The Impact of Communalism, Academic Identity, and Academic Emotions on the Academic Achievement of African American Undergraduates

Much of the literature regarding African American educational attainment has focused on the deficits that hinder academic success. Research must be done to understand what social and cognitive factors lead to academic success for African American students. The current study sought to explore what relationships exist between communalism, academic identity development, the experience of academic emotions, and academic achievement for African American male and female students attending an HBCU. Findings indicated relationships between communalism, academic identity development, academic emotions, and academic achievement, but further research must be done to understand the meaning of these relationships.