Examining Adaptive Behaviors as Resistance Strategies for African American College Students in Adverse University Contexts

This study explored the adaptive behaviors used by African American college students attending a predominantly White university. In-depth individual interviews were conducted and used as the primary method of data collection for this study. In addition, a focus group session provided member checking opportunity to strengthen the study. The analysis revealed participants utilized multiple adaptive behaviors to combat negative racialized experiences while attending a university where they were underrepresented. These adaptive behaviors were used as resistance strategies by African American students navigating a racially charged university context.

Entry Barriers for Academically-Underprepared African American Students at American Institutions

The impact of systematic racism within the education system has been a web that researchers have aimed at detangling for many years. The myriad effects that racial oppression have had on the education system are numerous; one area of overwhelming concern is the impact on incoming students' readiness to do college-level work in math and English language arts. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the historical implications that race has had on systems of higher education and to describe the perceptions of a subset of African American college students in Texas regarding barriers to college access and program completion during times of crisis. The researcher will use the historical context of racial oppression and the establishment of higher education systems. The demographics shifts to provide a lens through which the perceptions of a sample of African American college students' experiences can be viewed. Ultimately, this chapter aims to share the lived experiences of these students and give voice to college success data.

Advancing African Psychology: An Exploration of African American College Students’ Definitions and Use of Spirit in Times of Stress

Although religion and spirituality are understood as multidimensional resources in times of stress, less is known about the culturally relevant concept of spirit in African psychology. Eighteen African American college students completed written open-ended questionnaires about how—in relation to religion and spirituality—they define and use spirit in response to stress. Qualitative constant comparison analysis of the data yielded themes defining spirit and its responses to stress. The definition of spirit can be described distinctly as energy, while it overlaps with religion and spirituality as a connection with or a search for God. Spirit also overlaps with religion as faith and spirituality as a feeling/sense/guiding consciousness or inner thought within oneself, and soul. Themes for the use of spirit in response to stress were supportive of optimal functioning and include (a) thoughts of asking God for help, (b) prayer, (c) positive emotions, (d) self-affirming thoughts, and (e) productive activity. The findings are discussed regarding spirit as a distinct yet overlapping concept with religion and spirituality that has implications for research and practice within African psychology.

Assessing the Universality of the Zero Originality Lists of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT)-Figural: An Examination With African American College Students

Originality is scored based on standard zero-originality lists (ZOLs) in the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). The applicability of those ZOLs to diverse groups has not been examined. We examined the consistency of TTCT-Figural’s sample-based (SB) ZOLs and the published ZOLs based on a sample of predominantly African American college students ( n = 464 and n = 493 for Forms A and B, respectively). Then, we scored 193 forms using SB-ZOLs and published ZOLs. Compared with the old ZOLs, the updated ZOLs yielded more consistent results with the SB-ZOLs when a 3% cutoff is used for Activity 3. However, the new ZOLs made more improvement in Form A than Form B and in Activity 2 than Activities 1 and 3. Further studies are needed to determine if the inconsistencies stem from cultural differences or the method of updating the ZOLs. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for gifted identification.

Ethnic Identity and Educational Outcomes in African American College Students

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