Abstract
This study examined the influence of culture on students' perceptions of academic success. Students read scenarios depicting hypothetical classmates achieving success through the cultural themes of individualism, competition, communalism, or verve. Students reported their social endorsement for the hypothetical classmates. A 2 x 4 repeated measures analysis, examining the effects of cultural group and cultural theme on students' endorsement, revealed an interaction between the two variables. African American students were significantly more accepting of communal and vervistic high-achieving peers than European American students. European American students endorsed individualistic and competitive high achievers significantly more than African American students. These and other findings suggest that the value students attach to academic success should not be understood in the absence of cultural considerations.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 339-350 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2005 |
Keywords
- African American academic achievement
- Communalism
- Cultural orientation
- Culture
- Individualism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science