ENHANCING POSSIBLE SELVES IN MEXICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS

This project assessed the modifiability of ''possible selves'' in youn g Mexican American children. Three intervention conditions were compar ed in a pre- and posttest design: child-only intervention, parent and child intervention, and a no-intervention control. Following eight int ervention sessions, children in the two intervention groups showed sig nificant gains in understanding the characteristics associated with be coming a good student and in recognizing the value of education in bri nging about future occupational goals. Children in the intervention co nditions also reported greater interest in becoming a physician, judge , or pilot - occupations they had directly experienced during training . The parent intervention phase contributed little to augmenting the p ositive results attributable to the child intervention component.