Abstract
Ethnic identity (EI) affirmation has been related to positive academic outcomes for Latina/o youth. However, there is a dearth of research examining mediating mechanisms to this relationship. To address this gap, we examine psychological functioning (depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) as a mediator in the relationship between EI affirmation and academic outcomes (i.e., academic motivation, academic skepticism, and ambition). Participants were 524 Mexican descent adolescents in South Texas. Participants completed a number of self-report questionnaires to measure each of the variables in the hypothesized model. Results demonstrate that feeling good about one’s ethnic group membership (or having higher EI affirmation) is a strength that not only is related to positive psychological functioning but also promotes positive academic outcomes. Educators and mental health practitioners may benefit from engaging in a curriculum that aims to improve EI affirmation to promote positive psychological functioning, and thus better academic outcomes for Mexican descent youth.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1155-1170 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Psychology in the Schools |
Volume | 55 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2018 |
Keywords
- Latino adolescents
- academic ambition
- depression
- ethnic identity affirmation
- life satisfaction