Impact of Autonomy-Supportive Scientific Communities on Minority Students' Well-being

Abstract

Underrepresented minorities (URMs) in STEM face numerous college stressors, including racialized stressors, that negatively impact their well-being. Based on self-determination theory (SDT), we proposed that scientific communities that take URMs’ perspectives, offer choices, acknowledge their negative emotions when appropriate (i.e., are autonomy-supportive) would support URM’s well-being over time because their basic psychological needs would be satisfied. This study aimed to (a) describe the trajectory of URMs’ well-being as they matriculate through college and into the STEM workforce, (b) evaluate the impact of changes in autonomy support on changes in need satisfaction (satisfaction of autonomy, relatedness, and competence) and consequently well-being, and (c) determine whether these associations were similar across Hispanic and African American STEM students. We followed a sample of 980 URMs over 6 years as they matriculated through college and either joined the STEM workforce or entered STEM graduate programs. Using latent growth curve modeling, we noted that URMs’ wellbeing trajectories started at a relatively high level and remained stable over time. Furthermore, a parallel process model showed that not only did higher initial levels of autonomy support result in higher need satisfaction trajectories, but changes in autonomy support coincided with changes in need satisfaction. As expected, higher levels and gains in autonomy support were associated with increased need satisfaction and gains in autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Consequently, higher need satisfaction levels were linked to higher well-being trajectories but not changes in well-being over time. Not all needs were linked to well-being, but interestingly, in a sample of participants from collectivistic cultures, a stronger sense of autonomy was significantly linked to higher well-being trajectories. Aligned with SDT theory, the patterns of relationships in the parallel process model were similar for African Americans and Hispanics. Findings show the importance of creating and sustaining autonomy-supportive communities to support URMs’ basic psychological needs, well-being and other outcomes such as persistence in STEM. Whereas gains in autonomy support showed positive ripple effects on need satisfaction trajectories, diminishing support showed concerning impacts on URMs’ competence and sense of belonging in STEM. Findings are discussed in light of limitations and future directions presented.