The Effect of John Henryism on Low-Social-Power College Students' Momentary Engagement

• In Event: Motivation in Higher Education

Abstract

“John Henryism,” referring to the legendary Black nineteenth-century steel-driver who dropped dead from exhaustion after defeating a mechanical steam drill, is a type of high effort coping that may indicate the effort many students of lower social power groups put in during college. A growing literature in public health and psychology suggests that individuals from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who work unrelentingly to overcome systemic inequities by engaging repeatedly in high-effort coping may ultimately succeed, but at a cost to their physical health. The paper examines how low social power groups that may display higher levels of John Henryism (Blacks/Hispanics, Females, and first-generation) experience momentary engagement on a task compared to their higher social power counterparts.

Authors

• Benjamin M Torsney, Temple University

• Jennifer Symonds, University College Dublin

• Cheryl Torsney, Middle Tennessee State University

• Sherman James, Duke University

• Lisa Chen, Temple University