# A measurement development and validation study of the Strong Black Woman Schema in Intimate Partnerships Scale (SBWS-IP)

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2022 · $195,849

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Black women report higher prevalence rates of lifetime IPV than White and Latina women. These experiences
result in a number of physical and mental health consequences for Black women, including greater rates of
depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidality, and low self-esteem. In addition, they face
unique forms of discrimination as a result of the prevalence and persistence of negative gendered-racial
stereotypes that characterize them as hypersexual Jezebels, verbally aggressive Sapphires, or resilient and
emotionally tough Strong Black Women (SBW). As Black women negotiate the socio-cultural expectations of
these stereotypes, their investment in and capacity to effectively seek help and support when they experience
IPV may be significantly hampered. Yet, little is known about the culturally sanctioned help-seeking behaviors
utilized by Black female survivors of IPV. The current proposal uses an exploratory sequential mixed methods
research design to understand how embodying the SBW schema influences not only Black women’s help
seeking behaviors, but their overall mental health. In Aim 1, the research team will perform a scoping review of
the qualitative and quantitative literature on schematic characteristics of the strong Black woman stereotype to
generate an initial pool of preliminary items for Strong Black Woman Schema in Intimate Partnerships (SBWS-
IP) scale. Focus groups and cognitive interviews will be conducted with young Black women in Aim 2 to explore
the content validity of the developed SBWS-IP scale and ensure item clarity. Aim 3 will utilize an online survey
assessment of the SBWS-IP and examine the reliability and construct validity of the measure, using item
response theory, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The final study aim will use data from the online
assessment and structural equation modeling to test the intermediary pathways through which internalization
of the SBW schema is linked with IPV help seeking strategies and mental health. Completion of the proposed
study will result in a quantitative tool that will provide a more nuanced understanding of the culturally specific
gender norms that prevent Black women from engaging in IPV related help seeking behaviors that foster
resilience and promote mental health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10528052
- **Project number:** 1R21MD016967-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Lanice Avery
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $195,849
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-07 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10528052

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10528052, A measurement development and validation study of the Strong Black Woman Schema in Intimate Partnerships Scale (SBWS-IP) (1R21MD016967-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10528052. Licensed CC0.

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