American Undergraduate Students Research Articles

From mock interviews to real job interviews: Assessing the efficacy of business Chinese instruction

AbstractThe study investigates whether and how mock interviews, an instructional component of business Chinese courses, prepare students for real interviews. The study included 11 American undergraduate students who participated in a 10‐week summer study abroad program in China. Participants underwent two rounds of mock interviews with their instructors and received individualized written feedback after each interview. They were then interviewed by hiring managers from the companies of their choice. The results of the study showed that the feedback provided by instructors addressed various performance issues, with a focus on linguistic accuracy rather than interview content. Comparison of the mock interviews with real job interviews showed significant differences in interview content, including workplace‐related interactions, language functions, and free chatting. The findings have implications for teaching and research in language for specific purposes.

The role of emotional similarity and emotional accuracy in belonging and stress among first-generation and continuing-generation students.

Extensive research has documented the psychological, social, and academic predicament of first-generation college students. However, basic psychological mechanisms underlying the challenges experienced by these students have been understudied. Taking a cultural psychology perspective, the present research considers the role of emotional (mis)match as a key mechanism for explaining first-generation students' lowered well-being. A sample of 344 American undergraduate students completed a survey designed to measure two aspects of emotional processing: (1) Emotional Accuracy - how accurately students perceive emotional reactions of majority-culture students (continuing-generation junior and senior students who have been socialized into college culture), and (2) Emotional Similarity -how similar students' emotions are to the emotions experienced by majority-culture students. Emotional Accuracy predicted positive outcomes, in general, but was lower among first-generation students. Unexpectedly, Emotional Similarity predicted negative student outcomes. As one of the first studies addressing basic psychological mechanisms in college adjustment, these findings underscore the importance of understanding the roles that specific emotional processes play in social adjustment.

Validating the Engineering Fields Questionnaire for Use With African American Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Students

Lent’s (2003) Engineering Fields Questionnaire assesses major components of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and includes measures of self-efficacy, coping efficacy, outcome expectations, technical interests, and educational goals. These measures have demonstrated good internal consistency in previous research, but validation information is more limited for use with African American STEM students. This paper discusses a validation study of an adapted version of Lent’s Engineering Fields Questionnaire, entitled the STEM Fields Questionnaire, with a sample of African American undergraduate STEM students ( n = 526). Validating the STEM Fields Questionnaire for African Americans is particularly important given the role of cultural values and certain experiences in career development among this population. Seven factors resulted from an exploratory factor analysis conducted in the present study: engineering/technology interests, outcome expectations, self-efficacy, STEM coping, goals, bio-chemical sciences interest/self-efficacy, and mathematics interest/self-efficacy, with four of six original subscales represented. Implications for research and practice were discussed.

African American Undergraduate Students’ Perceived Welcomeness at a Midsized University Library

Objective – This project assessed African American students’ feelings of comfort and belonging about engaging with library resources and services at a public regional comprehensive university in the midwestern United States. Methods – This study used an explanatory sequential design. First, we surveyed degree-seeking African American undergraduates on their perceived welcomeness regarding the library’s collections and spaces, staff and users, and atmosphere and marketing. We then recruited focus group participants from the survey, and in focus group sessions, participants expanded on feedback provided in the survey, with particular emphasis on their feelings about their interactions and experiences with the library. Results – Most students who participated indicated the library is a place where they felt safe and welcomed, although the library felt to some like a neutral space rather than a place that actively supported them. Focus group participants shared several easily implementable suggestions for making the library a more attractive campus space for African American students. Conclusion – Student recommendations will shape the services we provide for an increasingly diverse student body. Changes to make the library as physical place more welcoming include exhibiting student artwork and featuring African American themes in displays. The library as a social space can become more welcoming in several ways. Hiring a diverse staff and providing staff training on diversity and equity topics, offering engaging student opportunities for congregation in the library, and collaborating with African American student organizations will help to foster a sense of belonging among these students. Facilitating opportunities for connection will contribute to African American undergraduates’ academic success.

