‘My family’s goals are also my goals’: the relationship between collectivism, distal utility value, and learning and career goals of international university students in Germany

The utility value of an academic task can affect university students’ learning behavior and career choices. For collectivistic-oriented students, learning and career goals also matter to their families. Following expectancy-value theory, we assumed that families’ achievement-related expectations would affect collectivistic-oriented students’ utility value. We conducted a survey study with 154 international university students in Germany. We found a significant mediation effect of students’ distal utility value of their university coursework on the relationship between students’ collectivism, learning goal orientation, and motivation to follow family-oriented distal career goals, respectively. Practical implications for career counselors and university teachers are discussed

The potential of mixed-method social network analysis for studying interaction between agency and structure in education

This article discusses the potential of mixed-method social network analysis (MMSNA) as a methodology for designing and conducting studies that address questions of interplay between human agency and social structures in educational settings. First, we discuss a rationale for using MMSNA referring to the theoretical calls for better understanding the role of agency in network structures. Next, we discuss examples of studies that illustrate how MMSNA has been applied to investigate (a) the role of agency in social network formation and (b) how social networks facilitate actors' agency in educational processes. Finally, we outline a guide for how to use MMSNA and consider its potential for future studies of interactions between agency and structures in educational settings

Gender at Work Across Nations: Men and Women Working in Male-Dominated and Female-Dominated Occupations are Differentially Associated with Agency and Communion

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Froehlich, Olsson, Dorrough, Martiny. Gender at Work Across Nations: Men and Women Working in Male-Dominated and Female-Dominated Occupations are Differentially Associated with Agency and Communion. Journal of Social Issues (JSI). 2020;76(3):484-511, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12390. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Occupational gender segregation is a worldwide phenomenon. Research from Western regions such as the United States and Europe shows that the observation of occupational gender segregation can perpetuate gender stereotypes (social role theory; men are ascribed agentic traits, whereas women are ascribed communal traits). However, predictions from social role theory have not been well‐tested in non‐Western nations. In a study with 1,918 participants from 10 nations systematically differing in gender inequality, we investigated the extent to which target men and women in gender‐segregated occupations are associated with stereotype‐relevant traits. Results showed that 12 preselected occupations were perceived as gender‐segregated in all nations. In line with social role theory, across nations, target men and women in male‐dominated occupations were associated with agentic traits, whereas targets in female‐dominated occupations were associated with communal traits. Targets’ gender, but not national‐level gender inequality, moderated these results. The relevance of cross‐national research for understanding gender stereotypes and pathways to reduce gender inequality are discussed

Integration or isolation: Social identity threat relates to immigrant students’ sense of belonging and social approach motivation in the academic context

Stigmatized individuals often feel threatened by negative stereotypes about their group. Previous research showed that concerns about being negatively stereotyped (i.e., social identity threat) have detrimental effects on performance in the stereotyped domain. Little research has focused on interpersonal consequences of negative stereotypes, despite their essential role for integration of stigmatized groups like immigrants. The current work examines the relations of social identity threat with sense of belonging and social approach motivation in immigrant university students, and the moderating effect of ethnic and national identity. Two studies with immigrant university students in Norway (total sample N = 252) showed that concerns about being negatively stereotyped at university were negatively associated with immigrant students’ sense of belonging to university which in turn related to lower social approach motivation toward other students. Further, social approach motivation predicted students’ behavioral intentions to approach social events. There was also first evidence for a moderating effect of ethnic and national identity on the relationship between social identity threat and sense of belonging. Practical implications for immigrants’ societal and educational integration are discussed

Stereotype threat-effects for Turkish-origin migrants in Germany: Taking stock of cumulative research evidence

Source at https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904118807539.Turkish-origin migrants on average show lower academic performance than Germans. This achievement gap cannot be fully explained by socio-economic differences between the groups. Negative competence stereotypes about Turkish-origin students predict the causal attributions that German preservice teachers make for migrants’ academic underperformance. Specifically, the more strongly preservice teachers endorse negative competence stereotypes, the more likely they are to attribute academic underperformance of Turkish-origin migrants to the migrants themselves and less to the educational system. Stereotype threat theory posits that the activation of stereotypes in test situations can reduce the performance of members of the negatively stereotyped group. Based on this theory, we propose that negative stereotypes provide a social-psychological explanation for the academic underperformance of Turkish-origin migrants compared to Germans. A series of six experiments conducted within a research project funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research investigated stereotype threat effects for Turkish-origin migrants. Two new moderator variables were identified: implicit theory of intelligence and vertical collectivism. A meta-analysis of the six studies showed a small, non-significant mean effect for stereotype threat main effects, but a significant medium-sized mean effect for moderated stereotype threat effects. Limitations and practical implications of stereotype threat effects in educational settings are discussed

The α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, clonidine, reduces alcohol drinking in alcohol-preferring (P) rats

