American College Students Research Articles

Social self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal progress among American college students: Testing temporal relations by gender and race/ethnicity

ABSTRACT The transition to college represents an exciting time for adolescents and young adults, but it could also pose a challenge as they adapt to a new environment. According to social cognitive career theory, self-efficacy, outcome expectations and goal progress are key predictors of positive adjustment. While these variables have received considerable empirical attention, they are understudied using longitudinal designs and in the social domain. To fill this gap, the present study adopted the RI-CLPM to examine temporal relations as within-person processes between social self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal progress among first-year college students (N = 831) who completed measures of study variables at three time points with a lag of four to five weeks. As hypothesized, results derived from the entire sample identified social self-efficacy as a temporal precursor of social outcome expectations and goal progress. A similar temporal pattern emerged for European American students and students of color. However, while a bidirectional model offered the best fit for male students, no cross-lagged paths were significant for their female counterparts. These findings highlight the importance of self-efficacy and outcome expectations and provide implications for promoting positive social adjustment among college students who have different gender and racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Psychological Experiences During Previous High School Sport Participation Predict College Students’ Current Psychological Health

Adolescent sport participation has been positively associated with psychological health outcomes. Yet, further research is needed to explore how psychosocial health benefits from sport may be maximized or minimized based on one’s psychological experiences during previous sport participation. The present study examined associations among retrospective psychological experiences of high school sport participation and markers of current college students’ psychosocial health. American college students (N = 300) self-reported retrospective high school sport experiences (i.e., burnout, engagement, and stress) and current psychosocial health outcomes (i.e., social support, depressive symptoms, life satisfaction) via an online interface. Moderated multiple regression analyses showed high school sport burnout, stress, and engagement to predict significant variance in college social support (p < .05), anxiety (p < .01), depressive symptoms (p < .01), and life satisfaction (p < .01). Results provide evidence that retrospective accounts of high school sport participation experiences (i.e., low burnout, low stress, and positive engagement) were associated with more adaptive post-high school psychosocial outcomes in college. This information may guide future prospective studies and aid practitioners by proving a broader understanding of psychosocial outcomes of sport participation.

Understanding Asian American College Students’ Suicidal Behavior: Qualitative Study

The purpose of this study is to examine Asian American college students’ perception of suicide and culture-bound risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors. By analyzing five focus groups of 28 Asian American college students, this study identifies their dual perspectives on suicide and a range of culture-bound risk factors such as loneliness and sticking out feelings, parent’s higher academic pressure, inter-generational acculturation disparity and burden for living up to model minority image. The findings of this study suggest that Asian American college students’ suicidal behavior needs to be understood from their Asian cultural attributes such as collectivistic values for honoring family reputations and racial discrimination besides individual student’s mental illnesses including depression. Based on this finding, this study recommends culturally competent suicide prevention programs for both college campus and Asian American ethnic communities.

Communicating Mental Health Coping Resources Among College Students of Color: A Resilience Approach to COVID-19 Response

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected African American college students and put them at high risk of mental health concerns. Guided by the community resilience model, this study examined how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) communicated mental health resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis of HBCUs’ website-based communication showed that mental health received minimal importance in response to the ongoing pandemic. Although larger and advanced degree-granting institutions provided a relatively greater amount of mental health resources than smaller institutions, those resources might not be sufficient to buffer against the COVID-19 induced stressors. Providing such inadequate mental resources indicate that many HBCU institutions were unable to provide a necessary supportive environment for the campus communities. HBCUs may establish formal and informal networks with local and regional mental health support organizations and share resources. Specifically, smaller institutions would benefit from such networked support. Additionally, HBCUs need to prioritize mental health in their response to COVID-19 to promote resilience among the student community.

Relation of the Trauma Symptom Inventory’s Sexual Dysfunction Subscale to Overall Distress in African American College Students

Recent research has identified that traumatic events have affected individuals from all occupations. Severe trauma and reactions, which in the past were primarily identified with military veterans, have now been recognized in people throughout society. The TSI-2 is a 136 item self-report tool that examines the impact of trauma on an individual’s social and interpersonal functioning. The test has 4 global scales and 12 subscales. This study examined the relation of the Sexual Dysfunction subscale to overall pathology and its implication in African American college students. Students from a HBCU volunteered to complete this scale as part of a larger study-evaluating mood and cognitive functioning. The researchers reexamined the data in relation to performance on the Sexual Dysfunction Scale and overall signs of distress, depression and anxiety. Results found individuals who scored elevated on the scale also had high elevations on measures of significant distress and pathology. They also were high risks for selfinjury. An item analysis indicated these individuals were likely to act impulsively and demonstrate acknowledged poor judgment in dating and sexual activities (e.g., having sex without protection, sleeping with someone who they knew was not good for them). This subscale possibly has utility in screening for college students whose experience with trauma may lead them to be high risks for exploitation and poor adjustment on a university campus.

