Relationship between academic tracking and the degree of interethnic acceptance.

The unidimensional Interpersonal Relationship Assessment Technique (IRAT) was developed to examine the relationship between academic tracking and degree of cross-ethnic acceptance in integrated homeroom classes. When responses to the IRAT by 2,323 Israeli junior high school students were analyzed without the tracking factor, typical asymmetrical cross-ethnic acceptance was found. Both Middle Eastern and Western Ss exhibited a higher degree of acceptance toward Western students than toward Middle Eastern ones. When including the tracking factor in the analysis, regardless of ethnic origin, the degree of cross-ethnic acceptance was positively related to the academic status of evaluated classmates. Additionally, high-track Ss were selectively less accepting of low-track classmates than were their low-track counterparts. Implications for future success in integration are discussed. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What college students really think about ethnic student organizations.

In this study, the authors examined European, Hispanic, and African American college students' attitudes toward ethnic student organizations (ESOs). Based on data from Study 1 (N = 750), it was found that students across ethnic groups expressed uncertainty about whether ESOs were beneficial/necessary, fair/acceptable, and about their interest in joining an ESO. As a group, Hispanic and African American students did not believe that ESOs contributed to racial or ethnic separatism on campus, whereas European Americans expressed uncertainty about that possibility. In Study 2, a separate sample of students (N = 631) was randomly assigned to read the mission statement of a White, Hispanic, or African American ESO. Consistent with asymmetry theory, students in general judged the White American ESO as significantly less beneficial/necessary, less fair/acceptable, and as contributing more to racial/ethnic separatism than the Hispanic and African American ESOs. European, Hispanic, and African American students viewed their own ESO most favorably, although European American students were more consistent in their appraisals of ESOs irrespective of the ethnic focus of the ESO. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychometric properties of the Race-Related Events Scale.

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Race-Related Events Scale (RES). The RES is a brief screening measure used to assess exposure to stressful and potentially traumatizing experiences of race-related stress and was designed to be both consistent with standard diagnostic definitions of traumatic events and applicable to diverse ethnic groups. Its psychometric properties were assessed in an ethnically diverse sample of undergraduate students (N = 408). The measure showed good internal consistency (α = .86) and adequate 1-month test–retest reliability (rs = .66). Its validity was supported by findings that Whites reported significantly less race-related stress than other ethnic groups and African Americans reported significantly more race-related stress than Asian Americans. A subset of participants who reported ongoing distress following a race-related stressor (n = 91) also completed posttraumatic stress disorder measures. Close to one-third of these participants reported a race-related stressor involving exposure to threat of injury or death to self or others and almost half reported fear, helplessness, or horror during a race-related stressor. Participants who met these DSM–IV–TR criteria for trauma exposure reported significantly more race-related stressors and more severe posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Greater exposure to race-related stressors was associated with more severe posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among ethnic minority but not White respondents. These findings suggest that the RES is a useful screening measure of potentially traumatizing race-related experiences across diverse ethnic groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal consistency of adolescent ethnic identification across varying school ethnic contexts.

The present study examined consistency and inconsistency in adolescents' ethnic identification (i.e., self-reported ethnicity) across the 6 middle-school semesters. The sample (N = 1,589, of whom 46% were boys and 54% were girls) included African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Caucasian/White, Latino/Latina, Mexican/Mexican American, and multiethnic students. Latent class analyses yielded 3 key patterns in ethnic identification across the middle-school years: consistent, late consistent, and inconsistent. Ethnic identification remained consistent across fall and spring of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades for only about 60% of the students. Asian/Pacific Islander students were more consistent, and multiethnic students were less consistent than students from other ethnic groups. School ethnic composition was associated with systematic shifts in ethnic identification from the beginning to the end of middle school for those students who initially identified as Latino/Latina, African American, or multiethnic but not for Mexican-origin students. In combination, the results provide insight into the consistency of ethnic identification, the role of context in adolescents' self-representation, and considerations for longitudinal studies that examine ethnic differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental attachment, self-esteem, and antisocial behaviors among African American, European American, and Mexican American adolescents.

