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Abstract

Male and female African-American college students (n = 131) at a large urban predominately White publicly funded institution participated in a survey measuring the effect of a multitude of psychosocial constructs and factors on grade point average (GPA). Part One of the study's analysis focused on three of the six total constructs examined within this study: Barriers to Achievement, Ethnic Identity, and Intrapersonal Attributes. Cronbach's alpha tests and item analyses found that each subscale was determined sufficiently reliable with the exception of Ethnic Identity. Pearson correlations indicated that the Interpersonal Attributes subscale and its individual factors were most significant in predicting academic success. The Barriers to Achievement subscale did not significantly affect student GPA, though family problems and maintaining employment were found detrimental to GPA. While the Ethnic Identity construct was not reliable, the factor “ethnic fit” was significant.

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Correlates of African-American Undergraduate Student Achievement: Implications for the Prize Initiative

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