Socioeconomic Status During Upbringing and Academic Performance as a College Student

Erin M. Farina, Winona State University

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to see if childhood socioeconomic status (SES) can be used as a predictor for both objective and subjective academic performance in college. Recruited from the psychology pool of a Midwestern university, participants (N=296) completed an anonymous Qualtrics Survey consisting of researcher-developed questionnaires and adapted standardized measures. Participants answered questions about their access to resources growing up, provided information about their grades and study habits, and rated themselves on a scale regarding performance and effort put into schoolwork. Data were examined using linear regression analyses and independent t-tests to evaluate the relationship between childhood SES and college-aged academic performance. This study found that childhood SES is a predictor of academic performance in college. The implications of this study suggest that students from lower SES backgrounds may require additional support services in order to succeed at the rate in that their higher SES classmates do.

 
Apr 24th, 2:20 PM Apr 24th, 2:40 PM

Socioeconomic Status During Upbringing and Academic Performance as a College Student

Oak Rooms E/F, Kryzsko Commons, Winona State University,Winona, Minnesota

The purpose of this study is to see if childhood socioeconomic status (SES) can be used as a predictor for both objective and subjective academic performance in college. Recruited from the psychology pool of a Midwestern university, participants (N=296) completed an anonymous Qualtrics Survey consisting of researcher-developed questionnaires and adapted standardized measures. Participants answered questions about their access to resources growing up, provided information about their grades and study habits, and rated themselves on a scale regarding performance and effort put into schoolwork. Data were examined using linear regression analyses and independent t-tests to evaluate the relationship between childhood SES and college-aged academic performance. This study found that childhood SES is a predictor of academic performance in college. The implications of this study suggest that students from lower SES backgrounds may require additional support services in order to succeed at the rate in that their higher SES classmates do.