William Cross Nigrescence Theory Summary

William Cross is one of the most influential black psychologists in the field of development. This psychologist is a leading theorist and researcher who deals with ethnic identity development; he focuses his research specifically on the development of African Americans. “In 1971, the original model of the Nigrescence theory addressed whether racial preference was believed to do two things: 1) to be a part of a Black person’s personal identity and 2) to affect the person’s mental health functioning (Vandiver, et al. 2002).Studies have suggested that African Americans who accept being black are more psychologically healthy, than blacks who accept white values.” It was introduced by Cross, as a process of accepting a black identity. The process consists of African Americas moving from black self hatred to black acceptance. The original theory can be expressed …show more content…
According to Amber Goodwin, the revised version was created to address and help identify the differences in personal identity and reference group orientation, and the relationship between racial identity and self esteem (Goodwin). Christine Scarince states in her article that, “personal identity is the concept you develop about yourself that evolves over the course of your life. This may include aspects of your life that you have no control over, such as where you grew up or the color of your skin, as well as choices you make in life, such as how you spend your time and what you believe (Scarince).” An article on Buisnessdictionary.com, defines reference group orientation as, “People whose attitudes, behavior, beliefs, opinions, preferences, and values are used by an individual as the basis for his or her judgment (“What is reference group?”)”. Reference group orientation serves as a basis for the nigrescence theory; it defines the complex social groups used by the person to make sense of one’s self as a social being