Abstract
An important step in advancing research with Latina/o/x sexual minority youth (LSMY) is to determine if existing measures of sexual orientation and family functioning are valid and practical measures for LSMY. The main purpose of this dissertation will be to: (1) ensure that sexual orientation and family functioning are being measured accurately among Latina/o/x adolescents, (2) assess the concurrent and predictive validity of existing measures of family functioning in LSMY, and (3) determine whether new or adapted measures of sexual orientation and family functioning are needed. This study will utilize secondary data from a subsample of LSMY (n=115) and Latina/o/x non-SMY (n=339) to assess the psychometric properties of a measure of sexual orientation (using the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid) and the concurrent and predictive validity of existing family functioning measures (i.e., Parent-adolescent Communication Scale, Parental Monitoring of Peers, and Parenting Practice Scale). Furthermore, to determine face validity, individual qualitative interviews with LSMY will explore how well these measures represent the measured constructs for LSMY.