Traditionally, conceptual models of racial stressors (including racial microaggressions) have characterized the reactive experiences of African Americans, particularly identifying how African Americans cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally respond to racial stress. The current study extends beyond the reactive coping experience and identifies nuances in the anticipatory and preparatory coping processes associated with racial microaggressions. Methods: 58 African American college students participated in a stress induction condition that exposed them to racial microinsults and prompted anticipatory concerns of further exposure to racial stress while completing a task with a racially insensitive peer. Following exposure to the stress induction condition, participants completed self-report questionnaires about their anticipatory thoughts, current affect, and proactive coping behaviors. Results: Threat-oriented thinking and negative affect were experienced in anticipation of racial discrimination; however, the endorsement of challenge-oriented thinking and positive affect were better predictors of how the current sample planned to use proactive coping behaviors to manage the anticipated racial stress. Implications: The current findings expand the racial stress coping narrative by capturing how the expression of optimism, perceived control, self-confidence, goal attainability, and positive emotion in anticipation of racial stress increases one's intention to implement coping strategies to minimize the impact of racial stress on task completion. Such findings provide cognitive and emotional targets for assessment when attempting to understand how African Americans are preparing themselves to manage anticipated racial stressors.

传统上，种族压力源（包括种族微侵略）的概念模型具有反应性的特征。非裔美国人的经历，特别是确定非裔美国人如何在认知、情感和行为上应对种族压力。目前的研究超出了反应性应对经验，并确定了与种族微侵略相关的预期和准备应对过程中的细微差别。方法： 58 名非裔美国大学生参加了压力诱导条件，使他们暴露于种族微侮辱，并在与种族不敏感的同龄人完成任务时引发了对进一步暴露于种族压力的预期担忧。在暴露于压力诱导条件后，参与者完成了关于他们的预期想法、当前影响和主动应对行为的自我报告问卷。结果：在种族歧视的预期中经历了威胁导向的思维和负面影响；然而，挑战导向思维和积极影响的认可是当前样本计划如何使用主动应对行为来管理预期种族压力的更好预测指标。意义：目前的研究结果通过捕捉乐观、感知控制、自信、目标可实现性和积极情绪的表达如何增加一个人实施应对策略的意图，以最大限度地减少种族压力的影响，从而扩展了种族压力应对的叙述。强调完成任务。当试图了解非裔美国人如何准备自己应对预期的种族压力时，这些发现为评估提供了认知和情感目标。