Perceived Freedom of Expression at New Zealand Universities

Few topics are currently as polarizing as the appropriate limits, and perceived dangers, of free speech on university campuses. A side effect of this polarized environment is that students themselves may be reluctant to speak publicly on politically sensitive topics. Indeed, recent surveys by the Heterodox Academy (HxA) revealed that a majority of American university students thought their campus was not conducive to the free expression of ideas, and a substantial minority were personally reluctant to discuss “hot topics” like politics or sexual orientation in class. To see whether these results are uniquely American phenomena, we reran the HxA’s survey on 791 students, recruited via advertisements, enrolled in New Zealand universities. As in the original survey, participants answered questions, administered online, about their comfort sharing their opinions on issues related to gender, politics, religion, and sexual orientation, as well as their estimates of other groups’ discomfort. Despite significant sociopolitical differences between the two countries, our results, generally speaking, bear out those in the United States. In both countries, politics elicited the most reluctance to speak, followed by religion, and then gender and sexual orientation (which were equivalent), and New Zealanders were more reluctant than Americans to speak on the latter two topics. Other similarities and differences between the two data sets are discussed, but it is clear that chilled campus speech is not confined to the United States.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY AND COGNITIVE TEST ANXIETY: A STUDY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN ARGENTINA

This study aims to explore and analyze the relationship between general self-efficacy, state and trait anxiety and test anxiety in private university students of psychology and psycho-pedagogy careers from Argentina. Results showed positive correlations between trait anxiety and test anxiety, and between state anxiety and test anxiety. Negative correlations emerged between general self-efficacy and state anxiety, trait anxiety and test anxiety. It was possible to verify that high levels of general self-efficacy together with low levels of trait anxiety predicted 27% test anxiety variance. While similar results were found in previous works, these findings amplify the scope of research to specific contexts such as Latin American university students. It is recommended to continue the study of these variables in situations as close as possible to the exam situation and considering changes in educational setting worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus allowing the promotion of student’s welfare throughout programs that promote general self-efficacy as a protective variable.

Acculturation and Disordered Eating among Asian American College Students: The Role of Objectification through a Sociocultural Lens.

Disordered eating is a public health problem because it's highly prevalent, dangerous, and costly. More research about its risk factors and mechanisms is needed to address this problem and prevent disordered eating among high-risk populations, particularly understudied ethnic minorities. The present study contributes to the limited existing research on acculturation and disordered eating among Asian American college students who represent an understudied and high-risk group. The sample consisted of 245 Asian American (primarily East and Southeast Asian American) college students who provided data on their acculturation status, internalization of thin and muscular body ideals, body surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating. Results show that after controlling for gender, both cultures are positively associated with internalization of the muscular body ideal, but only the Asian culture of origin is associated with disordered eating. Additionally, path analysis results show that Asian culture of origin has a significant total effect on disordered eating as well as a significant indirect effect on disordered eating, mediated by thin body ideal internalization. While American culture does not have a significant contribution to body ideal internalization or disordered eating, it interacts with Asian culture of origin and put participants with high levels of both cultures at a greater risk for muscular body ideal internalization. Findings highlight the importance of cultural context in the understanding of body experiences and disordered eating among Asian American college students and have implications for the prevention and intervention of these problems in this high-risk population.

3K-LEx-MC

AbstractThis study presents the development and validation of a 132-item Spanish-English bilingual multiple-choice vocabulary test based on the 3,000 most frequent lemmas that distinguishes between North American university students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement and those who need to complete coursework. 819 students were assigned to one of the two 144-item forms of the preliminary test, which had 72 shared anchor items and other 72 form-specific items. Factor analysis was used to evaluate dimensionality and the Rasch model was used to select the items that best differentiated between these two student populations. This final form was administered to 213 students. Results showed high levels of unidimensionality, and the final form provided a Rasch reliability coefficient of 0.97.

