differential access to the goods, services, and opportunities of society by race. Examples include unequal access to quality education and differential political representation.
If the gardener represents the government, what are the dangers when the gardener is allied with one group and unconcerned with equity?
The government may perpetuate inequality by favoring one group’s flourishing while ignoring or actively disadvantaging others, reinforcing institutionalized racism.
According to Cobb et al., how does interviewer-rated skin tone among Black respondents relate to health disparities?
Dark-skinned Black respondents had the highest allostatic load compared to both White respondents and lighter-skinned Black respondents, showing that socially-assigned skin tone influences physiological dysregulation
What role does socioeconomic status (SES) play in Clark et al.’s biopsychosocial model of racism?
SES interacts with racism exposure and coping responses. Lower SES African Americans face more chronic stressors with fewer resources, while higher SES African Americans may encounter subtler forms of racism, leading to different health outcomes
What paradox do Jackson, Knight, and Rafferty (2012) identify in Black health outcomes?
Blacks experience worse physical health outcomes (higher morbidity, earlier mortality) yet lower rates of many mental disorders compared to Whites, despite higher levels of psychological distress. The authors hypothesize coping strategies (e.g., unhealthy behaviors) help preserve mental health but harm physical health
In Jones’s “Gardener’s Tale,” what does the “rich soil vs. poor soil” metaphor represent in real-world society?
The quality of soil represents structural conditions shaped by institutionalized racism, where one group receives fertile conditions for growth and another is disadvantaged by poor, rocky conditions.
How does intragroup racism (colorism) function as a stressor within African American communities?
Darker-skinned African Americans historically and contemporarily face exclusion, discrimination, and fewer socioeconomic opportunities, which adds an internal layer of stress and health risk beyond intergroup racism
How does the “weathering hypothesis” help explain Cobb et al.’s findings on allostatic load?
The weathering hypothesis argues that the stress of systemic racism accelerates physiological deterioration, meaning Black individuals may experience age-related morbidity earlier. Cobb et al.’s findings on higher allostatic load among Blacks (especially dark-skinned) provide biological evidence for this process
How might intergroup and intragroup racism together shape health disparities within African American communities?
Intergroup racism (from Whites toward Blacks) creates systemic disadvantages, while intragroup racism (colorism within the Black community) further stratifies opportunities and health risks by skin tone, compounding stress and worsening health inequities
In what ways do unhealthy coping behaviors (e.g., comfort eating, smoking, drinking) serve as both protective and harmful, according to Jackson et al.?
These behaviors reduce stress symptoms (buffering against anxiety and depression via effects on the HPA axis) but simultaneously increase long-term risks for obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses
How might addressing only internalized racism or personally mediated racism fall short of dismantling systemic inequality, according to the framework?
While changing individual attitudes or behaviors may help, without addressing institutionalized racism (the root structural conditions), disparities in opportunity and outcomes will persist.
Why does Clark et al. argue that perceptions of racism are more important than “objective” racism in predicting health?
Because psychological and physiological stress responses are more sensitive to an individual’s perception of an event’s stressfulness than to the event itself
How do Cobb et al. show that disparities in allostatic load are not uniform across Black subgroups?
They find that disparities are largest between Whites and dark-skinned Blacks, and smallest between Whites and light-skinned Blacks, showing that skin tone moderates racial health disparities
How does Clark et al.’s biopsychosocial model incorporate mediator and moderator variables in the racism-health link?
Moderator variables (e.g., skin tone, SES) shape the strength of the racism-health relationship, while mediator variables (e.g., coping responses) explain how perceived racism leads to stress and health outcomes
According to Jackson et al., how does alcohol consumption influence the stress response?
Alcohol elevates dopamine and β-endorphin levels, creating relaxation and reducing stress, but it also activates the HPA axis, which can increase long-term allostatic load
What does internalized racism entail, and how does it undermine both individuals and collective action? example
Internalized racism involves acceptance by stigmatized racial groups of negative messages about their own worth, leading to self-devaluation, loss of self-determination, and undermining of collective resistance to inequality.
How do the three readings together suggest that racism should be studied as both a social determinant and a biological stressor?
Cobb et al. show physiological disparities by skin tone (biological stress effects), Jackson et al. show stress-related coping behaviors influencing physical vs. mental health, and Clark et al. propose a biopsychosocial model linking perception of racism to health outcomes. Together, they show racism as both a social system and a biological stressor that “gets under the skin”