DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS

Gretchen Eva Lopez
(1993)

The effect of group contact and curriculum on White, Asian American, and African American students' attitudes.

Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

ABSTRACT: Since Brown v. Board of Education, social psychologists have contributed to an understanding of intergroup relations in education through studies of group contact and attitude change. Contact has proven most successful in altering interpersonal attitudes.

The present study examines the effects of group contact on two types of intergroup attitudes: awareness of ethnic inequality in society and support for educational equity. It further considers the effects of curriculum and in particular, courses that cover issues of race and ethnicity, on these attitudes.

Students completed surveys at the beginning and end of the first year of college as part of a longitudinal project at The University of Michigan. The surveys measured a variety of academic and social experiences in addition to assessing intergroup attitudes. Responses of students belonging to three ethnic groups--white, Asian American, and African American--were examined.

Using regression and path analyses, the relationship between group contact, curriculum, and attitude change was tested while controlling for attitudes at college entrance. These groups of students differed in initial intergroup attitudes, and in the extent and direction of attitude change over the first year. Furthermore, the relationship of group contact and curriculum to attitude change varied depending on ethnic group membership.

For white students; outgroup contact with African American students increased support for educational equity. However, curriculum was an even stronger predictor of intergroup attitudes. Students involved in coursework on intergroup relations increased their awareness of inequality and support for educational equity.

For Asian American students, group contact was important to intergroup attitudes while curriculum showed little effect. Both outgroup (with African Americans) and ingroup contact were associated with stronger support for educational equity.

For African American students, group contact did not change intergroup attitudes. Curriculum, on the other hand, increased support for educational equity in the first year. Thus, curriculum in addition to group contact had an impact on intergroup attitudes.

The results strongly suggest that the consequences of both are likely to vary with ethnic group membership. The implications for research on intergroup relations and education in a multiethnic context are discussed.