Engaging with Diversity: How Positive and Negative Diversity Interactions Influence Students’ Cognitive Outcomes

Although a growing body of research has demonstrated the value of interacting with diverse peers, a number of questions remain about the relationship between the quality of students’ diversity interactions and their cognitive development. In a longitudinal study following 3 cohorts of students from entry into college through the end of their 4th year, we examined how students’ positive and negative diversity interactions were related to 2 different outcomes: need for cognition and critical thinking skills. The results indicated that negative diversity interactions were strongly related to both outcomes, and that was the case for students of color and their white peers. Positive diversity interactions, on the other hand, were related to students’ need for cognition but not their critical thinking skills, and these interactions disproportionately benefitted white students. We conclude by considering the implications for understanding students’ cognitive development and implementing policies and practices that can facilitate positive outcomes on college campuses.