Moore, J. L. III, Madison-Colmore, O., & Smith, D. M. (2003). The prove-them-wrong syndrome: Voices from unheard African-American males in engineering disciplines. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 12(1), 61-73.
Using the grounded theory approach as a conceptual framework, this study sought to explore the phenomenon of persistence. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of African-American males who were able to persist in engineering at a predominately White institution (PWI) located in the southeastern part of the United States. This study revealed, through extensive individual and group interviews, that persistent African-American male students possess personality characteristics that help them persist in engineering majors. The “prove-them-wrong syndrome” is offered as an explanation to better understand the phenomenon of persistence for the African-American males in the study.
Full article can be found here:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3149/jms.1201.61