Relational Variables and Life Satisfaction in African American and Asian American College Women

The authors explored associations among relationship harmony, perceived family conflicts, relational self‐concept, and life satisfaction in a sample of 169 African American and Asian American college women. As hypothesized, higher relational self‐concept, or the extent to which individuals include close relationships in their self‐concepts, and relationship harmony scores were predictive of greater life satisfaction, whereas perceived family conflict was associated with lower life satisfaction. Implications for counseling African American and Asian American college women are discussed.     

Help-Seeking Experiences and Attitudes among African American, Asian American, and European American College Students

The study examined African American, Asian American, and European American college students’ previous direct and indirect experiences of seeking professional psychological services and related attitudes. Survey data were collected from 254 European American, 182 African American and 82 Asian American college students. Results revealed that fewer African American and Asian American college students had sought professional psychological services, knew someone who had sought psychological services, and knew a close person who was diagnosed with a psychological disorder, relative to European American students. Furthermore, African American and Asian American participants showed less favorable attitudes on a variety of help-seeking attitudes, compared to the European American group.     

Internalizing symptoms and affect of children with emotional and behavioral disorders: A comparative study with an urban African American sample

Self‐reported internalizing symptoms of seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and regular education students in grades 4–6 were compared using the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children. All participants were African American and from an urban public school district in the Southeastern United States. Each of the two study groups consisted of 50 participants (35 boys, 15 girls) who were matched by gender and socioeconomic status. The SED group reported significantly higher levels of internalizing distress than the regular education group. In contrast to previous findings, there was no significant gender difference in self‐reported internalizing symptomatology in the present study. A discriminant function analysis found that the ISSC scores were able to correctly classify 91% of the participants into their respective educational group. Results of this study provide additional evidence of the construct validity of the ISSC, a recently developed and unique self‐report measure. Results are discussed in terms of future research needs and educational/clinical practice with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Racial Identity and Psychological Symptoms Among African Americans Attending a Historically Black University

Previous research found racial identity predictive of psychological distress among African American students at predominantly White colleges. This study examined these relationships among 154 African American undergraduates attending a historically Black university. Racial identity was independent of psychological distress, suggesting that African American students' racial identity predicts psychological distress only in settings in which they are the minority.     

African American and Latino Men's Recommendations for an Improved Campus Environment

The purpose of this study was to share findings from semistructured qualitative interviews with 9 African American and 12 Latino men about their ideas on how university personnel could better support their needs. Stressing the need for African American men to learn self–reliance to counter microaggressions, African American participants offered recommendations to students rather than personnel. Latino participants discussed the need for personnel to provide critical information about college resources.     

Perceived Social Support and Mental Health: Cultural Orientations as Moderators

This study investigated unique and shared effects of social support and cultural orientation on mental health indicators (depressive and anxiety symptoms, stress, and life satisfaction) of 896 college students. Results indicated that perceived social support predicted mental health variables and that cultural orientation variables (independent and interdependent self‐construal) moderated this association. Conclusions and counseling implications for university counselors are discussed on the basis of cultural orientation theory.     

Differences in African‐American and European‐American students' engagement with nanotechnology experiences: Perceptual position or assessment artifact?

This study examined middle and high school students' perceptions of a weeklong science experience with nanotechnology and atomic force microscopy. Through an examination of student self assessments and their writing, the study allowed us to examine some of the issues that may contribute to discrepancies that are seen between European‐American and African‐American students in science. The results of the study showed that after instruction, African‐American students were significantly more likely to agree with the statement that “science involves mostly memorizing things and getting the right answer,” than European‐American students. In addition, European‐American students were significantly more likely to write their newspaper stories from a first person perspective than their African‐American peers. The results are discussed in light of the assessment task, students' interpretations of formal writing, cultural differences in the use of language in writing, and possible cultural differences in students' perceptions of the science experience. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 787–799, 2007     

Relationships Among Self-Concealment,Mindfulness and Negative Psychological Outcomes in Asian American and European American College Students

Research on Asian Americans and their psychological adjustment is limited. Consisting of two cross-sectional studies, the present investigation examined the relationships among self-concealment, mindfulness, emotional distress in stressful interpersonal situations, and general psychological ill-health in Asian American college students, and in comparison with European American counterparts. In the Asian Americans, self-concealment was found to be positively related to general psychological ill-health and negatively related to mindfulness. In both ethnic groups, mindfulness was found to be negatively related to general psychological ill-health. Findings suggest that, as seen with European American counterparts, both self-concealment and mindfulness may be important concepts in understanding the psychological adjustments of Asian American college students.     

