Self-Monitoring Strategies as a Unique Predictor of Latino Male Student Achievement

Abstract

We examined how self-monitoring (i.e., regulating one’s behaviors; Snyder, 1987) relates to Latino male achievement. In Study 1, college students (N = 413) completed self-monitoring items and reported SAT math scores. As hypothesized, self-monitoring was positively correlated with achievement for Latino male students but was unrelated to achievement for Latina and White male and female students. Study 2 used a high school sample (N = 174) and observed math performance. Analyses revealed that, again, self-monitoring was positively related to achievement for Latino male students but unrelated to achievement for Latinas. These findings demonstrate the unique effects of self-monitoring on Latino male student achievement.

Key words:

• self-monitoring
• Latino male students
• academic achievement

Notes

¹ Given study restrictions on time and survey length, we focused on demographic measures that were most central to our primary hypothesis (e.g., ethnicity, gender). Additional demographic information (e.g., socioeconomic status, parent’s level of education) was not collected in this research.

² The larger research project was interested in gender differences in math achievement. Therefore, students were only asked to report SAT math scores and not verbal scores.

³ Given that our primary focus was on monitoring behaviors in school and peer school contexts, we removed items that did not align with our main focus in the research. The following four items were removed: “Sometimes I help my mom without her asking me, so she will let me do something I want to do later,” “There are things about me that I wouldn’t want to tell to anyone,” “I feel unhappy when I don’t have the things my friends have,” and “I feel embarrassed when I don’t have the same kind of clothes as my classmates.”

⁴ A brief version of the achievement task was pretested with a group of 23 high school students (10 males, 13 females; M age = 15.78 years, SD = 1.08). Students were given 5 min to complete seven math problems. The average score on the task was 3.13 math problems (SD = 1.28). After conducting item analyses, we removed problems that were difficult (no student selected the correct answer) from the task. All students attempted all seven math problems. On a scale from 1 to 7 (with 1 being the lowest rating, 4 being average, and 7 being the highest rating), students also completed items that assessed perceptions of task difficulty, motivation to complete the task, and ability to understand the task. Student ratings indicated that the task was average in difficulty (M = 3.95, SD = 1.73), that their motivation to complete the task was slightly above average (M = 4.24, SD = 1.77), and that their ability to understand the task was average (M = 4.10, SD = 1.64). The average scores from students indicated that the task was suitable for this age group; this could allow for movement (i.e., an increase or decrease in scores).

⁵ Given time restrictions stipulated by the school, we could only allot 8 min for the achievement task. Because students were able to successfully attempt seven problems in 5 min, we reasoned that 8 min was sufficient time to complete 10 problems.