INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTS ON THE PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGE-STUDENTS

This study examined the widely reported contention that the social and intellectual development of African-American college students is nurtured better by traditionally Black collegiate institutions (TBIs) than by predominantly White collegiate institutions (PWIs). It was hypothesized that if the reported environmental effects exist, then students at TBIs ought to be more developmentally advanced than their counterparts at PWIs. Three areas of psychosocial development were examined for 250 African-American students attending the two types of institutions in the same northeastern state. The Racial Identity Attitude Scale, the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Inventory, and the Career Decision Scale were used. The results did not provide clear support for the superiority of the TBIs in facilitating the development of African-American college students. Results and implications for counseling and future research are discussed.