What is someone like me doing in a place like this?: The Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Academic Identity in College
Date
2013
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Open Access
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Abstract
The present study was conducted in order to investigate a potential relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic identity, which was conceptualized as being composed of academic self-concept, centrality of the academic identity, and the narrative academic identity. Researchers in the present study sought to affirm results of past research indicating that there is a relationship between SES and academic identity, and to illuminate processes that affect this relationship. To this end, SES, academic identity, and various possible mediators and moderators were measured and relationships between these variables were analyzed. Results indicate that SES and some facets of academic identity are related, and that this effect is mediated by sensitivity to SES-based identity discrepancy (SSID) and belonging. We also found that exploration moderated relationships between belonging and academic selfconcept, and between SSID and certain negative narrative themes. Based on these findings, we tentatively conclude that feelings of being out of place in an academic environment are particularly damaging to the academic self-concept of students of lower socioeconomic classes. In addition, exploration of an academic identity can have negative consequences for the academic identity. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.