College Diversity Experiences and Cognitive Development: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

In light of rapid demographic shifts and legal challenges to affirmative action in the United States, the issue of diversity on college campuses is of increasing importance. Most syntheses of research on diversity interactions and educational outcomes have focused on attitude change, such as reductions in prejudice or racial bias. Despite the presence of numerous studies on college diversity experiences and cognitive development, no research has systematically reviewed the literature on this topic. The current study uses meta-analysis to examine this relationship systematically. The findings suggest that several types of diversity experiences are positively related to several cognitive outcomes, but the magnitude of the effect varies substantially depending on the type of diversity experience, the type of cognitive outcome, and the study design. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Serving a Stranger or Serving Myself: Alternative Breaks and the Influence of Race and Ethnicity on Student Understanding of Themselves and Others

“…Participants in general reported quite a lot of growth in this area and a fairly strong influence of their AB experience on this outcome. Consistent with prior research (e.g., Jones et al, 2012;Niehaus, 2012b), ABs can provide a context that facilitates the informal interactions with diverse others necessary for student development (Bowman, 2010(Bowman, , 2011Denson, 2009;Gurin et al, 2002).…”

“…As such, college may be the first time these students (both White students and Students of color) are able to engage with others different from themselves in consistent and meaningful ways. Moreover, research based on Gurin and colleagues' (2002) framework has identified the particularly important role of informal interactions with diversity in facilitating student development (e.g., Bowman, 2010Bowman, , 2011Denson, 2009).…”

The Shaping of Postcollege Colorblind Orientation Among Whites: Residential Segregation and Campus Diversity Experiences

“…As an established and widely used measurement of structural diversity, a high proportion of nonwhite students at historically white institutions indicates a highly diverse or integrated institution, while a low proportion reflects a segregated, all-white environment. As racial/ethnic diversity increases, all students are more likely to interact with diverse peers (Antonio, 2001;Bowman, 2010Bowman, , 2011Chang, 1996;Chang et al, 2006;Gurin et al, 2003;Hurtado, Dey, & Trevino, 1994;Milem & Hakuta, 2000).…”

“…Structural diversity is most beneficial when an institution also promotes high levels of cross-racial interaction. These interactions are related to students' growth in a variety of areas, including critical and active thinking (Gurin, 1999;Gurin et al, 2002;Nelson Laird, 2005;Pascarella et al, 1996), perspective taking (Hurtado, Engberg, & Ponjuan, 2003;Hurtado, 2005), pluralistic orientation (Engberg, 2006, Jayakumar, 2008, leadership skills (Antonio, 2001;Jayakumar, 2008), cultural awareness and understanding (Antonio, 2001;Astin, 1993aAstin, , 1993bChang, 1996;Milem, 1994), reduced racial bias (Denson, 2009;Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006), civic values or interest (Chang, Astin, & Kim, 2004;Gurin et al, 2002), academic and social self-concept (Chang, 1999;Gurin et al, 2002), complex thinking (Antonio et al, 2004), and cognitive development (Antonio et al, 2004;Astin, 1993aAstin, , 1993bBowman, 2010;Gurin et al, 2002;Hurtado, 2001Hurtado, , 2005.…”

“…The vast literature supporting the educational benefits of racial diversity demonstrates the value of campus diversity infrastructures on a wide range of outcomes (e.g., Gurin, Hurtado, Dey, & Gurin, 2003), including cognitive development (e.g., Antonio et al, 2004;Bowman, 2010), academic and social self-concept (e.g., Chang, Denson, Sáenz, & Misa, 2006;Denson & Chang, 2009), leadership skills and cultural awareness (e.g., Antonio, 2001;Jayakumar, 2008), civic development (e.g., Bowman, 2011), prejudice reduction (e.g., Davies et al, 2011;Jayakumar, 2009), and preparation for an increasingly diverse 21st-century workforce (e.g., Engberg & Hurtado, 2011;Gurin, Nagda, & Lopez, 2004;Page, 2009).…”