Self-Monitoring Influences Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Own Group Conformity Pressure

Abstract

Own-group conformity pressure refers to experiencing pressure to conform to standards that a specific ethnic group established. The own-group conformity pressure theory posits that own-group norms subtly indicate how targeted individuals should behave socially. Ethnicity-related backlash is a form of harassment for violating ethnic stereotypes that elicits this form of conformity pressure. Self-monitoring helps thwart work-related backlash for gender deviance. This quantitative causal-comparative study investigated if there are any significant differences in own-group conformity pressure scores for 160 graduate students in APA accredited programs and CACREP accredited programs in the United States who have low self-monitoring scores or high self-monitoring scores. The participants took a Self-Monitoring Scale and Own-Group Conformity Pressure Scale survey, and a one-way MANOVA facilitated the simultaneous analysis of three research questions. The multivariate effect of self-monitoring (low or high) on the variables combined (style/interests and social relations), representing own-group conformity pressure, was not significant, Wilks’ Lamba = .964, F(2, 157) = 2.971, p = .054, but this result was close to the criterion alpha. A significant between-subject effect was observed for social relations, F(1, 158) = 5.969, p = .016, with high-self monitors yielding a higher mean of 3.48, 95% CI [3.05, 3.91] for social relations than low self-monitors with a mean of 2.84, 95% CI [2.53, 3.15]. The significant result for own-group conformity pressure regarding social relations addressed a previous gap in the literature and demonstrated that self-monitoring skills influence students’ perceptions of own-group conformity pressure, especially students who are high self-monitors.