Using a Self‐Advocacy Intervention on African American College Students’ Ability to Request Academic Accommodations

Due to an increase in enrollment of African American students with disabilities in postsecondary education, there is a need to identify strategies that may lead to improved transition and self‐advocacy skills for these students. These strategies include teaching students to request academic accommodations and to have an understanding of how their disability affects their academic learning. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an in‐depth explanation of a self‐advocacy strategy that was used to teach three African American male college students how to request their academic accommodations. Results indicated this strategy may be a promising intervention for African American college students with disabilities.     

Third grade African American students' views of the nature of science

This study examined the nature of science (NOS) views of lower elementary grade level students, including their views of scientists. Participants were 23 third‐grade African American students from two Midwest urban settings. A multiple instrument approach using an open‐ended questionnaire, semi‐structured interviews, a modified version of the traditional Draw‐A‐Scientist Test (DAST), and a simple photo eliciting activity, was employed. The study sought to capture not only the students' views of science and scientists, but also their views of themselves as users and producers of science. The findings suggest that the young African American children in this study hold very distinct and often unique views of what science is and how it operates. Included are traditional stereotypical views of scientists consistent with previous research. Additionally, participants expressed excitement and self‐efficacy in describing their own relationship with science, in and outside of their formal classrooms. Implications for teaching and learning NOS as it relates to young children and children of color are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1–37, 2012     

Promoting cultural competence in counseling Asian American children and adolescents

Asian Americans are commonly perceived as the diligent and high‐achieving “model minority.” This positive stereotype has negative consequences for this ethnic minority group because it trivializes their social and mental health problems. This image of success has made many overlook the true nature of the struggles many Asian American families have to face in the United States. Scientific literature suggests that Asian American children experience major adjustment problems in school including loneliness, isolation, withdrawal, rejection, anxiety, low self‐esteem, and interpersonal distress. Cultural barriers exist between the Asian and the dominant society and influence Asian Americans' cognitive appraisal and coping choices when personal and emotional problems arise. These barriers also prevent clinicians from identifying and subsequently providing effective mental health services for Asian American children and their families. In this article, the authors examine the Asian cultural conceptions of mental health and various cultural barriers in an attempt to promote cultural understanding and competence among clinicians working with Asian American children and their families. Recommendations for clinical practice and future research directions are provided. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Identity‐Based Discussion Groups: A Means of Providing Outreach and Support for Asian Pacific American Students

This article explores the psychological issues experienced by Asian Pacific American students, illustrating the need to provide culturally relevant interventions. Cultural identity issues experienced by many of these students are salient challenges that can lead to psychological distress. Because some students avoid traditional counseling, discussion groups may be a viable method of outreach. Group formats from 2 universities are presented to illustrate the relevancy and efficacy of the approach.     

中美大学生关系型自我构念与亲密关系质量比较研究

本研究随机选取东肯塔基大学、爱荷华大学、杭州师范大学、新疆大学等多所高校的1071名大学生,比较中美大学生关系型自我构念与亲密关系质量的差异,探究大学生关系型自我构念与亲密关系质量间的关系,研究表明:第一,中美两国大学生的关系型自我构念存在差异,虽都偏向独立,中国大学生比美国大学生更倾向于以非亲密关系来构念自我,美国大学生的关系型自我构念存在性别差异;第二,美国大学生的亲密关系质量高于中国大学生,女性大学生的亲密关系质量均高于男性;第三,大学生关系型自我构念与亲密关系质量正向相关,前者对后者有正向影响。     

The Role of Disordered-Eating Cognitions and Psychological Flexibility on Distress in Asian American and European American College Females in the United States

The present study investigated whether different forms of disordered-eating-related cognitions and psychological flexibility were associated with psychological distress among female Asian American and European American college students in the United States. Disordered-eating-related cognitions examined in the present study included thoughts (a) associated with the fear of gaining weight, (b) on perceived importance of having an ideal weight and shape as a means of being accepted by others, and (c) of perceived self-worth related to self-control over diet and weight levels. Data from 87 Asian American and 231 European American female college students were used for the present analyses. In both groups, all forms of disordered-eating cognitions were positively associated with psychological distress, which was in turn inversely associated with psychological flexibility. In the Asian American group, cognitions on perceived importance of having an ideal body shape and weight to be socially accepted by others and psychological flexibility were uniquely related to psychological distress when controlling for other disordered-eating cognitions (i.e., thoughts related to fear of weight gain, self-worth from feeling in control of eating), age, and Body Mass Index (BMI). In the European American group, when controlling for other study variables, only psychological flexibility uniquely related to psychological distress. Implications of the present findings for counseling practice are discussed.     

