The Influence of Parents' Racial Stereotype Endorsement on Students Beliefs and Self-Concept (2014)

Undergraduate: Anna Abate

Faculty Advisor: Beth Kurtz-Costes
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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Academic stereotypes can influence motivation and achievement negatively through stereotype threat and disidentification. In addition, traditional stereotypic beliefs may have a large impact on the development of a student's self-concept and as a result, play a crucial role in academic identity development. Furthermore, parents influence the development of a child's beliefs and judgments. Therefore, endorsement of traditional academic stereotypes by both parents and students may be detrimental to Black students and their development of a strong academic identity. I examined (1) the influence of parents' racial stereotype endorsement on Black students' 7th grade beliefs and later 10th grade self-concept and (2) the relationship between students' stereotype endorsement in 7th grade and their 10th grade self-concept. The results showed that parent beliefs did not predict youths' beliefs. However, boys in 7th grade with a more positive perception of Blacks' verbal abilities had a higher verbal self-concept in 10th grade. In addition, boys with a more positive perception of Whites' verbal abilities had a lower verbal self-concept in 10th grade.