Objective and perceived community factors: exploring responses to context

To study the neighborhood context, researchers typically use (objective) archival measures and (subjective) self-reported data of neighborhood conditions. The current study compared these measures and explored whether internalizing symptoms influences how individuals perceive their neighborhoods.

The sample was 112 African American young adults living in 27 neighborhoods. Objective indicators of neighborhoods were assessed via census data and compared to self-reported data of neighborhood conditions.

Findings revealed that individuals with higher levels of anxiety and depression are more sensitive to objective indicators of neighborhood poverty.

Results suggest that there are systematic differences in how people perceive their surroundings. Implications of study findings are discussed in terms of improving models of adjustment.