Journal Article

Recursive Processes in Self-Affirmation: Intervening to Close the Minority Achievement Gap

Brzustoski, Patricia, Cohen, Geoffrey L, Purdie-Vaughns, Valerie, Apfel, Nancy, Garcia, Julio

2009

Overview

A 2-year follow-up of a randomized field experiment previously reported in Science is presented. A subtle intervention to lessen minority students' psychological threat related to being negatively stereotyped in school was tested in an experiment conducted three times with three independent cohorts (N = 133, 149, and 134). The intervention, a series of brief but structured writing assignments focusing students on a self-affirming value, reduced the racial achievement gap. Over 2 years, the grade point average (GPA) of African Americans was, on average, raised by 0.24 grade points. Low-achieving African Americans were particularly benefited. Their GPA improved, on average, 0.41 points, and their rate of remediation or grade repetition was less (5% versus 18%). Additionally, treated students' self-perceptions showed long-term benefits. Findings suggest that because initial psychological states and performance determine later outcomes by providing a baseline and initial trajectory for a recursive process, apparently small but early alterations in trajectory can have long-term effects. Implications for psychological theory and educational practice are discussed.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Academic achievement / Achievement / Adolescent / Africa / African Americans / African Americans - education / African Americans - psychology / Biological and medical sciences / Bioremediation / Child / Educational Measurement / Educational Practices / Educational psychology / Educational Status / Ethnic groups / Experimental psychology / Female / field experimentation / Follow-Up Studies / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Grade Point Average / Grade Repetition / Humans / intervention / Low Achievement / Male / minorities (people) / Minority & ethnic groups / Minority Groups / Minority Groups - education / Minority Groups - psychology / Minority students / Psychology / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychology. Psychophysiology / Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure / Q1 / Q3 / Racial Differences / schools / Self Concept / Self image / Social Perception / Social Values / Stereotypes / Stereotyping / students / Writing Assignments / Writing Instruction