“What Are You Doing Here?”: Examining Minoritized Undergraduate Student Experiences in STEM at a Minority Serving Institution

Prior research has demonstrated that women and racial minority undergraduate students experience stereotype threat in unwelcoming STEM classrooms in predominantly White institutions. Drawing from focus group and journal entry data with Latinx and African American undergraduate students (N = 52) majoring in a STEM field at an institution that holds both Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and AANAPISI designations in Southern California, we find that Latinx and Black undergraduate students narrate exclusion from faculty and peers in four main ways: (1) exclusionary STEM classroom culture fomented by faculty, (2) study group stereotype threat, (3) nuances in Black student undergraduate experiences, and (4) unaddressed gendered discrimination. We find that Latinx and African American undergraduates enrolled at a minority serving institution highlight that STEM faculty foment stereotype threat in their classroom culture, which trickles down to students and negatively impacts their ability to develop the necessary social capital networks with both faculty and peers to succeed.

Grandparent–Grandchild Relationships and Ethnic Identity in Asian and Asian American Undergraduate Students

ABSTRACT This study examined how Asian and Asian American grandparent–grandchild relationships related to ethnic identity in the context of COVID-19-related racial discrimination. Asian and Asian American grandchildren (N = 102) answered questions about discrimination, ethnic identification, grandparent–grandchild relationships, and ethnic behaviors. There was no significant relationship between exposure to discrimination and strength of ethnic identity, but strength of ethnic identity was a significant predictor of frequency of synchronous contact with grandparents and ethnic behaviors. Findings suggest that stronger ethnic identities in Asian and Asian American undergraduate students could be related to better relationships with their grandparents.

Psychometric Properties of the MMPI-3 in a Sample of Black and White American Undergraduate Students: Examining Group Differences and Convergent/Discriminant Validity with the ASEBA Adult Self-Report

The current study examined MMPI-3 internal and external psychometric properties with a focus on the impact of racialized group membership (Black and White Americans). The second aim was to examine convergent/discriminant MMPI-3 scale associations with a different broadband, hierarchical self-report assessment tool [Adult Self-Report (ASR)]. Consistent with findings on prior MMPI iterations, we expected to observe no clinically meaningful mean differences on MMPI-3 scale T-scores. We hypothesized that validity coefficients between MMPI-3 and ASR scales measuring similar constructs would be stronger (convergent validity) and the inverse for scales measuring disparate constructs (discriminant validity). We also expected coefficient magnitude consistency across racial groups. The final sample was composed of 254 undergraduates (74.4% female; 63.8% White, 36.2% Black). Results suggest 1) MMPI-3 substantive scale mean T-scores are comparable between White and Black American undergraduates; 2) MMPI-3 scales correlate with ASR scale scores in expected ways with regard to internalizing problems, rule breaking and impulsivity, thought problems, and substance use (but not overall externalizing, aggression, attention problems, and intrusiveness); and 3) convergent and discriminant associations between MMPI-3 and ASR scales are consistent across White and Black Americans. This work provides support for MMPI-3 use with racially diverse individuals, considers next steps for understanding MMPI-3 scale score functioning in diverse populations, and provides novel information on MMPI-3 correspondence with the ASR.

Fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness in L2 speech: Examining the role of visual and acoustic information in listener judgments

The purpose of the present study was to examine (a) the effects of audio-visual information and (b) the role of temporal measurements associated with the perceptual ratings of fluency, accentedness, comprehensibility, pronunciation, and oral proficiency in second language (L2) speech samples of International Teaching Assistants (ITAs). American undergraduate students randomly assigned to audiovisual and audio-only (without seeing the speaker) conditions rated the two-minute speech samples of five ITAs on a seven-point scale. For acoustic analysis, several temporal measurements were used that were hypothesized to have an association with the ratings. Findings revealed that listeners without visual information judged L2 speech as less fluent and more accented although no significant difference in comprehensibility was found. L2 speakers were also judged to have better pronunciation and higher oral proficiency when the recordings were presented in video mode. The findings further indicated that among the acoustic measures examined, articulation rate was found to be associated with perceptual ratings. Implications for ITA training and language testing and assessment are discussed.

