TITLE:
Hope, Ethnic Pride, and Academic Achievement: Positive Psychology and Latino Youth
AUTHORS:
Derik Yager-Elorriaga, Kathy Berenson, Paula McWhirter
KEYWORDS:
Hope, Latino Youth, Academic Performance, Ethnic Identity
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.10,
August
19,
2014
ABSTRACT: Previous studies
have found that hope has beneficial effects in athletics, academics, physical
health, and mental well being in majority populations. Given the challenges
Latino youth face in the United States, ethnic identity and hope may be a
powerful buffer from these negative stressors. The current study aimed to
identify whether chronic levels of hope related to academic performance,
whether an ethnic pride manipulation altered state hope levels, and whether
there was a link between ethnic identity and chronic hope among a sample of
Latino youth. Results indicated that GPA and chronic hope levels were not
related, a manipulation to boost ethic pride increased state hope, and that
ethnic identity was related to chronic levels of hope. The findings suggest
that ethnic identity is an important contributor to hope levels.