This study examined the relation of mother and father attachment to self-esteem and self-reported involvement in antisocial behaviors among African American (n=488), European American (n=661), and Mexican American (n=434) high school students. The attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance were examined using self-report scales that were developed and validated with participants in the study. Findings indicated that adolescents from the 3 ethnic/racial groups did not differ greatly in their reported attachment to father and mother. Consistent with theoretical formulations, securely attached adolescents from the 3 ethnic groups had a more positive sense of self-esteem and reported less involvement in antisocial behaviors than their less securely attached peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnicity and perceived discrimination in Toronto: Another look at the personal/group discrimination discrepancy.

Perceptions of personal and group discrimination in 5 domains (jobs, pay, loans, promotions, and clubs) were investigated via telephone interviews with 902 respondents from different ethnic groups in Toronto. The reported analyses concern 6 ethnic groups, representing "visible," racial minorities (Blacks, Chinese, and South Asians) as well as White minorities (Italians, Jews, and Portuguese). The personal/group discrimination discrepancy (i.e., perceiving greater discrimination toward one's group than oneself personally) was observed to varying extent across all domains and ethnic groups, though with some exceptions. Visible minorities perceived greater discrimination toward their group than did White minorities, especially in the economic domains of jobs, pay, and promotions. Among visible minorities, Black respondents perceived higher levels of group and personal discrimination than most other ethnic groups across domains, followed in turn by Chinese and South Asian respondents. By contrast, White minority group members perceived considerably less group or personal discrimination than members of visible minorities, except for Jewish respondents who reported greater group discrimination in joining clubs than any other ethnic group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Growth of reading vocabulary in diverse elementary schools: Decoding and word meaning.

The authors charted growth of reading vocabulary for first- through fourth-grade students at three dissimilar elementary schools: School A, a suburban school enrolling White students who spoke standard English; School B, an inner-city school enrolling Black, dialect-speaking students; and School C, a semirural school enrolling economically disadvantaged, dialect-speaking Asian/Pacific students. Multiple-choice and interview tests showed rapid growth of reading vocabulary to an impressive size for all students. However, mainstream (School A) students had larger reading vocabularies, decoded more words, and knew more word meanings than the disadvantaged students at Schools B and C. The gap between mainstream and disadvantaged students was largest for infrequent words. The data suggest that direct instruction in decoding and/or individual word meanings could play a limited role in assisting minority students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological and demographic correlates of early academic skill development among American Indian and Alaska Native youth: A growth modeling study.

Research regarding the development of early academic skills among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students has been very limited to date. Using a nationally representative sample of AIAN, Hispanic, African American, and White children at school entry, the authors used latent growth models to estimate the associations among poverty, low parental education, living in a rural location, as well as child attitudes toward learning and internalizing/externalizing behaviors, with mathematical and reading cognitive skill development across the 1st 4 years of school. Results indicate that AIAN children entered kindergarten with scores on both mathematical and reading cognitive tests that were comparable to their peers from other ethnic groups of color. Importantly, all children who entered kindergarten with lower cognitive skill scores also acquired skills more slowly over the next 4 years. Having a positive approach to learning at the start of kindergarten was associated with cognitive skill levels at school entry nearly 1 standard deviation above the population average. Results are discussed with reference to the shared early educational profiles observed between AIAN and other children of color. These findings provide a much-needed update regarding early academic development among AIAN children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of different types of cooperative learning on cross-ethnic and cross-sex relationships.

Hypothesized that the effects of cooperative experiences on cross-ethnic and cross-sex relationships would be strongest for structured class activities, next strongest for unstructured class activities in the broader school environment, and least strong for activities in students' homes. In Study 1, 74 6th graders were randomly assigned to 3 conditions (cooperative controversy, cooperative debate, and individualistic) stratifying for sex, ability level, and ethnic membership. Ss participated in the study for 55 min/day for 11 instructional days. In Study 2, 51 4th graders were randomly assigned to 2 conditions (intergroup cooperation and intergroup competition) stratifying for sex, ability, and ethnic membership. Ss participated in the study for 55 min/day for 10 instructional days. An activity report scale was administered to Ss to determine with whom they interacted in structured class activities, unstructured class activities, school activities outside of class, and activities in the home. Results show that in Study 1, both the cooperative controversy and cooperative debate conditions promoted more positive cross-sex and cross-ethnic relationships than did individualistic learning. In Study 2, intergroup cooperation promoted more positive cross-sex and cross-ethnic relationships than intergroup competition. Relationships formed within cooperative learning situations did not generalize into unstructured class, school, and home activities. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in counseling ethnic minorities and race-based availability of graduate school resources.

