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1951 Some Social-Psychological Problems Involved in the Adjustment of Students to the University Community. Bardin Hubert Nelson Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Recommended Citation Nelson, Bardin Hubert, "Some Social-Psychological Problems Involved in the Adjustment of Students to the University Community." (1951). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 7996. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/7996
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. so?ca sooiAix»psycitoXiOQ -1 cAii p h o d leu s im n u Y m u A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Ayricultural and Mechanioal College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Sociology hy Burdin Hubert ?!el son B.S., Louisiana State University, 19^2 M. A., Louisiana State University, 19^3 August, 195G UMI Number: DP69374 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI Dissertation Publishing UMI DP69374 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 MANUSCRIPT THESES Unpublished theses submitted for the master xs and doctor*s degrees and deposited in the Louisiana State University Library are available for inspection* Use of any thesis is limited by the rights of the author* Bibliographical references may be noted, but passages may not be copied unless the author has given permission. Credit must be given in subsequent written or published work. A library which borrows this thesis for use by its clientele is expected to make sure that the borrower is aware of the above restrictions. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY To his wife the writer is indebted in many ways# f&v her under standing, devotion, and encouragement in trying times he will ever be g ratefu l. i l l TABUS cm CONTENTS page ACOOWUMDGMENTS...... , . . i i LIST OF TABLES...... y i ABSTRACT...... * ...... * ...... * ...... v i i i CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION...... 1 The Concept of Adjustment ...... 14 IX. THF. PROBLEM...... * ...... 19 I II . SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE LITERATURE...... * 28 A General Review...... 28 The Relationship of Results from Various Tests to Academic Success...... 44 IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF COUNSELEES ...... 73 Characteristics of Counselees ...... f, . 73 Sex and Age ...... 73 Residence Areas ...... ?4 Classification ...... 79 Scholastic Average ...... 82 Students Not Registering the Semester After Counseling. 87 Per cent o f Counselees Who Graduated from the U niversity 90 The Relationship o f Selected Family Background Factors to Academic Adjustment ...... • $6 Educational Status of the Student's Father...... 102 Students Whose Mothers Were Working ...... 107 The Impact o f Broken Homes* ...... 108 V. PROBLEM AREAS: A PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION...... I l l VI, PROBLEMS OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL D>rV“ELOP«TT ...... 123 VII. HOME AND FAMILY PROBLEMS...... I 3I V III. PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT...... 149 IX. PERSONAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS...... 1?3 iv CHAPTER PAGE X. VOCATIONAL ADJUSTMENT...... 201 XI* ...... STUDY HABITS AND OTHER ACADEMIC PROBLEMS...... 211 XXX. CONCLUSIONS*...... * ...... 221 BIBLIOGRAPHY. ***** ...... * ...... 230 APFRrDIX* * * * . . * . 2**2 BIOGRAPHY...... * ...... * * . * 251 v LIST 03? TABLES TABLE PAGE I* Standing on the ACE in Halation to Academia Standing and the Rorshach Adjustment Hating In Halation to Academic Standing After One Tear...... 48 IX. Korsh&ch Adjustment Rating Combined with AGB P ercen tiles In R elation to Academic Standing kfy XIX. Rorshach Adjustment Hating Combined with ACE Percentiles in R elation to Academic Stan d in g ...... ^9 17. Per cent of Deficient and Don-deficient Students Receiving Various Letter Grades In Specific Subjects* ...... 59 7 . Average Age o f Males end Females Who Reported For Guidance in the School Years 19**0-**H, 194M*5* and 19^6-4?...... 75 71. Average Age of Men and Women at the Time of Entrance to the University* * ...... * ...... 75 711. Percentage of Students Enrolled from Eleven Areas of Louisiana Who Reported for Guidance ...... 78 V III. C la ssifica tio n of Students Who Honorted for Guidance in 19^0-fol, 19hMt-5, and 19 ** 6~**?. . . . * ...... 80 IX. Point-Hour Ratio Made by Students Prior to Counseling and After Counseling in 19*K>-hlt 10iPvA5, said 19 ^6- ^ 7 ...... 83 X. Psychological Scores for Students Who Reported for Counseling In 19 A0-AI, 19 MM-5 * and 19**6-^7 ...... BA XI. Point-Hour Ratios Earned by Students Who Reported for Guidance According to Sex and Psychological Percentile Range . * . . . 