Evidence suggests that noradrenergic signaling may play a role in mediating alcohol-drinking behavior in both rodents and humans. We have investigated this possibility by administering clonidine to alcohol-drinking rats selectively bred for alcohol preference (P line). Clonidine is an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist which, at low doses, inhibits noradrenergic signaling by decreasing norepinephrine release from presynaptic noradrenergic neurons. Adult male P rats were given 24-h access to food and water and scheduled access to a 15% (v/v) alcohol solution for 2 h daily. Rats received intraperitoneal (IP) injections with clonidine (0, 10, 20, 40, or 80 µg/kg body weight [BW], 10–11 rats/treatment group) once/day at 30 min prior to onset of the daily 2-h alcohol access period for 2 consecutive days. Clonidine, in doses of 40 or 80 µg/kg BW, significantly reduced alcohol intake on both days of treatment (p < 0.001). Two weeks later, rats were treated with clonidine for 5 consecutive days and clonidine, in doses of 40 or 80 µg/kg BW, reduced alcohol intake on all 5 treatment days (p < 0.001). Clonidine did not alter water consumption during the daily 2-h free-choice between alcohol and water. In a separate group of male P rats, clonidine (40 µg/kg BW) suppressed intake of a saccharin solution (0.04 g/L). These results are consistent with and complement our previous findings that the α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, decreases voluntary alcohol drinking in alcohol-preferring rats, but suggests that effects of clonidine may not be specific for alcohol. The results suggest that although activation of the noradrenergic system plays an important role in mediating voluntary alcohol drinking, care is needed in selecting which drugs to use to suppress central noradrenergic signaling in order to maximize the selectivity of the drugs for treating alcohol-use disorders

The relationship between ethnic classroom composition and Turkish-origin and German students’ reading performance and sense of belonging

Past research on ethnic composition effects on migrant and ethnic majority students’ performance has reported inconclusive results: Some studies have found no relationship between the proportion of migrant students in school and students’ performance, some revealed positive effects, whereas others showed negative effects of the proportion of migrant students. Most of the studies did not consider whether an increase in the proportion of migrant students in the classroom has different effects on migrant and ethnic majority students’ performance. For this reason, the present study (N = 9215) extends previous research by investigating the cross-level interaction effect of the proportion of Turkish-origin students in classrooms on Turkish-origin and German students’ reading performance with data based on the German National Assessment Study 2008/2009 in the school subject German. In addition, we examined the cross-level interaction effect of Turkish-origin students’ proportion on sense of belonging to school of Turkish-origin and German students, as sense of belonging has been shown to be an important predictor of well-being and integration. No cross-level interaction effect on performance emerged. Only a small negative main effect of the Turkish-origin students’ proportion on all students’ performance was found. As predicted, we showed a cross-level interaction on sense of belonging. Only Turkish-origin students’ sense of belonging was positively related to the proportion of Turkish-origin students: The more Turkish-origin students there were in a classroom, the higher Turkish-origin students’ sense of belonging. German students’ sense of belonging was not related to the ethnic classroom composition. Implications of the results in the educational context are discussed

Dealing with negative stereotypes in sports: the role of cognitive anxiety when multiple identities are activated in sensorimotor tasks

Based on research on stereotype threat and multiple identities, this work explores the beneficial effects of activating a positive social identity when a negative identity is salient on women’s performance in sports. Further, in line with research on the effects of anxiety in sports, we investigate whether the activation of a positive social identity buffers performance from cognitive anxiety associated with a negative stereotype. Two experiments tested these predictions in field settings. Experiment 1 (N = 83) shows that the simultaneous activation of a positive (i.e., member of a soccer team) and a negative social identity (i.e., woman) led to better performance than the activation of only a negative social identity for female soccer players. Experiment 2 (N = 46) demonstrates that identity condition moderated the effect of cognitive anxiety on performance for female basketball players. Results are discussed concerning multiple identities’ potential for dealing with stressful situations

Bearings House: Community Reintegration Project

Research poster documenting the following project: Long Creek Youth Development Center offers a variety of activities, an education, mentorship, and structure for Bearings House residents. In addition to those programs, we hoped through building a relationship with residents we could identify their occupational interests and assist in their transition to life in the community. We strived to support residents through their transition to Bearings House and give them an opportunity to further explore their interests as well as expose them to new occupations they may have not previously participated in order to help as they reintegrate into the community.https://dune.une.edu/cecespring2020/1010/thumbnail.jp

The interaction of vertical collectivism and stereotype activation on the performance of Turkish-origin high school students

The activation of negative stereotypes in achievement situations can lead to decreased performance (i.e., stereotype threat effect). Research has shown that stereotype threat effects increase when performance outcomes become more important. Cultural value orientations such as vertical collectivism can influence the perceived importance of performance outcomes. For this reason, we investigate the interaction between vertical collectivism and the activation of negative stereotypes on the academic performance of migrant students. More precisely, we argue that the more Turkish-origin students endorse vertical collectivism (i.e., the willingness to sacrifice individual interests for their group's interests), the more they try to meet their group's high achievement expectations after negative stereotype activation. This increases performance pressure and thus impairs their performance. We further argue that vertical collectivism increases migrants students' motivation to temporarily join a high performing outgroup in order to achieve high performance outcomes in the future. An experiment conducted in classrooms (N = 94) with Turkish-origin students confirmed our hypotheses. Implications for dealing with stereotype threat in educational contexts are discusse