CHFA | Psychology Department Showcase: Completed Projects
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Gender and Diversity Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Amanda Joyce
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer) students' academic self-esteem is underresearched, particularly among college students. Academic self-esteem refers to students' self-esteem regarding their ability to perform well in school. Past research shows that academic performance and academic self-esteem are strongly correlated with one another (Smith et al., 1998). Among high school students, it was found that LGBTQ+ victimization was correlated with worse academic performance and that the presence of a GSA (gay-straight alliance) was predictive of lower levels of victimization (Kosciw et al., 2013). With the vast majority of research on this matter being conducted on high school students, much less is known about academic self-esteem in LGBTQ+ college students. The present study compares academic self-esteem between LGBTQ+ college students and their cis-straight peers. After cleaning there are 104 participants, ages ranging from 18-28 with an average of 19. Of the participants, 68 were female, 33 were male, and 3 were non-binary. Twenty-five participants identified as LGBTQ+. Participants' academic self-esteem was measured using Tiwari’s academic self-esteem scale (2011). This scale has 7 questions on a 5-point Likert scale (α=.929). Participants also answered questions about their LGBTQ+ identification, and club affiliation. LGBTQ+ students had lower academic self-esteem (M = 22.84) than did their cis straight peers (M = 27.03), t(101) = 3.21, p< .001. Results suggest that LGBTQ+ students are not doing as well when it comes to academic self-esteem and may benefit from resources meant to increase their academic self-esteem. Results and their implications will be discussed in more detail during the presentation.
Spring Scholars Week 2024 Event
Psychology: Completed Projects
Included in
The Academic Self-Esteem of Higher Education’s LGBTQ+ Students
LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer) students' academic self-esteem is underresearched, particularly among college students. Academic self-esteem refers to students' self-esteem regarding their ability to perform well in school. Past research shows that academic performance and academic self-esteem are strongly correlated with one another (Smith et al., 1998). Among high school students, it was found that LGBTQ+ victimization was correlated with worse academic performance and that the presence of a GSA (gay-straight alliance) was predictive of lower levels of victimization (Kosciw et al., 2013). With the vast majority of research on this matter being conducted on high school students, much less is known about academic self-esteem in LGBTQ+ college students. The present study compares academic self-esteem between LGBTQ+ college students and their cis-straight peers. After cleaning there are 104 participants, ages ranging from 18-28 with an average of 19. Of the participants, 68 were female, 33 were male, and 3 were non-binary. Twenty-five participants identified as LGBTQ+. Participants' academic self-esteem was measured using Tiwari’s academic self-esteem scale (2011). This scale has 7 questions on a 5-point Likert scale (α=.929). Participants also answered questions about their LGBTQ+ identification, and club affiliation. LGBTQ+ students had lower academic self-esteem (M = 22.84) than did their cis straight peers (M = 27.03), t(101) = 3.21, p< .001. Results suggest that LGBTQ+ students are not doing as well when it comes to academic self-esteem and may benefit from resources meant to increase their academic self-esteem. Results and their implications will be discussed in more detail during the presentation.