Two Cultures, One Identity: Biculturalism of Mexican American Undergraduate Students

ABSTRACT While the number of Hispanic undergraduate students enrolled in higher education has more than doubled in the past 15 years, graduation rates for this population continues to be well below that of white students. Understanding the unique life experiences of bicultural Hispanic undergraduate students becomes vital for higher education professionals to better support this unique population. The purpose of this study was to explore life experiences of undergraduate Mexican Americans through a phenomenology design specifically to highlight how biculturalism is reflected in their lives, how they navigate two cultures, and the way they construct their bicultural identity. By using rich qualitative data including interviews, photo elicitation, and document analysis, this study paints a descriptive picture of biculturalism within eight Mexican American college students. Results indicate that bicultural individuals organize and respond to their culture in terms of behavior and cognition independently from the feelings they experience while engaging in cultural frame switching. Even when participants were able to organize their dual cultures and compartmentalize them in their life, they still struggled with conflicting feelings. When cultures and ideologies of the participants clash and at times feel contradictory, these students still manage to respond and function in both cultures.

How effective is business education in the workplace: structural equation model of soft and hard skill competencies.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43546-022-00404-1.

Using Support Networks as a Predictor of Success for STEM Degrees: Preliminary Results Detailing a Selection Process for Test Subjects Engaged in a Longitudinal Study of Low Socio-Economic Status American Undergraduate Students

This study follows the selection process for participants in a National Science Foundation S-STEM grant program for low socio-economic students. State land grant institution were created to provide states with technical universities for mid- to lower-class citizens, but they have generally failed to deliver successful instruction to residential, low-socioeconomic status, underrepresented minority students. There is a need for more research on additional predictors to assess the potential of non-traditional students in the admissions process. The primary research question in this work is whether students from low-SES backgrounds possessing lower incoming metrics can still have success earning a STEM degree with the help of a web of support adults. This metrics-based selection process was generated from a five-year study of underrepresented minority (URM) students who had previously succeeded in earning an engineering degree, even though they were not originally admitted into engineering. The selection process also asked students to identify the members of their support network, how they used this support to succeed in life, and culminated in an on-campus interview. The high school metrics for these students were found to be significantly lower than their engineering peers, but the average number of anchor/mentors that were identified was 6.2. These 21 students are currently performing well and will be compared against other residential students for retention, performance, and graduation through their time at the institution.

Perceptions of COVID-19 and Dietary-Related Beliefs in American Undergraduate Students

Perceptions of COVID-19 and Dietary-Related Beliefs in American Undergraduate Students

Cannabis use disorder severity and sleep quality among undergraduates attending a Historically Black University

Nearly one third of Americans experience poor sleep, which is associated with numerous deleterious health outcomes. Poor sleep may be exacerbated when an individual attends college, as they experience drastic shifts in lifestyle and sleep patterns. Previous research suggests cannabis has therapeutic potential for sleep disorders but may also impair sleep quality long-term. However, no study has examined the differences in sleep quality within individuals who meet criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). The purpose of the current study was to determine differences in sleep quality among undergraduate students who met criteria for mild CUD (n = 18), moderate CUD (n = 22), severe CUD (n = 16) and students who did not meet criteria for CUD (n = 244). Participants included 300 predominantly Black/African American undergraduate students (79% female), aged between 18 and 25 years. Each participant completed an online survey that included measures assessing sleep quality and CUD criteria. Employing analysis of covariance, the moderate CUD subgroup (M = 9.00, SD = 3.32) reported poorer sleep quality than individuals who did not meet criteria for CUD (M = 6.93, SD = 3.03). Interestingly, the severe CUD subgroup (M = 6.75, SD = 2.52) reported similar sleep quality to individuals who did not meet criteria for CUD (M = 6.93, SD = 3.03). Individuals meeting criteria for mild and moderate CUD reported the poorest sleep quality among the groups, suggesting a differentiation within CUD severity. Future research should assess withdrawal and cannabis use frequency among individuals who meet criteria for CUD to further elucidate disturbances in sleep quality among those with CUD.

