This study examined preferences and explanations for wanting to be in a same-versus
mixedachievement classroom, and in a group of peers with similar versus dissimilar
interests and hobbies on a school trip among 5th, 8th, and 11th graders in Detroit
and Matsuyama, Japan. Choice of the diverse environment varied by context, location,
and grade level. Across contexts, preference for diversity tended to decrease among
Detroit students, and increase among Matsuyama students with age. Additionally,
students in Detroit were more likely than their peers in Matsuyama to give
abilitybased and activity-related explanations; students in Matsuyama were more
likely than students in Detroit to give mastery-based and cognitive-related
explanations. Results are discussed in terms of social comparison theory.
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