Beliefs About Responsibility and Improvement Associated With Success Among Korean American Immigrants

• Published in: The Journal of social psychology Vol. 139; no. 2; pp. 221 - 228
• Main Authors: Miller, Lisa, Sung, Soo Hyung, Seligman, Martin E. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Taylor & Francis Group 01.04.1999; Heldref; Clark University Press; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Achievement; Asian Americans; Attitudes; Beliefs; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive Style; Educational attainment; Family income; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Higher education; Immigrants; Immigration; Korean Americans; Korean people; Noncitizens; Optimism; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Relationship; Religion; Responsibilities; Selfimprovement; Social attribution, perception and cognition; Social psychology; Standard deviation; Success; Belief; Human; Immigrant; Attitude; Achievement; Responsibility; Attribution
• ISSN: 0022-4545; 1940-1183
• DOI: 10.1080/00224549909598376

The authors investigated whether beliefs about responsibility and improvement are associated with each of 3 domains of success (education level, family income, and religious commitment) among Korean American immigrants. The sample consisted of 356 Korean Americans, all claiming to have been born in Korea, who were administered the scenario-based Attributions of Responsibility Questionnaire (L. Miller & M. E. P. Seligman, 1994). Results showed that attributions of responsibility involving choice were positively associated with greater family income and frequent church attendance but negatively associated with level of educational attainment. Belief in the possibility for improvement was positively associated with greater family income and frequent church attendance but was not associated with level of educational attainment. The findings suggest that beliefs about responsibility and improvement associated with financial success and religious commitment may differ from beliefs associated with educational attainment in this sample of Korean American immigrants.