Undergraduate Student Stress, Sleep, and Health Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate students experienced sleep problems and mental health issues that were negatively associated with academic achievement. Studies comparing undergraduate sleep and health pre- to mid-pandemic have yielded mixed results, necessitating additional research on other cohorts and examination of potential moderators. The present study was conducted to examine whether American undergraduate students tested mid-pandemic experienced poorer sleep, health, and academic achievement relative to students tested pre-pandemic, as well as to examine whether poor sleep during the pandemic was preferentially associated with poorer health in women. The current cross-sectional study included 217 participants tested pre-pandemic (February-December 2019) and a separate sample of 313 participants tested mid-pandemic (November-December 2020). Participants in both samples provided demographic information and completed questionnaires inquiring about participant sleep quality, insomnia, and cumulative grade point average (GPA); participants in the mid-pandemic sample also reported on measures of general, physical, and mental health. Participants tested mid-pandemic reported poorer global sleep quality, greater insomnia severity, greater stress, and higher cumulative GPAs relative to participants tested pre-pandemic. For the mid-pandemic sample only, poorer sleep quality was associated with reduced physical health; interactions indicated that women with poor sleep quality reported poorer mental health relative to both women with good sleep quality and men with poor quality sleep. Perceived stress mediated the association between sleep problems and GPA. These findings indicate that the pandemic negatively impacted the functioning of undergraduate students and highlights the need for future studies examining additional moderators of the reported effects.

“Je Suis Youtubeur”: Multilingual Multimodal Composing Abroad

ABSTRACT This study examined how seven American undergraduate students leveraged multiple modes to reflect on language, culture, and identity while learning French in a study abroad program. Grounded in the social semiotic framework of multimodality, this qualitative study applied open, axial, and selective coding to analyze students’ interviews and digital multimodal compositions (e.g., blogs, vlogs, video reflections, and final projects) from two study abroad courses. Findings revealed how multimodal composing supported students in learning French through metalinguistic practices of rehearsal and repair. Students further problematized cultural stereotypes through multimodal compositions. Additionally, students developed identities as legitimate multilingual multimodal composers by using French and other semiotic modes to create personalized design aesthetics. These findings illustrate the important ways that semiotic modes can interact to develop language, cultural awareness, and identity during study abroad. The study holds implications for teaching and analyzing the inseparability of language and other modes of expression.

North American Undergraduate Students’ Sexual Orientation Beliefs: Exploring Differences across Diverse Sexual and Gender Identities

ABSTRACT Societal beliefs about various aspects of sexual orientation have been shown to influence whether people have discriminatory or supportive attitudes toward diverse sexual orientations. The overall aim of this study is to measure the beliefs about sexual orientation among a diverse sample of university students from two institutions in Canada and the United States of America. Specifically, we explored how beliefs varied among individuals with differing sexual orientations and gender identities, while controlling for cultural differences. A total of 475 participants completed an online survey comprising of the Sexual Orientations Beliefs Scale (SOBS). ANCOVAs revealed that sexual orientation was a significant factor for all four subscales of the SOBS (naturalness, homogeneity, informativeness, and discreteness). Sexual orientation was the most significant predictor of endorsing different sexual orientation beliefs. We found a significant interaction between gender and sexual orientation, revealing that perceptions of sexual orientation differ between straight-identified men and straight women.

