Minority Psychologists In Academia Unhappy, Study Shows

Minority Psychologists In Academia Unhappy, Study Shows

Minority psychologists in academic settings are generally less satisfied than their White counterparts.

That's according to a study, "Relationship of Solo Status, Academic Rank, and Perceived Distinctiveness to Job Satisfaction and Racial/Ethnic Minorities," co-authored by John D. Dovidio, professor of psychology at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.

The study examines how perceptions of racial distinctiveness, ethnic/racial solo status, and academic rank relate to job satisfaction of White and ethnic/racial minority American Psychological Association (APA) members working in psychology departments in academia. He co-authored the study with Yolanda Flores Niemann, assistant professor in the Department of Comparative American Cultures at Washington State University. The study has been accepted for publication by The Journal of Applied Psychology, a professional journal.

"Because of the very small proportions of minorities in academic positions within psychology, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans are likely to be the only ethnic or racial minority group within the department. The experience of being the only representative of a group or position is substantially different than being even part of the minority," says Dovidio.

Dovidio and Niemann surveyed 425 members of the APA who were working in university psychology departments. The overall sample of minority respondents consisted of 84 African American, 48 Hispanic, and 59 Asian professors. Overall, there were 234 White professors in the sample.

Based on the self-reported number of minority faculty in the respondent's department, 27 percent of the African American respondents indicated that they had solo minority status within their department, 63 percent had non-solo status. Twenty-five percent of Hispanic respondents indicated they had solo minority status, 68 percent had non-solo status. Fifteen percent of Asian respondents indicated they had solo minority status, 78 percent reported non-solo status.

Among their findings:

* Minorities reported lower levels of job satisfaction than did Whites. African Americans reported a significantly lower level of job satisfaction than did Whites. Hispanics and Asians were less satisfied than Whites, but the differences were not significant.

* Academic rank was a significant predictor of job satisfaction. Full professors had the highest level of job satisfaction, followed by associate professors and then assistant professors.

* Solo minority respondents indicated a higher level of ratings of distinctiveness-- stigmatizing feelings--than did non-solo minority respondents. African Americans reported the highest level of ratings of distinctiveness, followed by Hispanics, and then Asians.

"People need to understand that the experiences of minorities are fundamentally different than those of the majority, even under 'objectively' identical conditions, and that the experiences and reactions among different minority groups differ," says Dovidio.

Recognizing this, administrators need to consider ways of creating larger connections across departments, the typical primary organizational unit of colleges, for minorities so that a person who is a "solo" in a department can feel part of a larger group across departments, says Dovidio.

"It is important to provide opportunities where minorities are integral parts of institutional functions in ways that are independent from them being the minority representative."

Editors: Feel free to contact Dr. Dovidio at 315-824-7349 (office) or 315-691-3202 (home). You can reach Dr. Niemann at 509-335-5123 (office). Please contact Steve Infanti of Dick Jones Communications at 814-867-1963 if you would like a copy of the study. Dick Jones Communications helps Colgate University with its public affairs work.