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Educational Goals as Predictors of Adjustment for East and South Asian International Students

Educational Goals as Predictors of Adjustment for East and South Asian International Students. David Rollock Department of Psychological Sciences Purdue University.

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Educational Goals as Predictors of Adjustment for East and South Asian International Students

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  1. Educational Goals as Predictors of Adjustment for East and South Asian International Students David Rollock Department of Psychological Sciences Purdue University Presentation as part of the Purdue Assessment Coordinators Team’s 2nd Annual Pact Facts for Student Success Conference, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN December 2, 2013. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  2. Overview • Introduction: Cultural contact goals as organizers of behavior and adjustment • Latent structure of reasons/goals for international study among East and South Asian students • Differential predictors of depressive symptoms by distinct ethnocultural grouping • Implications: conceptualizing differences among diverse “Asian” groups, and organizing targeted interventions PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  3. Acknowledgements • P. Priscilla Lui, M.A. • Omar Rahman, Ph.D. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  4. Within-Group Intersections • Cultural-ecological approaches(e.g., Ogbu, 1981, 1995) • Develop preferences, skills, for expected (future) roles (goals) • Reflect expectations, beliefs, “native theories of success” • Rationale for studies of ethnicity & culture • Problems in ethnic minority psychology research • Systematic consideration for “intersecting” characteristics • Heritage with demographics (e.g., SES, gender, religion) • “Within-group differences” (e.g., “subgroups”) • Relate specific psychologically-relevant characteristics to specific psychologically-relevant outcomes • e.g., “acculturation” as exposure, language preference, etc. may not relate functionally to distress (Rahman & Rollock, 2004) • Goals of contact/transition  selection of skill set Within-Group Intersections PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  5. Asian Diversity in the U.S. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  6. “Asian” Diversity…for Adjustment “Asian” Diversity…for Adjustment “Asian” Diversity…for Adjustment PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  7. “Asian” Diversity…for Adjustment • Alternative approaches reflected in the literature • Emphasis on commonalities • Common Asian/”Contrast American” values, attitudes, behaviors • Acculturation measured by demographics & exposure • Focus on East Asians • Focus on single, well-defined groups • Out of context with other groups • Differential risks by groups within Asian sphere? PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  8. “Asian” Diversity on Campus • Appropriateness of college/university samples • Common point of intercultural contact (esp. South Asians) • Absence of larger (socializing) community • Common parameters for service access • Familiarity with data collection methods • Appropriateness of ethnic studies at this campus PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  9. Goals and Intercultural Contact PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  10. What are different types of goals, relevant to cultural transition & performance? Goals Intentions shaping approach to new context Do “Asian” acculturating groups differ in goals? Groups should differ in goals, insofar as goals  distinct orchestration of behavior Special clinical interest: Will “Asian” groups “look” the same when screened for dysphoria/psychological distress? Which predictors for which groups? How do goals predict outcomes, vs. “usual” predictors? Commonly-used predictors are demographic Language use, and time in U.S. (“acculturation”) Only indirect behavioral relevance  need modifiable psychological characteristics Prior work: limited measured goals still predicted outcomes (Modest) Research Questions PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  11. Goals items Focus: reasons for studying abroad/what is to be gained from international study Rational construction  literature, related scales Item set n = 28 reasons/goals, with Likert-type response options 1 = “Not at All Important” to 9 = “Extremely Important” Examples: “…studying in another country is an exciting challenge” “…to follow the wishes of my parents or relatives” “…studying in another country will help me earn more money…” (Open-ended option to specify additional goals) Method PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  12. Other Predictors University Environment Scale (UES; Gloria & Kurpius, 1996). 14 7-point items on positive campus climate for (minority) students, from 1 (“not at all”) to 7 (“very true”) Acculturation Demographics. Self-reported age, gender, years in U.S., English language fluency Method (cont’d) PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  13. Outcomes Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977). 20 items on frequency of signs of depression/dysphoria, rated from 0 (“Not at all”) to 3 (“All the time”) Participants N = 551 online (of ~6000), with 483 complete on outcome, 337 complete on all measures Recruited via direct email solicitation, fliers, courses Special effort to recruit South Asians Method (cont’d) PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  14. Results:Basic sample statistics PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  15. Results:Exploratory Factor Analysis of Goals (N=483) PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  16. Results:Exploratory Factor Analysis of Goals (N=483)(cont’d) PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  17. Results:Group differences in Goals PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  18. Goals/reasons more than “internal” vs. “external” No major omissions noted by respondents Quite a few cross-loadings complex, relationships among the meanings of ostensibly distinct constructs No differences in Personal Challenge: who does seek to study abroad?  Very few SA women! Differences between cultural groups SA responding less to peer, external influence Result of being older, more English fluent? Group Differences in GoalsSome Interim Conclusions PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  19. Results:Goals Predicting Perceptions of University Environment N = 360 ; UES M = 3.60 (SD = 0.93) Equation significant at Step 1 [F(3,356) = 7.17, p < .001]; Step 2 [F(5,354) = 6.28, p < .001] , and Step 3 [F(10,349) = 11.15, p < .001]; PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  20. Goals Predicting Perceptions of University EnvironmentSome Interim Conclusions Goals contribute to prediction, above & beyond more common demographic predictors Culture of origin does seem to matter, though not a significant contributor on its own Note contribution of age Strong professional & career goals  perception of environment as positive, welcoming Stronger romantic goals  disappointment Challenge/Personal Development goals as a suppressor PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  21. Results:Goals Predicting Psychological Distress/Depression N = 360 ; CES-D Total mean = 19.81 (SD = 11.17) Equation not significant at Step 1 [F(3,237) = 1.85] or Step 2 [F(5,235) = 1.39], but only after Step 3 [F(10,230) = 4.49, p < .001] PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  22. Goals Predicting Psychological Distress/DepressionSome Interim Conclusions Common demographics may not show up as significant, due to generally high levels of distress? Goals contribute to prediction, above & beyond more common demographic predictors Professional & career goals, and seeking personal challenges appear to buffer against distress Following peers’ experiences, and responding to external pressure  greater distress PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  23. General Conclusions & Next Steps “Asian” masks some important patterns of difference “Goals” capture distinct variance in important adjustment outcomes Not just “general motivation” Implications for intervention Attend to cultural group differences Implications for future investigations Screening for maladjustment risk at critical levels Observing changes in goals over time PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF HEALTHANDHUMANSCIENCES

  24. COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES

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