Retention and persistence of African‐American students in school psychology programs

This qualitative study investigated eight African‐American specialist‐level students’ experiences with and perceptions of their retention and persistence toward degree completion in school psychology programs. Findings indicate that participants deemed the general supports faculty offered to all students and positive, supportive relationships with faculty as retention strategies they experienced as effective and access to diversity in support systems as a retention strategy they perceived would be beneficial. Participants described social engagement and reliance on family and classmates as persistence strategies they used. Based on these findings, the article provides recommendations for school psychology faculty interested in retaining African‐American students and African‐American students who aim to persist to degree completion.     

African American student sociocultural adjustment to Thai international higher education

ABSTRACT

This article aims to detail an exploratory study involving African American student experiences in a Thai international programme. This study employed a qualitative case study to explore the adjustment process of African American international students in Thailand. The participants included 15 African American students who were selected through a snowball sampling technique in 2014–2016. The data were collected through semi-structured one on one interviews and analysed through content analysis. The participants reported adjustment difficulties related to their sense of isolation in Thailand, the excessive attention received from their hosts, the appropriate response to said attention, Thai culture and adjustment to academic differences. An analysis of the source of stress, anxiety and conflict among the participants is intended to provide insight into international recruitment practices and facilitating more progressive pre-departure orientation sessions among impending international students.     

Teacher and child variables as predictors of academic engagement among low‐income African American children

A causal model for understanding the complex interplay between student‐reported teacher behaviors, student self‐systems, and student engagement was tested. One hundred seventeen African American students in grades 1 through 12 completed a comprehensive questionnaire regarding teacher context, self, and engagement variables. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized mediation models and to construct a path model. Most hypotheses were supported. Student self‐system variables (perceived competency and autonomy) mediated relations between teacher context (structure and autonomy support), and engagement. Contrary to predictions, however, teacher involvement exerted a strong and direct effect on student engagement even when controlling for grade level and self‐system variables. Given existing research showing that African American students are at risk for low teacher involvement and that engagement is critical for academic success, research and intervention strategies are urgently needed to promote teacher involvement with these students. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Convergence of views: Self‐perceptions of African American and White kindergartners

As the second in a series of studies concerning the development of kindergartners' self‐perceptions, this study examined the effects of the kindergarten experience on self‐perceptions of African American and White students as they progressed through their kindergarten year. Using a countywide sample of 209 children in 31 classrooms, the study incorporated in vivo observations of teachers' verbal behavior and self‐perception data from the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children. Results indicate that the kindergarten experience had an equalizing effect on the self‐perceptions of African American and White children, although self‐perceptions of cognitive competence were initially lower for African American children than for their White counterparts. Teachers' verbal interactions with children were not affected by the child's race, at least when different achievement levels were taken into account. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Length of Residence,Cultural Adjustment Difficulties,and Psychological Distress Symptoms in Asian and Latin American International College Students

The authors examined cultural adjustment and psychological distress issues in 190 Asian and Latin American international college students. Findings revealed that Latin American students reported higher levels of psychological distress than did their Asian peers. Moreover, length of residence in the U.S. was negatively associated with psychological distress symptoms, and acculturative distress and intercultural competence concerns were positively related to psychological distress in both groups. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Culturally responsive pedagogy for African American students: promising programs and practices for enhanced academic performance

The academic outcomes for African American students continue to lag behind their White, Latino, and Asian American counterparts. Culturally responsive pedagogy has been purported to be an intervention that may help to reverse the persistent under performance for African American students. This article highlights findings from a three-year study of an intervention program designed to increase college going rates for African American students. The authors document the manner in which overall student outcomes, graduation rates, and college going rates increased when culturally responsive pedagogical practices were used. Finally, this work calls for academic rigor to be a more germane characteristic of the culturally responsive pedagogical framework.