Culturally distinctive and academic socialization: direct and interactive relationships with African American adolescents' academic adjustment

J Youth Adolesc. 2010 Feb;39(2):199-212. doi: 10.1007/s10964-009-9404-1. Epub 2009 Apr 23.

Abstract

Theories of ethnic minority development have largely suggested that African American parents engage in a combination of practices that include culturally distinctive socialization as well as behaviors that are characteristic of more universal forms of academic socialization. However, few studies have examined how these socialization dimensions interact to influence the academic adjustment of African American adolescents. The current study explored the independent and interactive roles of parental academic and culturally distinctive socialization on the academic adjustment of African American adolescents. The sample was comprised 144 African American adolescents (M = 12.4; SD = 1.14; 56% female). Findings provided partial support that cultural and academic socialization were independently associated with indicators of academic adjustment. However, the interaction between these dimensions also was associated with youths' adjustment in the academic domain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Achievement*
  • Adolescent
  • Black People / psychology*
  • Black or African American
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motivation
  • Parenting / psychology
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data
  • Prejudice
  • Psychology, Adolescent*
  • Psychometrics
  • Self Concept
  • Social Adjustment
  • Social Identification*
  • Socialization*
  • Stereotyping
  • White People / psychology*