65 XII. Per cent of Students Not Registering for Additional College Work After Reporting for Guidance ...... 88 XIII. Per cent of Students Reporting for Counseling Who Graduated Prom the U niversity ...... 92 XIV. Number and Percentage of Students Graduating from College with Breakdown by Sex* Size of Family, and Psychological Tegt Score 99 XV. Point-Hour Ratio by Students With Breakdowns by 8©5c, Number of Children in Family, and Psychological Test Scores ...... 101 vi TARES PAGE XVI. Percentage of Students Reporting for Outdance Who Graduated from the TMversity, According to the Educational S tatus o f the Student*s Father...... , . . . . 105 XVII. Point-Hour Ratios Earned by Students According to Sex end Educational Statue of the Student*s Father* 106 XVIII* Health Adjustment of Students Reporting for Guidance ,1940-41 124 XIX. Problems of Health and Physical Development ...... 126 XX. Home A djustm ent .**..••**••*»..•* 136 XXI. Social Adjustment ...... 154 XXII. Per Cent of Students Reporting for Guidance in 1940-41 Who Graduated from the U niversity by Area of Social Adjustment* 155 XXIII. Point-Hour R atios of Students Who Reported for Guidance in 1940-41 by Area of Social Adjustment ...... 156 XXIV. Problems of Social Adjustment Indicated by 15 Per cent or More o f the Male Group, 1 9 4 4 -4 5 ...... 158 XXV. Emotional Seore ...... 179 XXVI. Personal-Psychological Problems Reported by 15 Per cent or More of the Male or Female G r o u p ...... 191 XXVII. Vocational Problems Indicated by Twenty-five Per Cent or More o f the Male or Female Students for 1944-45 and 1946-47 203 XXVIII. Per Cent o f Students Reporting for Guidance Who Graduated From the U niversity According to Degree of Certainty Concern ing Their Vocational Choice • 209 XXIX, Point-Hour Ratios of Students Reporting for Guidance Accord ing to Degree of Certainty Concerning Their Vocational Choice 209 XXX. Per Cent of Students Who Reported for Counseling Who Gradua ted According to Study TfeMts Rating ...... 214 XXXI. Point-Hour Ratios of Students Who Reported for Counseling According to Study Habits Rating ...... 216 XXXII. Per Cent o f Students Reporting for Guidance in 1944-45 and 1946-47 Who Indicated Specific Problems in the Area of Ad justment to College Work* * * ...... 219 • v l i ASST&ACT This study represents an attempt to analyse certain ohftraeteris- t ie s o f a l l students vho reported to the Moreau of testin g and Guidance for vocational or educational guidance during the school years 1940-41, 1944*1*5* and 1946*47* Since students who came for counseling did so vo lu n ta rily , i t was assumed tliat most of the cases had some type of problem which was worrying them. This assumption proved to be a va lid one. Instruments used in the study included the followings ( 1 ) indi vidual record form ( 2 ) results of placement tests, psychological test, interest tests, personality tests, and other related teats, ( 3 ) records of achievement in high school and college and (4) results of the pre liminary and final interviews of the student with the counselor. The study reveals an unusual amount of personality disorganisation among the undergraduates in each year studied. The general public thinks of college years as being carefree ones * a time of few responsibilities and no serious problems. This type of thinking is prevalent because the most obvious features of undergraduate life are festive occasions like football games and special celebrations. College administrators and teachers are not so naive in their views, but few of them fully realise the consequences that may stem from a student's personal problems. A summary of the various ty n e s of problems and their effect on the student's adjustment w ould be inadequate and gomevrtiat misleading. In stead, the meaningful significance of to findings for those individuals v i i l who are Influential In guiding and controlling the lives of under duates w ill "be outlined* Pirst, it suet he pointed out that approximately three-*fourths of the cases were classified on the basis of a psychological test score as being average or above average* Secondly, approximately three-fourths o f the cases were in the first quartile in their high school graduating class. It is also significant to note that there were few indications of maladjustment on the part of the students during their high school career. In spite of all these indications concerning the capabilities of the students, the study reveals an amazing degree of maladjustment among the cases. This maladjustment arose because of the student’s inability to make decisions on the various issues confronting Mm* Apparently, many of them, while in a familiar environment where they had consider able attention and help with personal problems both from family, teachers, and frien d s, had made a satisfactory adjustment. When thrown in a new situation where they felt the necessity of working out solutions to prob lems alone, they reached a state of anxiety and disorganization. Instead of arriving at cleareut decisions, they soon found themselves in a state of anomie as a consequence of brooding and worry* Blements of anomie which were very evident are* 1* Students were faced with conflicting directives within their system of beliefs. 