The Relationship Between Sociocultural Variables and Chicano and Anglo High School Student Responses on the Potency Dimension of the Semantic Differential

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Abstract
The potency dimension of the semantic differential was used to investigate responses of Chicano and Anglo high school students on the concepts of (a) mother, (b) father, (c) female, and (d) male. Also, the ratings of both Chicano and Anglo students were related to various sociocultural variables related to family, socioeconomic status, language usage, and citizenship. The clearest ethnic differences were observed in the subjects' ratings of father and male. There were also powerful sex differences that crosscut ethnic lines. In general, the findings indicated that males are more stereotyped in their ratings than females. Chicanos are best discriminated from Anglos on the basis of language usage. Chicanos may be discriminated on the basis of the proportion of Chicanos found in the communities where they live, viewed in relation to either the birthplace or citizenship of the head of the household. This may represent a pattern of acculturation since citizenship (U.S. or Mexican) and birthplace (U.S. or Mexico) of the head of the household are related in an opposing manner to the percentage of Chicanos in the community. Finally, a multiple regression analysis that examined ethnic differences in relation to both sociocultural and semantic variables showed that the potency dimension of the semantic differential taps into psychological differences between Chicanos and Anglos.

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