Previous research has documented that people from working-class contexts have fewer skills linked to academic success than their middle-class counterparts (e.g., worse problem-solving skills). Challenging this idea, we propose that one reason why people from working-class contexts underperform is because U.S. measures of achievement tend to assess people individually. We theorize that working together on measures of achievement will create a cultural match with the interdependent selves common among people from working-class contexts, therefore improving their sense of fit and performance. We further theorize that effective group processes will serve as a mechanism that helps to explain when and why working together affords these benefits. Four studies utilizing diverse methods support our theorizing. Using archival data on college student grades, Study 1 finds that groups with higher proportions of students from working-class contexts perform better. Utilizing a nationally representative sample of collegiate student-athletes, Study 2 suggests that the benefits of working together for people from working-class contexts are moderated by whether groups engage in effective group processes. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrate that working together (vs. individually) causally improves the fit and performance of people from working-class contexts. Study 4 identifies effective group processes as a mediator: People from working-class (vs. middle-class) contexts more frequently engage in effective group processes, thus improving their performance. Our findings suggest that assessing achievement individually is not class-neutral. Instead, assessing achievement in a way that is congruent with interdependent models of self-as people work together-can help realize the full potential of people from working-class contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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成就不是与阶级无关的：一起工作可以使人们受益于阶级背景。

先前的研究已经证明，来自工人阶级背景的人比与中产阶级的人相比，与学术成功相关的技能更少（例如，解决问题的技能更差）。对此想法提出质疑，我们认为，处于工人阶级背景下的人们表现不佳的原因之一是因为美国的成就衡量标准倾向于对个人进行评估。我们认为，根据成就衡量标准共同努力，将与工人阶级背景下的人们相互依存的自我创造一种文化上的匹配，从而改善他们的适应感和表现。我们进一步推论，有效的团队流程将作为一种机制来帮助解释何时以及为什么共同努力可以带来这些好处。利用不同方法的四项研究支持了我们的理论。利用大学生成绩的档案数据，研究1发现，来自工人阶级背景下学生比例较高的群体表现更好。研究2利用全国代表性的大学生运动样本，研究表明，团体是否参与有效的团体活动可以减轻为工人阶级背景下的人们共同工作带来的好处。研究3和4表明，一起工作（相对于单独工作）因果关系改善了工人阶级背景下人们的适应能力和绩效。研究4确定了有效的群体过程为中介：来自工人阶级（相对于中产阶级）环境的人们更频繁地参与有效的群体过程，从而提高了他们的绩效。我们的研究结果表明，单独评估成就并不是班级中立的。代替，当人们一起工作时，以与相互依存的相互依赖的模型一致的方式评估成就，可以帮助人们从工人阶级的环境中充分发挥潜力。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2020 APA，保留所有权利）。