2* Some students were faced with conflicts arising from conflicting systems of belief. 3 » future following their period Of training seemed, too remote raid pointless. Un certainty of goals was plainly evident. 4*. The feeling of separation lx from the group aad the laok of intimate friends resulted in the stTLdents 1 keeping th e ir problems v ith in the recesses of th e ir tarn minds* Students seemed unable to gain the proper perspective when thinking alone about their problems. An extreme degree of self concern led to brooding and isolation. Other more normal individuals belong to groups and though they may suffer occasional feelings of inferiority, they gain strength through identifying themselves with the strength and the successes of the group. The individual is fortunate who finds a source of activity out side himself and becomes concerned with problems ether than his own, par ti eutarSy with social organisation rather than his own physique, dress, behavior, and background* finally, the traits of responsibility, relative tougliness to the problems of the world, and ability to meet disagreeable life problems had not been developed by the great majority of the students studied* To some extent, the students seamed to be caught in a maelstrom of change which swept away all things formerly valued by them - institutions, faith, customs, etc. As a consequence they sought for an anchorage wad finding no fixed principle, rule of life, or value that r e p la c e d old values satisfactorily, they became confused and a xious. Hence, any area of their lives which offered some p e rs o n a l s a tis fa c tio n to them was guarded jealously lest it too be swept away. Their anxious pursuit of a sense of permanency and a feeling of belongingness rendered their powers o f concen tration sterile. In a similar winner their anxiety m&e normal so cial ad justment increasingly difficult. In view nf the above findings, the w r i t e r wo old recommend! (U t h a t assistance of a personal and frie n d ly type be offered all students e a r l y in x their college career to assist thorn not only in formulating goals In college hut also for later life, ( 2 ) that careful attention he given the college orientation program with the airs of developing inti mat® friend ships among small groups of student a and to acquaint them with sympathe tic upperclassmen and faculty* The student who is literally terrified by a problem usually feels quite relieved to learn that the particular problem Is quite comnon to most students* This awareness that other stu dents have faced the same problem and solved it dispels hie feeling that the situation is hopeless, ( 3 ) that all possible steps be taken to develop in the University community & societal structure which permits the optimum development of a socialised personality through the satisfaction of basic motives and the prevention of irreconcilable conflicts* Careful study and planning in these areas will do much to dispel the state of anomie which was found to exist among University students. x! CHAPEER I EmOBUCTIOH Problems confronting students in their effort® to obtain an educa tio n have serious effects upon the student* The ability to perform effi ciently in courses reflects a degree of maturity in addition to skills of reading* thinking* and studying effectively. The solution of various dif f ic u lt ie s proves for some students to he not a handicap but a vitalizing and strengthening experience. Some students require help from various sources in solving their problems, and still others seem unable to arrive / at solutions regardless of how much help they may receive. Adjustment to school work i s of tremendous importance aside from the value of grade© and co lleg e efficiency* The in d iv id u al who i s adjusted to responsibilities and duties in the college community probably has less trouble adjusting to life in the community in which he chooses to work and live following graduation* To determine what is required of him, how he can contribute best, and how he may achieve satisfaction in the various roles which lie plays involves care ful thought and planning as to how on© may best utilise his time and energy. Adjustment to the college community seems therefor© to be an