Academic Race Stereotypes and Academic-Self Concept in African American and White Students (2012)

Undergraduates: Rebecca Schuster, Olivenne Skinner

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

---

Academic race stereotypes, academic self-concept, and racial centrality were examined in tenth grade African American (n= 434) and White students (n=195). The first hypothesis was that African Americans and White students would endorse traditional academic race stereotypes. Furthermore, I hypothesized that stereotype endorsement would be negatively related to self-concept among African Americans, particularly those who were high in race centrality. Third, White students’ endorsement of traditional academic race stereotypes was expected to be positively related to their academic self-concepts. The participants reported their beliefs about the academic competence of African American and White students, beliefs about their own academic self-concept, and race centrality through a survey administered in schools. As hypothesized, both racial groups endorsed traditional academic stereotypes. Although African American students’ ratings of Black academic competence were negatively related to their own academic self-concept, this relationship was not stronger among students with higher race centrality. Ratings of White academic competence were unrelated to academic self-concept among White students.
Keywords: stereotypes; race centrality; academic self-concept