Positive and Negative Cultural Experiences Predicting GPA and Alcohol Use Among Racially Diverse Emerging Adults

The current study examined associations between ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration and resolution, positive and negative conversations about one’s ethnicity/race, and racial discrimination predicting grade point average (GPA) and alcohol use. We also tested for sex differences. Participants in...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Bravo, Diamond Y. (Author) ; Williams, Chelsea Derlan (Author) ; Arnold, Elisha (Author) ; Dick, Danielle M. (Author) ; The Spit for Science Working Group (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Race and social problems
Year: 2025, Volume: 17, Issue: 4, Pages: 281-290
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Academic Achievement
Alcohol use
Ethnic–racial identity
Racial discourse
racial discrimination
Description
Summary:The current study examined associations between ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration and resolution, positive and negative conversations about one’s ethnicity/race, and racial discrimination predicting grade point average (GPA) and alcohol use. We also tested for sex differences. Participants included 1033 emerging adult students of color ages 18-22 (M = 18.45, SD = 9.39) who identified as African American, Latine, Asian American, and Multiracial. Regarding GPA, results indicated that ERI exploration predicted higher GPA for females, but not males. Positive conversations about race predicted higher GPA for males, but not females. ERI resolution, negative conversations about race, and racial discrimination did not predict GPA for males or females. Regarding alcohol use, negative conversations about race predicted greater alcohol use for males, but not females. Findings underscore that positive and negative cultural experiences differentially inform academic achievement and alcohol use among male and female college students of color.
ISSN:1867-1756
DOI:10.1007/s12552-025-09440-6