Degree Name

Specialist in School Psychology

Semester of Degree Completion

1997

Thesis Director

J. Michael Havey

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between acculturation and college attendance of Hispanic high school students. Acculturation is mainly associated with the degree to which one experiences cultural change toward the majority culture. It was theorized that acculturation would have a postive association with college attendance. Acculturation level, socioeconomic status and college attendance were the varibles utilized. The students filled out a questionnaire that was composed of 12 questions and five-self report questions. The Twelve qestions were taken from the Short Acculturation Scale, two questions regarding socioeconomic status were taken from the Hollingshead Scocioecomic Scale, with the remaining questions inquiring about college attendance, sex and age. The sample consited of 27 (17=females, 10=males) high school seniors from a participating Chicago Public High School; the students were between the ages of 17-18, and were graduating in the spring of 1997. The expected relationship between the level of acculturation in Hispanic high school students and college attendance was measured using point bi-serial correlation coefficient. Utilizing a one-tail test the results revealed a significant positive correlation at the p=.05 level. Overall the mean for the twelve item acculturation scale was 3.02 (SD=.62), suggesting a high degree of acculturation. In summary, the results indicated that acculturation has a significant impact on college attendance.

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