integral part of adjustment in other areas of adult life* Learning, thought, and effi ciency o f a c tio n as w ell as specific knowledge acquired all play an important role both during one's college days and in later life, Some student® posses® sufficient ability to make satisfactory scholastic adjustment but encounter obstacles in their environment which prevent them from making full use of 1 their potential ability. In their efforts to solve their problems many students in stead of loosening the web which e n c irc le s them bind i t mare securely about them* They may become so discouraged and confused that they decide to drop out of school. In their acceptance of the value of a student personnel program university administrators have shown that they recognize that an impor tant part of academic success is attributable to the operation of habits* practices, and attitudes not directly evaluated "by tests of academic apti tude, The present study undertakes to analyse both the academic and non- academic factors which are related to the adjustment of college students at Louisiana State University, The writer first became interested In the process of adjustment after studying gome of the writings of Emile Burkheim, V, I. Thomas, and Charles Horton Cooley. This interest was accentuated by work in the field of guidance aid by contact with the writings of Muz&fer Sberif. There is a great deal of sim ilarity in some of the ideas expressed on adjustment in the w ritin g s of these men. Thomas*a su b jectiv e element or a ttitu d e and Cooley’s "looking glass self" are important concepts in an understand ing of the adjustment of an individual to the group. The self concept also •» occupies a prominent place in G. H. Uesdfs work, fliM . Ge^f. ??nd Society. ^See U. I. Thomas and F. Znnnlecki, The Polish ffeftflBn.t la Europe and America. Boston* Hichnrd G. Badger, 1913-19^0, 5 vole, C. H. Cooley, Social Organization, hew York* Charles Scribner’s and Son 3 , 1939* G. E. Mead, Hind. Self, and Society, Chicago* University of Chicago P re ss, 193^» and Muzafer Sherif, M Outline of Social Psychology. Pew York* harper and B ro th ers, 19^3. 3 This concept also has connotations which are significant in understanding what Sherif ana Gantril have sore recently called "ego Involvement." Auguste Comte “believed that the ultimate reason for the study of sociology was to secure knowledge or understanding. One of his classi fications involved the three following concepts* s&voir* uour ppuvolr* 2 and uour orevolr or to know, to do# and to foresee. In any social phe nomenon, sociologists are interested In those characteristics which are not unique end which are repeated in tin® and space* In dealing with man and his relationships In all their complexity, sociologists have attempted through studying him as a social being in a social situation to arrive at some under 9 tanding of Ms behavior* Tew individuals would deny that progress lias been made, but a great number of writers have indicated weaknesses which exist in the various approaches to the study of man. W. I. Thomas attacked earlier research by stating that mo 3t social theory and practice are weak through being based on the assumption of identical reactions to identical influ ences. These assumptions are* (l) that men react in the same way to the sane influences regardless of their individual or social past, and that, therefore, it is possible to provoke identical behavior in various indi viduals by identical means; ( 2 ) that men develop spontaneously without ex tern al in flu en c e, tendencies vxhich enable them to p r o fit in a f u ll and uniform way from given conriiti ns, and that, therefore, it is sufficient to create favorable or remove unfavorable conditions In order to give ^Auguste Comte, Tfa MlStaeBiE. translation by Harriet M artinesu, Londons John Chapman, 1853* PP* 538~53^* k "birth to or to suppress given tendencies.-^ On the other hand lie main tained that the effect of a social phenomenon depends on the subjective standpoint taken "by the individual or the grot^> toward this phenomenon as well as the objective nature of the phenomenon. Thus the effect can only he calculated if one knows not only the objective content of the assumed cause hut also the meaning which it has at a given moment for a given conscious being. In short, a social cause is a compound includ- h ing an objective and a subjective element - a value and an attitude. In the face of a social situation in which the individual has cer tain attitudes (in form of wishes, motives, etc.) and in which he encoun ters demands nade on his behavior, the individual has to organise his behavior. This is done by "defining the situation. M The definition may be at band in the form of a group