Student ethnicity predicts social learning experiences, self-regulatory focus and grades

Context: Ethnic minority students find that their ethnicity negatively affects the evaluation of their capacities and their feelings in medical school. This study tests whether ethnic minority and majority students differ in their ‘self-regulatory focus’ in clinical training, that is, their ways to approach goals, due to differences in social learning experiences. Self-regulatory focus consists of a promotion and prevention focus. People who are prone to stereotypes and unfair treatments are more likely to have a prevention focus and conceal certain identity aspects. The objectives of the study are to test whether ethnic minority students, as compared with ethnic majority students, are equally likely to have a promotion focus, but more likely to have a prevention focus in clinical training due to more negative social learning experiences (Hypothesis 1), and whether the relationship between student ethnicity and clinical evaluations can be explained by students' gender, social learning experiences, self-regulatory focus and impression management (Hypothesis 2). Methods: Survey and clinical evaluation data of 312 (71.2% female) clerks were collected and grouped into 215 ethnic majority (69.4%) and 95 ethnic minority students (30.6%). Students' social learning experiences were measured as perceptions of unfair treatment, trust in supervisors and social academic fit. Self-regulatory focus (general and work specific) and impression management were also measured. A parallel mediation model (Hypothesis 1) and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used (Hypothesis 2). Results: Ethnic minority students had higher perceptions of unfair treatment and lower trust in their supervisors in clinical training. They were more prevention focused in clinical training, but this was not mediated by having more negative social learning experiences. Lower clinical evaluations for ethnic minority students were unexplained. Promotion focus in clinical training and trust in supervisors positively relate to clinical grades. Conclusion: Student ethnicity predicts social learning experiences, self-regulatory focus and grades in clinical training. The hidden curriculum plausibly plays a role here.