Using adolescents' drawings to reveal stereotypes about ethnic groups in Guatemala.

It is important to identify stereotypes about indigenous people because those stereotypes influence prejudice and discrimination, both obstacles to social justice and universal human rights. The purpose of the current study was to document the stereotypes, as held by Guatemalan adolescents, of indigenous Maya people (e.g., Maya) and nonindigenous Ladinos in Guatemala (the 2 main ethnic groups in Guatemala). Guatemalan adolescents (N = 465; 38.3% female; Mage = 14.51 years; SDage = 1.81 years) provided drawings and written characteristics about indigenous Maya and nonindigenous Ladino people, which were then coded for patterns in the data. These patterns included negative stereotypes, such as the Maya being lazy and Ladina women being weak; and positive stereotypes, such as the Maya being caring and warm and Ladino men being successful. There were also interactions between the participants' own gender and ethnicity and how they depicted the target they were assigned. For example, male participants were unlikely to depict male targets of either ethnicity engaging in homemaking activities. Finally, there was evidence of in-group bias based both on gender and ethnicity. These findings suggest that perhaps because indigenous groups around the world share some common negative stereotypes, an understanding of these stereotypes will aid in decreasing prejudice and discrimination against indigenous people, could reduce intergroup conflict, and increase access to basic human rights. (PsycINFO Database Record

The influence of Mayan education on middle school students in Guatemala.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Mayan education on the academic achievement of Indian and Ladino middle school students (N = 353) in Guatemala. This study also examined changes in ethnic identity achievement and the effects of changes in ethnic identity achievement on gains in self-esteem and other-group attitudes. Superior gains in academic skills for both Ladino and Indian students attending Mayan schools were found. The results also suggested that those students who increased their ethnic identity scores during their first year of middle school also increased their other-group attitudes. These results are discussed in terms of the benefits of Mayan education and ethnic identity achievement for both Indian and Ladino students.

Confiabilidad y validez del inventario de estrategias de estudio y aprendizaje / Reliability and validity of the Inventario de estrategias de estudio y aprendizaje (study and learning strategies inventory)

Este estudio investigó las propiedades psicométricas del inventario de Estrategias de Estudio y Aprendizaje (LASSI), traducido al español (Weinstein et al., 1987). Los sujetos fueron 137 estudiantes del último año de secundaria, de un colegio bilingue, privado, coeducativo en Guatemala. Se estimó la confiabilidad calculando la consistencia interna del instrumento. Se estimó, asimismo, la validez predictiva y de constructo del inventario. Los resultados encontrados evidencian que el inventario, al ser aplicado a esta muestra, posee una alta consistencia interna. Ademas, el inventario demostró ser un predictor estadísticamente significativo del rendimiento académico al finalizar el año escolar, en particular dos de sus escalas: auto prueba y concentración. Se contrastaron dos grupos de estudiantes de dos tipos de programas: uno avanzado y otro regular, a fin de estimar la validez de constructo y se encontró que los grupos fueron significativamente diferentes; sin embargo, al controlar el C.I. de los estudiantes los grupos ya no difirieron. Los resultados se discutieron en función de la utilidad de este inventario para el orientador escolar y para los mismos estudiantes.

Socioeconomic correlates of fertility, mortality, and child survival in mothers from a disadvantaged, urban Guatemalan community.

Social and economic determinants of fertility, mortality, and child survival were studied in a sample of 519 mothers from EL Progreso, a disadvantaged community located on the outskirts of Guatemala city. Fertility (children ever-born) and mortality (number of children who had died postnatally) data were obtained from interviews, along with data on the characteristics of the mothers, fathers, and the households. Contraceptive use was recorded on a subsample of 167 mothers of 5-year old children. Following factor analyses, three variables were selected for analysis: Years of schooling of the father and the mother and the type of fuel used for cooking. Father's education and type of fuel were significantly related to maternal fertility, while only the educational attainment of the mother was related to child mortality and survival. When contraceptive use was included in the ANCOVA in the subsample, it was a significant determinant of fertility, while father's education became nonsignificant. In terms of mortality, contraceptive use was a significant determinant, while the significance of the mother's education fell to a borderline value (P = 0.084).