The impact of racial identity and school composition on affirmative action attitudes of African American college students

ABSTRACT Affirmative Action remains a controversial policy that incites a variety of reactions. Some believe it’s an unjust policy that discriminates against applicants, while others view it as a policy aimed at fighting against past inequalities and discrimination. Little is known about African American endorsement of the policy. Two hundred and seven Black students from a predominantly White institution (PWI) and a historically Black university (HBCU) participated in the current study to examine the impact of racial identity on affirmative action attitudes (AA). Results indicated that school type and race centrality significantly predicted AA attitudes. Students who attended a HBCU were less likely to endorse AA compared to students at the PWI and those higher in race centrality were more likely to endorse AA. This study is one of the first to investigate the impact of the educational environment on the affirmative action attitudes of African Americans.

The Role of Model Minority Stereotype on General Self-Efficacy and Depressive Symptoms

The model minority stereotype (MMS) is a belief that Asian Americans’ comparative success comes from their hard-work and perseverance, coupled with a lack of barriers such as racism or discrimination against Asian Americans. In this study, we hypothesized that because the MMS demands cognitive energy, the use of self-efficacy as a regulator for depressive symptoms is then limited. Participants included 199 self-identified Asian American college students. A moderation effect of the MMS on the relationship between general self-efficacy and depressive symptoms was tested. Participants with low to above average Unrestricted Mobility (UM), a component of the MMS, displayed a regulating effect of self-efficacy on depressive symptoms, which was not found for individuals with higher UM. Although the variance of moderation effect was small (2%), this study is the first to suggest the effect of self-efficacy in lowering depressive symptoms may depend on the level of UM. Other findings and implications are further discussed.

RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINX WOMEN COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF ETHNO-GENDERED RACISM

This study explores how high-achieving African American and Latinx female college students in an historically white institution (HWI) experience and respond to ethno-gendered bias based on the perspectives of resilience and intersectionality. Six 90-minutes focus group were conducted with 21 college women of color (CWOC), including 10 African American and 11 Latina emerging adults aged 18 to 23. A modified grounded theory approach was employed for the data analysis. The transitions of CWOC as emerging adults taking on greater responsibilities and independence were made more complex by ethno-gendered encounters. A grounded model of resistance expanded the ecological framework of resilience to accommodate intersectional experiences with race and gender bias. The model highlights CWOC resistance as an important psychosocial mechanism facilitating their adjustment in a predominantly White institution. CWOC employed a strong psychological mechanism of resistance to prevent the internalization of the negative stereotypical narratives. Maternal ethno-gendered racial socialization appeared to be a crucial resilience resource helping them to cope and promoting the growth of self-system characterized by independence, self-efficacy and self-respect, high self-esteem, determination and hard work. This transformative and constructive psychological mechanism of resistance was linked to their successful adjustment and achievement in college. The findings have developmental and practical implications for historically minoritized women college students’ resilience and adjustment.

Covid-19, Stress Factors of Native American and Caucasian College Students, and Implementing Classroom Dialogues

Covid-19, Stress Factors of Native American and Caucasian College Students, and Implementing Classroom Dialogues

Racism's (un)worthiness trap: The mediating roles of self-compassion and self-coldness in the link between racism and distress in African Americans.

Racism is a key determinant of mental health for African Americans. Although research has started to uncover moderators and mediators of the racism-health link, additional research in this area is warranted. Constructs that have yet to be examined in this link are self-compassion and self-coldness-two distinct ways of relating to oneself during adversity. Data from 133 African American college students were used to assess parallel mediation models in which the frequency and stress appraisal of racism were the predictor variables, psychological distress was the outcome variable, and dimensions of self-compassion and self-coldness were treated as mediators. Neither frequency nor appraisal of racism were related to the three types of self-compassion (i.e., self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness); yet, both racism frequency and appraisal were related to the three types of self-coldness (i.e., self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification). However, only self-judgment emerged as a significant mediator in the links between both frequency and appraisal of racism and distress, respectively. Reducing self-coldness in the face of racism can be a promising, individual-level wellness strategy for African Americans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Discrimination, Social Media Use, and Chronic Stress in Black Americans

Discrimination experiences may contribute to the chronic stress experienced by Black Americans, leaving these individuals particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns. In turn, individuals may utilize social media platforms as a place for online community and shared experience. At the same time, social media may also amplify evidence of global discrimination, further contributing to chronic stress felt in Black communities. Presently, little is known about the relationships between discrimination, chronic stress, and social media use. Multiple regressions and moderation analyses (N = 246) explored the predictive nature of social media use and discrimination on chronic stress in a sample of Black American college students. Results provide initial support for the potential negative impact of social media on chronic stress. Clinical implications for professional counselors are provided.

