| This study examines ethnic identity on several levels. First, it uses a symbolic interactionist approach to define and explain the nature of ethnic identity. This approach argues that ethnic identification is a reflexive incorporation of the shared understandings (acquired through social interaction) of what it means to be a member of a given ethnic group. Second, this study tests a measurement technique in which ethnic identity is measured in terms of the shared meanings associated with ethnicity. This is done through the use of a semantic differential format and a discriminant analysis statistical technique. Finally, this study investigates ethnic identity's impact on academic performance. Although previous findings on the ethnic identity/academic performance relationship are mixed, theoretically, the meanings attributed to ethnic identity are irrelevant to the meanings of academic performance. Therefore, it is hypothesized that ethnic identity would have little or no impact on academic performance.;Conclusions support the use of symbolic interactionism and the measurement technique in future research of ethnic identity. It is suggested that future research needs to examine the indirect impacts of ethnic identity on academic performance as well as its impact on other social behavior. Also further attention should be given to examining changes in ethnic identity.;Based on data collected from a survey of white (N = 139) and black (N = 73) college students at Indiana University, Bloomington, a measure of ethnic identity was assessed. In testing the ethnic identity/academic performance hypothesis, a multiple regression statistical analysis revealed that ethnic identity has no direct impact on academic performance. Also an examination of the process predicting academic performance was shown to be significantly different for white and black students but in neither case was the effect of ethnic identity on academic performance present. |
