Stability and Change in Self-Perception and Achievement Among Black Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This study of self-perception and achievement among Black adolescents surveyed 248 thirteen- and fourteen-year-old eighth graders in 1980 who were previously surveyed as ten- and eleven-year-old fifth graders in 1977. The major devel opmental dimensions investigated were stability—whether or not these youngsters exhibited self-perception and/or achievement patterns of an erratic turmoil ridden or con tinuous nature, and chunge—the nature of the differences found in self-perception and achievement between the pre- adolescent and adolescent periods. Data are presented also on the White youngsters included in the survey. The objec tive of providing these data is to assess whether adolescent development occurs differently in Black and White Ameri can culture. Along this line the problematic tradition of generalizing to Black children, the patterns of cognition and performance found in White children, and some ideological problems of critical importance to an emerging "Black" psychology are discussed. The findings indicate that the developmental pattern of Black adolescents may be charac terized as one of positive instability. Some reasons are presented why adolescent development may differ across cultural (racial) lines, and further study of the possibility is urged.

Gender, Ethnicity, and the Structure of Self-Esteem: An Attitude Theory Approach

“…Given the possible importance of academic self-beliefs in promoting academic achievement and preventing drop-out, the results are rather alarming. Previous research on urban adolescents in metropolitan areas (Hare, 1985;Lay & Wakstein, 1985) has suggested the relatively smaller role of academic self-perceptions in determining the overall self-esteem of African-American adolescents. This has been considered to be one of the major differences between African-American and White adolescents.…”

“…Although the relationship between academic achievement and self-concept has been found to be positive and significant among White adolescents (Mboya, 1988), it does not seem to hold among African Amencans. Although African-American adolescents have consistently scored higher than Whites on measures of general self-esteem, as well as self-beliefs regarding attributions of attractiveness and popularity, their self-beliefs in school-related areas have been lower than Whites' (Hare, 1985). Hare (1985) suggested that the African-American adolescent might base his or her self-perceptions on different types of self-related information than the White adolescent does.…”

“…Although African-American adolescents have consistently scored higher than Whites on measures of general self-esteem, as well as self-beliefs regarding attributions of attractiveness and popularity, their self-beliefs in school-related areas have been lower than Whites' (Hare, 1985). Hare (1985) suggested that the African-American adolescent might base his or her self-perceptions on different types of self-related information than the White adolescent does. AfricanAmerican adolescent self-esteem has been perceived to be less influenced by school achievemendfailure than White adolescent self-esteem (Hare, 1985;Lay & Wakstein, 1985).…”

“…Hare (1985) suggested that the African-American adolescent might base his or her self-perceptions on different types of self-related information than the White adolescent does. AfricanAmerican adolescent self-esteem has been perceived to be less influenced by school achievemendfailure than White adolescent self-esteem (Hare, 1985;Lay & Wakstein, 1985).…”

Development of Achievement Motivation

“…However, work in this area is growing quickly, with much of it focusing on the academic problems and prospects of African American (see Hare, 1985;Meece & Kurtz-Costes, 2001;Slaughter-Defoe, Nakagawa, Takanishi, & Johnson, 1990), Mexican American (e.g., Padilla & Gonzalez, 2001;Portes & Rumbaut, 2001), and Asian American youth (Fuligni & Tseng, 1999; S. J. Lee, 1994), both those born in this country and those who have immigrated here.…”