2.57 Help-Seeking Attitudes and Behaviors in Asian American College Students

Asian Americans underutilize mental health services. Although cultural factors have been identified as reasons behind the lack of help seeking, there is limited research identifying the exact barriers to care. This review aims to identify factors associated with mental health help seeking in Asian American college students.

Resisting Native-Speakerism in International Learning Exchange Between North Korean Refugee Students and American University Students

This study showcases an International Learning Exchange (ILE) program between North Korean (NK) refugee students in South Korea and American university students from the US. ILE programs connect two or more linguistic/ cultural groups for intercultural awareness, which provide authentic communicative environments. However, the prevalent use of English and research focus mostly on non-native English-speaking students reflect the ideology of native-speakerism embedded in ILE programs. The purpose of this study was to develop an ILE program that resists native-speakerism and to investigate its influences on native as well as non-native English-speaking students. Adopting a case-study approach, data were collected from video-taping, fieldnotes, student documents, surveys, and interviews. Findings show how the authors designed and implemented a principle-based ILE program. The responses of NK students show their growing motivation and communication ability. The responses of American students show their critical reflections on their native-speaker identities. This study offers insights into designing ILE programs based on multilingualism and translanguaging.

Heritage language communities as sites of struggle and identity negotiation: a case of Korean–American university students

ABSTRACT This study explores how three Korean-American university students engaged with the linguistic and cultural practices of two subgroups in their ethnic community - a Korean church context and an ethnic peer group - where different language and cultural ideologies coexisted. The participants' narratives showed complex experiences of heritage language (HL) use and identity construction in these two contexts, with the participants frequently experiencing tensions between their desire to use their HL and pressure to adopt traditional Korean cultural and linguistic norms. They thus solidified their individual and group identities through processes of negotiation and self-positioning within a multicultural environment.

Dietary contributors to fermentable carbohydrate intake in healthy American college students

Objective The study explored food items that contribute most toward increased fermentable carbohydrate (FC) intake and its association with diet quality in college students. Method This cross-sectional study included 571 consented college students (≥18 years) with reported energy intakes (500–3500 kcal/day for women; 800–4000 kcal/day for men). FC intake and healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores were assessed by diet history questionnaire-II. Data were analyzed by unadjusted bivariate linear regression and Pearson correlation tests. Results The mean intakes of total FC (β = 1.24; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.02, 1.47) significantly predicted HEI-2015 scores. Positive correlations were found between FC intake and red and orange vegetables (r = 0.62), whole fruits (r = 0.63), and dark green vegetables (r = 0.58). Conclusions: Higher FC intake was associated with higher diet quality; vegetables and fruits are primary contributors to FC content. Efforts are required to promote these food items to improve diet quality and FC intake to shape eating choices in college students.

Science and engineering degree attainment of aspiring-scientists in the United States

ABSTRACT This study uses the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 (ELS:2002) to examine how varying levels of intention (planning) and action (choice) in pursuing a science-based major affect American college students’ degree attainment in Science and Engineering (S&E) fields by age 26. The study is guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory’s performance model that is appropriate to examine educational attainment. A key element of the theory consists in personal goals to engage in STEM education in college. In this paper, we view students’ intention to pursue specific college majors and/or actual action to enrol in a specific major as an expression of aspirational goals associated with degree attainment, so closer the intention-action gap, more likely to attain the goal. The proposed aspiring-scientist typology appears to be the main determinant of S&E degree attainment by age 26, when controlling for socio-demographic, pre-college, and postsecondary factors. Students with high level of science aspirations have greater chance to complete an S&E degree. Medium-aspiration students are more likely to complete non-S&E degrees, after starting in science-based majors. Low-aspiration students are more likely to attain certificate/associate degrees in any field or be non-completers.