Chang, Mitchell J., Denson, Nida, Saenz, Victor, & Misa, Kimberly
University Affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles
Email: mjchang@gseis.ucla.edu
Research Question:
Examine the student -and institution- level effects of one key form of diversity - cross-racial interaction.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: The Journal of Higher Education
Journal Entry: Vol. 77, No. 3, pp. 430-455
Year: 2006
Findings:
- Results show that differences in each outcome among students were largely the result of individual differences rather than the result of differences in the types of institutions students attended. Only 3.3% of the variance in the Openness to Diversity measure was due to between-institutions differences, whereas 96.7% of the total variance was explained by differences among students. Similarly only 2.6% and 2.4% of the variance in the Cognitive Development and Self-confidence measures, respectively were due to between-institution differences.
- Findings show that as an institution’s average CRI level increased, students’ openness to diversity also increased. Specifically a 1 point increase on CRI was on average associated with a .05 point increase on this measure.
- Results suggest that peer average level of cross-racial interaction had no effect on the Self-confidence measure.
- Higher frequencies of interacting with someone of a different race during college have added educational benefits for students.
- Students who have higher levels of CRI tend to report significantly larger gains made since entering college in heir knowledge of and ability to accept different races/cultures, growth in general knowledge; critical thinking ability, and problem-solving skills, and intellectual and social self confidence than their peers who had lower levels of interaction.
- Less than 4% of the variance on any of the three outcomes was explained by institutional differences. Still, the peer average CRI level has a significant positive effect on students’ openness to diversity and is marginally significant for cognitive development.
- Findings thus show that the peer average level of cross-racial interaction positively affects students’ self-comparison of gains made since entering college, particularly in their knowledge of and ability to accept different races/cultures, beyond a student’s own level of cross-racial interaction during college.
- Whatever the specific conditions might be, students who attend campuses with higher peer average CRI levels are not only benefiting from simply observing more students interacting across racial differences, but are in all likelihood also benefiting from the overall institutional quality that sustain positive race relations.
- Findings suggest that campuses that actively and intentionally establish the conditions, culture, climate, and dynamic that sustain higher levels of cross-racial interaction among students might be reassured to know that even those students who report little or no interaction will also likely benefit from institutional efforts to sustain positive race relations.
- Any attempt to theorize the educational relevance of cross-racial interaction should move beyond just a focus on interpersonal relationships and consider how broader aspects of the immediate context that shapes both the quality and frequency of contact might itself lead to benefits.