Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Gary Kose

Committee Chair and Members

Gary Kose, Chair

Tristan Adams

Keywords

Adolescents, Collectivism, Efficacy, Individualism

Abstract

This study explored the mathematics efficacy beliefs of 270 South Asian (Indo American) immigrant and Anglo American nonimmigrant 7th grade students. Self-efficacy beliefs strongly predicted mathematics performance for both cultural groups, but there were differences between the 2 groups in the sources of self-efficacy, the predictiveness of the secondary motivation variables. It is argued that the Indo American students are more vertical or hierarchical than the Anglo-American students and that comparison with others strongly influences their motivation beliefs and the formation of their efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy in some cultures may be more other-oriented than is typically seen in Western cultures. A caution against generalizing about Asian populations is given, and implications.

Included in

Psychology Commons

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