Minority-Related Stressors and Coping Processes Among African American College Students

This study is an investigation of stress and coping among African American students at a predominantly White college/university (PWCU) and a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) and their relationship to academic performance. Participants were 203 African American students (101 from a mid-size predominantly White midwestern state university and 102 from an HBCU located on the East Coast). Perceived stress, minority status stress, and coping behaviors were measured. Multivariate comparisons revealed that African American students on the PWCU campus experienced higher levels of minority status stressors compared to their counterparts at the HBCU. Participants from both universities were generally similar in their use of coping strategies and in their levels of overall perceived stress. An exploratory model and an alternate model of stress and coping processes were tested. Both models highlight the unique contribution of minority status stressors to academic performance.