Date of Award

January 2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Counseling Psychology & Community Services

First Advisor

Rachel Navarro

Abstract

The present paper explores the experience of microaggressions among asexuals and relevant literature. There is a dearth of research on asexuality, particularly as it relates to the experience of microaggressions. However, research suggests that microaggressions have a cumulative impact on both physical and emotional well-being as reported by all minority groups that face microaggressions (Lewis, 2009, Mayer, 2010). The development of a scale that measures the experience of microaggressions would allow for this area of research to be further studied. The paper utilized DeVellis’s (2017) method for scale development to develop a psychometrically sound scale assessing the experience of microaggressions among asexuals. The final Asexual Experiences of Microaggressions (AEM) scale had 24-items and five subscales: discrimination experiences, portrayal of asexuals in the media, having a partner, prestigious employment, and rejection in the LGBT+ community. The next step in scale development necessitates a confirmatory factor analysis to show the scale is replicable. Future research utilizing the AEM scale should also assess divergent validity. The paper reviews limitations of the study as well as clinical and research implications.

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