Ethnic Identity, Academic Achievement, and Global Self-Concept in Four Groups of Academically Talented Adolescents

Abstract

In this study, academically talented African American ( n = 28), Asian American ( n = 171), Hispanic ( n = 28), and White ( n = 92) middle and high school students are compared on ethnic identity (EI) and other group orientation (OGO) attitudes as measured by the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure. The contributions of these variables to self-esteem and academic achievement are also examined. Results indicate the ethnic minority groups had significantly higher EI scores than their White counterparts but do not differ on OGO. EI predicts self-esteem for the Hispanic students, and OGO predicts self-esteem for the African American students, but neither variable predicts self-esteem for the other two groups. EI and OGO are negative and positive predictors of school achievement, respectively, but only for African American students, and neither variable predicts achievement in a summer program for academically talented youth. The implications of these findings are discussed.