Alexandria-Vivica Walker | 2024 I.S. Symposium

Name: Alexandria-Vivica Walker
Title: “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black”: Does ethnic identity, parental nurturance and internal locus of control predict Black undergraduates’ academic achievement?
Major: Psychology
Minor: Education
Advisor: Meredith Hope

Racial identity plays a significant role in the lives of Black undergraduate students.’ Although numerous studies show that having a positive racial identity has a positive influence on the academic achievements of Black students , even less is known about how ethnic identity, maternal nurturance, paternal nurturance, and internal locus of control has on the grades of Black undergraduate students . Secondary data from 422 Black undergraduates was used to examine the impact ethnic identity, maternal nurturance, paternal nurturance, and internal locus of control has on the grades of Black undergraduate students. Linear regression analyses run for the full sample demonstrated that no variables significantly predicted the grades of Black undergraduate students. When follow-up regression analysis was run by socioeconomic status the results demonstrated that undergraduates of high socioeconomic status, increased maternal nurturance was found to predict lower grades. Further research is needed to further explore the psychosocial factors that influence the academic achievement of Black undergraduates.

Posted in Symposium 2024 on May 6, 2024.