P1: FHR/FTT P2: FOZ
Journal of Youth and Adolescence [jya] PL153-72 April 5, 2000 12:13 Style file version Nov. 19th, 1999
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2000
Feelings of Connectedness and Internalization of
Values in Asian American Adolescents
Kiyoshi Asakawa
1
and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
2
Received September 13, 1998; accepted October 18, 1999
This study is an attempt to examine a possible mechanism for the high aca-
demic achievements of Asian Americans by comparing the quality of experienceof
Asian American and Caucasian American adolescents. The Experience Sampling
Method (ESM) was used to record subjective experiences. Subjects were 34 Asian
American and 392 Caucasian American adolescents in the sixth, eighth, tenth,
and twelfth grades. The ESM analyses revealed interesting differences between
the two groups in their psychological functioning. The levels of Asian Americans’
perceived importance of activities to future goals and happiness, enjoyment, self-
esteem,andactivenesscovariedmorepositivelyandstrongly, ascomparedtothose
of Caucasian American adolescents. The physical presence of others also affected
the quality of experience of Asian American adolescents more strongly and more
positively than that of Caucasian American adolescents. The implications of these
findings are discussed in terms of Asian adolescents’ readiness for internalization
of cultural values, which may promote academic excellence.
INTRODUCTION
The academic achievements of Asian Americans have received consider-
able attention from educators and psychologists in recent decades. To explain
This study is part of a longitudinal study of youth and social development supported by a grant given
to the second author, Charles Bidwell, Larry Hedges, and Barbara Schneider by the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation.
1
Professor, Shikoku Gakuin University, Japan. Received Ph.D. in psychology (human development)
from The University of Chicago. Major research interests include influences of the self-conceptions
on daily experience and academic motivation of adolescents. To whom correspondence should be
addressed at Department of Education, Shikoku Gakuin University, 3-2-1 Bunkyo-cho, Zentsuji-shi,
Kagawa 765-8505, Japan.
2
Professor, Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University. Re-
ceived Ph.D. in psychology (human development) from The University of Chicago. Major research
interests include the psychology of adolescence and the study of optimal experience, creativity, and
intrinsic motivation.
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2000 Plenum Publishing Corporation