Psychology interns were surveyed concerning their perceptions of training received on ethnic minority issues and the availability of resources during graduate training. Respondents reported mediocre preparation for counseling ethnic minority clients. Few had courses on counseling ethnic minorities and these issues were not incorporated into most core courses. The majority reported both encouragement to examine their biases regarding ethnicity (as defined by J. M. Casas, 1984) and the presence of experts in these issues during training. A few program type and internship setting differences were found. In terms of resources, both White students and students of other races reported having support for their dissertations and access to role models and mentors, with a few differences emerging in source of mentoring. Differences in funding between White students and students of other races were also identified. Implications for training programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patterns of drug abuse: Relationships with ethnicity, sensation seeking, and anxiety.

Administered the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to 30 White, 30 Black, and 30 Hispanic male narcotic drug abusers in residential treatment. Individual drug abuse histories were assessed in semistructured interviews. Results are as follows: (a) White Ss scored significantly higher on the 5 SSS subtests than did either Black or Hispanic Ss. No significant differences were obtained between ethnic groups on the STAI. (b) Even though the prevalence of the use of alcohol, cannabis, street methadone, and cocaine was similar in the 3 ethnic groups, significantly more White Ss had used amphetamines, barbiturates, tranquilizers, methaqualone, inhalants, and psychedelics. (c) SSS scores and anxiety correlated significantly with the number of different drugs used by Whites, although the measures were virtually unrelated to drug use among non-Whites. The frequency of use of stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogenic drugs was unrelated to the user's level of sensation seeking or anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Between the Cup of Principle and the Lip of Practice: Ethnic Minorities and American Psychology, 1966-1980.

By 1980, the previously held dichotomy of Black and White racial identity in America had yielded to a mosaic of red, yellow, brown, black, and white. During the 1960s and 1970s, identity, and thus psychological knowledge, were articulated and differentiated in terms of gender, sexual orientation, and class in unprecedented ways. In this article, the author contextualizes efforts to make mainstream American psychology more receptive to ethnic minorities between 1966 and 1980. Advocacy and activism by ethnic minority psychologists forced American mainstream psychology to yield a place at the table to non-White, non-European individuals. He emphasizes the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority graduate students and faculty, and concludes that many individual psychologists were important in forcing changes in these areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of the factor structures of mental abilities in four ethnic groups.

Compared structures of mental abilities of groups of Black, Spanish, Jewish, and Caucasian-Gentile community college students. The Comparative Guidance and Placement Program results for 2,985 students were factor analyzed within ethnic groups, and the oblique pattern matrices were compared using factor comparison procedures. Intraclass and congruence coefficients were computed by setting one group's factor matrix as a target and rotating the other matrices against it. Highly similar factor solutions were obtained for each group. Differences in magnitude of loadings on factors were found, but the basic structures were almost identical. The cross-ethnic construct validity of the Comparative Guidance and Placement Program and relative invariance of mental abilities structures across groups were demonstrated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic Enclaves and the Dynamics of Social Identity on the College Campus: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The effects of membership in ethnic organizations and fraternities and sororities on intergroup attitudes were examined using a 5-wave panel study at a major, multiethnic university. The results showed that these effects were similar for both minority and White students. Membership in ethnic student organizations for minorities and Greek organizations for Whites was anteceded by the degree of one's ethnic identity, and the effects of membership in these groups were similar, although not identical, for both White and minority students. These effects included an increased sense of ethnic victimization and a decreased sense of common identity and social inclusiveness. Consistent with social identity theory, at least a portion of these effects were mediated by social identity among both White and minority students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classroom structure and prejudice in desegregated schools.