Survey of Current Financial Needs of Undergraduate Music Therapy Students

Abstract Students attending college rely on a variety of social and financial resources to cover the personal and academic costs of higher education. The most common tool for students is financial aid, which may include loans, needs-based grants, and work–study. Federal financial aid is designed to increase accessibility for individuals to pursue a college degree and is generally determined by their family’s assets or socioeconomic status. Research has suggested positive and negative relationships between students’ socioeconomic status and their academic outcomes. As this relationship has yet to be explored in music therapy, the primary purpose of this study was to explore the current financial needs and economic diversity of American undergraduate music therapy students. A survey was sent in April of 2020 for dissemination to undergraduate music therapy majors. Students from across the United States (n = 346) completed the questionnaire. Key findings included (a) most music therapy students (61.7%) took out student loans during the 2019–2020 academic year and expect substantial levels of debt upon graduation (>$10,000); (b) about one-third (34.4%) of respondents received the Pell Grant, a needs-based grant, in the past year; (c) a considerable majority (77.5%) were employed during school; and (d) 97% of students received additional financial assistance from their families. This study also compared the needs between BIPOC (Black, indigenous, people of color) and white students. Implications of findings as they relate to music therapy education and further research regarding the financial need and socioeconomic status are also discussed.

The Effect of Age on Knowledge of HIV/AIDS among African American Undergraduate Students

Objective: This study assessed the effect of age on HIV knowledge level among African American undergraduates at Jackson State University (JSU).
 Methods: A total of 400 respondents were randomly selected from undergraduate students at JSU. A cross-sectional study design was utilized. Self-administered questionnaires regarding HIV knowledge level were used.
 Results: Some respondents of this study had HIV knowledge gaps and misconceptions about the disease. This research results showed that majority of the students had good HIV knowledge level and there was no significant difference between students aged 18-24 and students aged 25 and above regarding HIV knowledge (P = 0.65).
 Conclusions: Some knowledge gaps and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS were identified in this study. This research study suggests the use of drama and other social media messaging platforms that are more appealing to this vulnerable age group in the elimination of HIV knowledge gaps and misconceptions identified in this study.

Linguistic, cultural and substantive patterns in L2 writing: A qualitative illustration of MisLevy’s sociocognitive perspective on assessment

Mislevy’s sociocognitive perspective on assessment argues that examinees’ linguistic, cultural, and substantive (LCS) patterns serve to organize their ways of knowing and their knowledge construction. In this study, we used a purposefully designed prompt to obtain essays from 70 Chinese undergraduate English majors and 66 American undergraduate students to illustrate LCS patterns conveyed in texts produced by students in collectivistic and individualistic cultures (i.e., China and United States). We found that linguistically, compared to American students, Chinese students used more adjectives, adverbs, modal verbs of obligation, and were more direct in offering value judgements; culturally, while the texts from the two groups yielded overlapping themes, there were clear group difference in the rank order of number of codes for the themes and in the supporting text for each theme; substantively, there were noticeable group difference in the conceptualizations of how the themes were related to each other. Because it remains unknown how cultural and substantive features expressed in L2 essays may affect writing assessment, these differences presented both challenges and opportunities for the field of writing assessment. Implications for the equity and validity of L2 writing assessment were discussed.

Ethnoracial identity development and colorblindness among Southeast Asian American students at an Asian American and native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and non-AANAPISI

ABSTRACT This study examines how Southeast Asian American students develop their ethnoracial identities at an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and a non-AANAPISI, and if there are differences between the two institutions. Drawing on interviews with 26 Southeast Asian American undergraduate students, I find that students use three outlets at both institutions to further develop their ethnoracial identities: 1) Asian American Studies or related courses, 2) ethnoracial student organizations, and 3) ethnoracial events. However, these outlets provided students with a different type of ethnoracial identity development – political ethnoracial identity or social ethnoracial identity. Those that did not participate in these outlets had a colorblind ethnoracial identity as they still acknowledged their ethnoracial identities but did not view race or racism as relevant. The AANAPISI designation did not matter in the parameters of this study, as there were no differences for students at both institutions.