Multiple Identities and Academic Achievement: The Effects of Role Accumulation on

1. Multiple Identities and Academic Achievement: The Effects of Role Accumulation on Successful Student Role Performance Richard N. Pitt, Jr. Department of Sociology Interdisciplinary Seminar on Social Psychology September 1, 2004

2. How do role accumulation and specific role occupancies affect student role performance? Abstract This paper examines the likelihood that the number of roles an actor assumes affects how well she performs the roles in her constellation of role-identities. Specifically, I examine the effects of role accumulation on successful performance of the student role. I therefore address the following question:

3. Role-Identity Friend Role-Identity Sibling Role-Identity Spouse Identity Religious Person Role-Identity Parent Identity Religious Person Role-Identity Neighbor Role-Identity Employee Role-Identity Org. Volunteer What Are Role-Identities? Identity Religious Person Role-Identity Church Member What Is Role Accumulation?

4. Goode 1960 • Coser 1974 • Mayhew 1995 Limited amount of energy, time and other resources leads to role strain/conflict. • Sieber 1974 • Marks 1977 • Thoits 1983, 1986 • Menaghan 1989 Increased Sense of Self Resources & Network Support Ego-gratification Prior Research On Role Accumulation Psychological Well-Being Of Adults Accumulation Of Roles Is Detrimental Accumulation Of Roles Is Beneficial Effect Of Accumulation Of Roles Is Questionable • On Psychological Well-Being . . . . Thoits 1992 • On Self Esteem . . . . Reitzes and Mutran 1994 • For Certain Ethnic Minorities . . . . Braboy Jackson 1997

5. This Research’s Central Question Prior Research On Role Accumulation Do The Possible Effects of Role Accumulation Extend Beyond Psychological Well-Being And Affect The Performance Of The Roles The Actor Takes On? Does Role Accumulation Have A Positive Impact On Performance Of The Student Role Of High School Students? Do The Possible Effects of Role Accumulation Extend Beyond Psychological Well-Being And Affect The Performance Of The Roles The Actor Takes On? Does Role Accumulation Have A Positive Impact On Performance Of The Student Role Of High School Students? Psychological Well-Being Of Adults Role-Identity Performance Of Kids Accumulation Of Roles Is Detrimental Accumulation Of Roles Is Beneficial Effect Of Accumulation Of Roles Is Questionable

6. This Research’s Hypotheses Does Role Accumulation Have A Positive Impact On Performance Of The Student Role Of High School Students? Role-Identity Performance Self-Esteem Increased Networks Ego-Gratification Energy Spent Maintaining Increased Networks Time Management Challenges H2: Role Accumulation Has a Positive But Curvilinear Effect On Grades H1: Role Accumulation Has a Positive Effect On Grades +/-- + --

7. This Research’s Hypotheses Does Role Accumulation Have A Positive Impact On Performance Of The Student Role Of High School Students? Role-Identity Performance H3: Premature Acquisition of Adult Obligatory Roles May Damage Student Performance And Cause That Curvilinearity. The Problem Of Non-Normative Roles (i.e., parent and spouse) --

8. Methods and Data Dataset: National Education Longitudinal Study Dependent Variable: Senior year grades in core subjects (English, history, science, and math) where F average is “1” and A average is “8”. Independent Variable: Sum of social positions held by each senior, using 8 fairly stable social positions. Nonacademic Controls: Gender, race, family SES Academic/Culture Controls: 10th grade test scores, 10th grade grades in core subjects, and pro-school peer effects. 79% 76% 57% 43% 42% 35% 4% 3% Of H.S. Seniors

9. More On Data % of Students With Each Number Of Role-Identities And Their Mean Grades 0 Role-Identities 5% D+ 1 Role-Identity 12% C- 2 Role-Identities 9% B- 3 Role-Identities 19% B 4 Role-Identities 26% B+ 5 Role-Identities 21% B+ 6 Role-Identities 7% A- 7 Role-Identities <1% C+ 8 Role-Identities <1% C+

10. 5.2 Maximum Role-Identities Regression of Number of Role-Identities and Other Variables On The Grades of High School Seniors 12th 12th 10th Id 0.31*** -0.30*** -0.30** -0.09* 0.34*** 0.12*** 0.04*** 0.58*** 0.08 -2.92*** 12th Grade # of Ids 12th Grade # of Ids2 10th Grade # of Ids Id Change From 10th to 12th Female African-American Native American Hispanic, Latino Asian-American Family SES 10th Grade Scores 10th Grade Grades Pro-School Peer Attitudes Intercept 0.40*** -0.04*** 0.12* Id 0.30*** -0.31*** -0.31** -0.07* 0.34*** 0.12*** 0.05*** 0.57*** 0.04 -3.26*** 0.40*** -0.04*** 0.10* 0.06*** 0.31*** -0.31*** -0.29** -0.08* 0.34*** 0.13*** 0.05*** 0.57*** 0.09 -3.09*** 0.40*** -0.04*** 10th Id 0.30*** -0.31*** -0.24** -0.08* 0.34*** 0.10*** 0.05*** 0.55*** 0.06 -3.78*** *p<.05 **p<.01 ***p<.001

11. Regression of Number of Role-Identities and Role Holdings On The Grades of High School Seniors 0.40*** -0.04*** 10th Id 0.09 -0.04 -0.15** -0.15* 0.09*** 0.22*** 0.18*** 0.58*** 0.08 -2.92*** 12th Grade # of Ids 12th Grade # of Ids2 10th Grade # of Ids Id Change From 10th to 12th Friend (in 12th grade) Sibling (in 12th grade) Group Member (in 12th grade) Team Athlete (in 12th grade) Church Member (in 12th grade) Spouse (in 12th grade) Parent (in 12th grade) Employee (in 12th grade) 10th Grade Grades Pro-School Peer Attitudes Intercept 0.31*** -0.04*** 10th Id 0.09 -0.04 0.15*** 0.15*** 0.09** -0.22** -0.18* 0.08** 0.55*** 0.06 -3.78*** *p<.05 **p<.01 ***p<.001

12. NO “Maximum” Role-Identities Regression of Number of Role-Identities and Other Variables On The Grades of High School Seniors 0.19*** -0.03 0.28*** -0.30*** -0.23** -0.07* 0.33*** 0.10*** 0.03*** 0.55*** 0.04 -4.65*** 12th Grade # of Ids 12th Grade # of Ids2 10th Grade # of Ids Id Change From 10th to 12th Female African-American Native American Hispanic, Latino Asian-American Family SES 10th Grade Scores 10th Grade Grades Pro-School Peer Attitudes Intercept All Students Who Are Parents/Spouses Have Been Removed From Data (n=3648) *p<.05 **p<.01 ***p<.001

13. Other Parts Of The Current Project • Analysis of the interaction of role summation with specific 2 or 4 role role-combinations . . . similar findings. • The causality question . . . previous (i.e., 10th grade) levels of ability have either no impact (scores) or a negative impact (grades) on the number of roles seniors have.

14. So, What Do Reviewers Say? “NELS has the potential to provide salience info for each of these identities (i.e., how much time the student spends in these organizations and whether they participated as a member or officer).” “Expand the predicted outcomes to include more outcomes interesting to education scholars (e.g., dropout) or the mechanisms the author points to (e.g., self-esteem)” “I’m not convinced that the number of role-identities influences school performance versus the other way around. What about selectivity effects?” “The empirical literature has long since discredited the uniform effect of social roles. Therefore, this idea of a “count” variable being meaningful is difficult to swallow. “While I’m persuaded by the role accumulation/summation argument, maybe the author is really studying social bonds and commitment?”