Model minority stereotype and the diagnosis of alcohol use disorders: Implications for practitioners working with Asian Americans

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the priming effects of the model minority stereotype on 122 clinicians in training regarding their diagnostic accuracy on Asian Americans compared to Whites. It was hypothesized that clinicians in training would be less likely to diagnose Asian Americans with alcohol use disorder and would perceive them to have fewer clinical symptoms than Whites due to the model minority stereotype. Consistent with the hypotheses, clinicians in training were less likely to assign alcohol use disorder to Asian Americans compared to Whites, as well as to the unprimed condition versus the condition primed with the stereotype. Implications regarding cultural competence and future research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol use
• Asian American
• diagnostic bias
• model minority
• stereotype

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Marc Budgazad, M.A., Melina Cella, B.A., and Stephanie Pogan, M.A., of the University of Hartford for their assistance in research design and data collection. The authors also thank F. Thomas Eggemeier, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Dayton, for his helpful feedback and editorial comments on the manuscript.