Interests

My research focuses on the psychosocial well-being of Latino youth and families. Specifically, I’m interested in how cultural stressors (e.g., discrimination, acculturative stress, etc.), cultural strengths (e.g., ethnic identity, familial ethnic socialization, etc.), adolescent development, and family processes intersect to predict adolescent adjustment in the areas of self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and substance use.

Education

• B.S. Psychology, University of Arizona
• M.S. Family and Human Development, Arizona State University
• Ph.D. Family and Human Development, Arizona State University

Publications and Other Scholarly Activities

Gonzales Backen, M. A., Bamaca, M., Bermudez, D. L., & Iturriaga, V. F. (2023). The role of autonomy granting and ethnic racial socialization in Mexican-origin girls' ethnic-racial identity trajectories. Developmental Psychology, 59(10), 1921–1932. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001588

Zhang, J., & Gonzales Backen, M. A. (2023). The association of acculturative stress and rule-breaking behaviors among Latino youth from farmworker communities: A moderated mediation analysis. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000581

Bermudez, D. L., Iturriaga, V. F., Marroquin, C., Garza, R., & Gonzales Backen, M. A. (2023). The role of familism in food insecurity, role overload, and depressive symptoms among Latinx youth. Journal of Latinx Psychology, 11(4), 322–335. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000231

Gonzales Backen, M., Holcomb, J. E., & McWey, L. (2019). Cross-ethnic Measurement Equivalence of the Children's Depression Inventory among Youth in Foster Care. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. doi:10.1177/1063426619838539

Gonzales Backen, M., Meca, A., Lorenzo-Blanco, E. I., Des Rosiers, S. E., Cordova, D., Soto, D. W., Cano, M. A., Oshri, A., Zamboanga, B. L., Baezonde-Garbanati, L., Schwartz, S. J., Szapocznik, J., & Unger, J. B. (2018). Examining the temporal order of effects of ethnic identity and perceived discrimination among Hispanic immigrant adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 54, 929-937. doi:10.1037/dev0000465

Gonzales Backen, M. A., Bamáca-Colbert, M. Y., & Allen, K. (2016). Ethnic Identity Trajectories among Mexican-origin Girls during Early and Middle Adolescence: Predicting Future Psychosocial Adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 52, 790-797. doi:http:// dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0040193

Accomplishments

• Award for Excellence in Online Course Design (2013, 2015), Office of Distance Learning, Florida State University
• Award for Excellence in Online Instruction (2013), Office of Distance Learning, Florida State University
• NIH/NIMHD Loan Repayment Program Scholar, 2014-2016
• Martha E. Bernal Memorial Award (2011), Department of Psychology, Arizona State University