Psychocultural Characteristics of College-Bound and Noncollege-Bound Chicanas

Summary The purpose of the present exploratory study was to determine if college-bound and noncollege-bound Chicanas differed on a number of psychocultural variables. The Ss were Chicana high school senior girls and included 25 college-bound and 30 noncollege-bound students. Discriminant analysis was used to compare the two groups of Ss on sex-role identity (masculinity and femininity), biculturalism, and family income. Results indicated that, with the exception of femininity, the psychocultural variables discriminated significantly between the two groups of Chicanas. The college-bound group was found to be more masculine and bicultural, and also had higher family incomes. Results were discussed in terms of (a) the relative importance of the psychocultural variables for differentiating college-bound and noncollege-bound Chicanas and (b) the possibility that masculinity and biculturalism may develop as a function of family income.