Two experiments investigated the effect of the classroom structure and the classroom climate of desegregated schools on the prejudices of White intermediate school students in a large, southwestern school district. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated that (a) the higher the percentage of minorities in a class, the more minority friends the White students had; (b) the more the minorities in a class displayed hostility toward Whites, the more negative were the Whites' attitudes toward minorities in general; (c) the more equal the social class and achievement levels of the Whites and minorities in a class, the more minority friends the White students had; and (d) the higher the self-esteem of the Whites in a class, the more positive their ethnic attitudes. Implications for the design of desegregation plans are also discussed. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drug use, violence, and victimization among White American, Mexican American, and American Indian dropouts, students with academic problems, and students in good academic standing.

Problem-prone behaviors of White American, Mexican American, and American Indian high school dropouts, students in good academic standing, and students in poor academic standing were surveyed. Generally, dropouts were most involved with drugs, perpetration of violence, and victimization by violence, students in poor standing were the next most involved, and students in good standing were least involved. Ethnicity did not interact with academic status, suggesting that differences between dropouts and students were similar across ethnic groups. Some ethnicity and gender main effects were found. Findings were related to R. Jessor's (see record 1992-23064-001) theory of problem-prone behaviors, to peer cluster theory, and to intervention design. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher–student interactions: Effects of student race, sex, and grade level.

Studied quantitative and qualitative differences in students' initiating behaviors, teachers' verbal feedback, and students' available response opportunities in 63 classrooms in relation to student race (Black or White), sex, and grade level (kindergarten through 5th grade). There were 430 White males, 311 White females, 296 Black males, and 291 Black females. Interactions were collected using an observation system, and data were standardized for each classroom to account for the representation of each of the 4 sex/race categories. Results indicate that male students initiated more positive and negative interactions with teachers than did female students. Quantitatively, White female students at both the lower-elementary (LE) and the upper-elementary (UE) levels received less teacher feedback than did students in the other sex/race categories. Black female students received less teacher feedback in the UE grades than in the LE grades, as was the case for White female students. Qualitative differences in feedback indicated that male students received more negative and nonacademic feedback than did female students and that UE female students received less academic feedback than did UE male students. Findings show that UE Black female students were provided fewer opportunities to respond in the classroom than were LE Black female students. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drinking motives and college students: Further examination of a four-factor model.

The purposes of this study were to examine the reliability and validity of a 4-factor model of the Drinking Motives Measure and to assess year in school and ethnic differences on different types of motives. Data were collected on 441 volunteer college students. Results indicated that fit indices for the 4-factor model were acceptable; fit indices were also better for the 4-factor model than they were for alternative models. Freshman students and students of color had higher scores on the Conformity motives subscale than senior and White students did, respectively. Additionally, differences in the correlation between Conformity motives and alcohol use existed based on year in school, such that the relationship was significantly smaller for freshmen than it was for other students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some effects of a special Indian culture oriented program on attitudes of White and Indian elementary school pupils.

Studied the effects of the introduction of a special instructional program oriented toward Indian culture on White and Indian pupils in Grades 4–8. Social distance attitudes, sociometric status, and teacher ratings of White and Indian pupils were measured at the beginning and at the end of the school year. During this period, the social distance attitudes of the White pupils in the experimental group toward the Indian group and toward other ethnic groups decreased significantly. Sociometric status and teachers' evaluations did not change significantly. (French summary) (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential trends in law grades of minority and nonminority law students.

Studied 3-yr trends in the law averages awarded to nonminority students and to 2 principal minority groups—Black students and Chicano students—in 2 sets of law schools that enrolled more than 900 Black students and more than 300 Chicano students. In 18 of 21 law schools, Black students showed greater improvement than White students when 3rd-yr grades were compared with 1st-yr grades. In 10 of 21 schools the improvement of Black students was significantly greater, statistically, than that of White students. Chicano students, who generally showed less prior educational disadvantage than Black students, exhibited differential improvement in 6 of 9 schools, but a statistically significant improvement in only 1 school. Various reasons for the differential improvements in grades are considered, including statistical artifacts (ceiling and floor effects, changes in criterion reliability, and unequal units of measurement in the grading of minority and nonminority students) and substantive factors such as course selection patterns, differences in the academic demands of each law school year, and support systems available to disadvantaged students. The implications of the findings are discussed for counseling students, for academic dismissal and probation policies, and for the study of effective institutional support services. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)