There is an abundance of research on self-affirmations and its wide range of positive benefits. Did you know that these benefits expand to academic performance as well?
There are so many reasons why students may be underperforming in school, but an overwhelming factor includes stress. And while there may be many causes of stress in a young person’s life, identifying with a social group and trying to find belonging at school tops the list for many. Belonging and identity development are important aspects of psychological functioning in school-aged children and young adults and social groups play a huge role in that, making minority students at higher risk of identity threat.
The stress of identity threat when one’s social group (e.g., gender, sexuality, racial, or ethnic group) is devalued in the academic environment is a consistent source of underperformance, according to social psychologist Claude Steele’s research on stereotype threat and its application to minority student performance. For individuals from certain groups, such as Latino or African Americans in the US education system, or women pursuing STEM careers, identity threat can hinder performance and thus academic success.
No matter what one’s stressor is at school, like worry about prejudice against their social group, practicing affirmations have been shown to make that stressor less psychologically disruptive. As you consistently practice self-affirmations, you broaden the perceived sources of self-integrity and feel less threatened and bothered because your identity lies more in who you are on the inside and the intrinsic qualities you possess, rather than extrinsic factors such as what social group you belong to.
You are more than just the groups you identify with and you are greater than limitations others may place on a generalization of you.
With a more broadened view of self-identity and who they are, students can better focus on the academic task at hand and can be better learners, studiers, and test takers. When you believe that your success or failure of these tasks don’t actually affect your self or social-worth, you can actually do better on them!
Social psychological interventions that have included self-affirmations in their programs have produced long-term positive outcomes on learning and academic performance, such as minority students that experience stereotype threat feeling greater belonging in school and showing improved academic performance. For example, in a study published in Teachers College Record, research analysis and education policy journal, African American middle schoolers who completed affirmation activities had improved grades that were maintained over the whole two years of the study.
Academic underperformance does not have to be inevitable for minority students in any social group, who may be facing stereotype threat. Decrease in academic motivation actually fluctuates day to day based on days when they experienced greater or less belonging at school. The good news is, students can shift their perception and attitude without changing any physical circumstances of their life and yield great results.
Sense of belonging at school is not contingent on stereotype threat, but rather on perceived identity threat; if you learn to take control over your self-identity, you can always be comfortable with yourself and feel a sense of acceptance and belonging.
You can be part of a minority group that is systematically underprivileged and still feel good about who you are, be confident in your abilities, and hopeful about what you can accomplish in the future.
You can be faced with challenges and not allow them to have an influence on your sense of worth and identity.
Find affirmations to increase self-acceptance, advance your academic progress, and so much more on the Selfpause app, or use the app to write and record your own affirmations!
