부산대학교 도서관

This study examined communal goal mismatch among a large sample of White and LatinX STEM students. Drawing on goal congruity and the cultural mismatch theories, we created a mismatch score, the difference between student perceptions of communal opportunities afforded in STEM and their personal endorsement. We hypothesized that LatinX STEM majors would have significantly higher mismatch levels for communal goals than White students, negatively predicting their sense of belonging and intentions to pursue a STEM career. Results did not support these hypotheses of a linear relationship but supported a curvilinear relationship. Subsequent analyses revealed the importance of differentiating between positive mismatch (i.e., STEM fields afford more communal opportunities than desired) and negative mismatch (i.e., STEM fields afford fewer communal goal opportunities than desired). Differentiating the type of mismatch clarified the pattern of results, and negative mismatch was associated with a reduced sense of belonging and lower intentions to pursue STEM.