prescription. However, at times the individual is forced to evolve his own scheme of action. In th e process of defining a situation, an individual has to take social meanings into account, interpret his own experiences, not exclusively in terras of ids own needs and wishes, but also in terms of the traditions, customs, beliefs, and aspirations of h i s social milieu. The definition of the situation involves an interaction be Ween th e group and th e individual# The group exerts social demands; the individual strives to satisfy his needs inside of this situation* ^Herbert Blumer, fa Aimralaal pf ThoE&& fffii Holigh T^Acant. In Kurone and America,. Vol. Ah, Social Science Research C ornell, 1939, p. 10. ^ I b id .. p. 1 1 * 5 Despite the fact that Herbert Elxwer very ably criticize® Thomas and Snanieddt*® failure in their research to reach the goal® set forth in the ra©tho&ological note, the note has exerted tremendous influence on sociological and psychological research* In reading the case histories of students presented in this study, the laymen may find a great number of them to be humorous, senseless, o r adolescent* Sron the luy-reader’s standpoint, the? adjectives would In all probability adequately describe an outsider*a reaction to the problem. Yet a careful perusal of almost five hundred cases has convinced the w r i t e r that the expressed attitudes or ideas which s m n humorous and quit© harmless to an outsider are viewed in an entirely different light by the student con*** corned. What the student may view as a profound episode in h i s l i f e may seem insignificant to others. One may certainly note that the impact of these incidents upon the behavior of the Individual Is quite serious and often far reaching in terms of the individual 1 s total adjustment. Thai® dociEKiits revealing how the individuals view their own situation are un doubtedly significant for an understanding of behavior* Hany writers have grappled with this problem, some more seriously than others. Thoms statesJ A document prepared by one compensating for a feeling of inferiority or elaborating a delusion of persecution is as far as possible from objective reality, but the subject*® view of the situation, how he regards It, may be the most iaportant element for interpretation. J ot i d s immediate behavior is closely related to hi a definition of the situ ation, which may he in terms of objective reality or In terms of a subjective appreciation - *as i f 1 i t were 30* Very often it Is the wide discrepancy between th© situa tion as it seems to others and the situation as it seems to the individual that brings about the overt behavior. To take an extreme example, the warden of a flew York prison recently refused to h-'nor the order of the court to send an inmate outside th© prison wall for some specific purpose* 6 He excused him self on the ground that the man was too dangerous* He had killed more than one person who load the unfortunate habit of talking to himself on the street. From the movement of their lips, he imagined they were calling Mm vile names, and he behaved as if this were true. If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.* Prior to Thomas, Emile Durkheim had done much to awaken so cia l scientists to the complexity involved in analyzing social actions. In Ms synthesis argument he states! The collective representations are exterior to the individual consciousness because they are not derived from the individuals taken in isolation but from their convergence and union. Doubtless in the elaboration of the common results each individual hears Ms due shore; hut the private sentiments do not become social except by combining under the action of the forces sul generis which association develops. As a result of these com* binatlons, and of the mutual alterations which result therefrom, they (private sentiment) become something else. A chemical synthesis results, which concentrates, unifies, the elements synthstised, and by that very pro cess transforms them. The resultant derived therefrom extends then beyond the individual mind as the whole is greater than the parts. To know really what It is, one oust take the aggregate in its totality. It is this that thinks, that feels, that w ills, though it may not be able to w ill, feel, or act save Jy the Intermedia* tion of individual consciousnesses.® Durkheim gives an even clearer picture of the individual in relation to social stimulus situation® in Lg, Suicide. Suicide 1® caused by couyants. aul cl dor-one s. Its quantity varies with the strength of these currents which also vary from group to group. The variation In strength i s inversely 5IM d. . p . 11. “Emil® Dnrkhelm, "Representation* In&ividuelle® et Representations Collectives," Rgsm &£ Me.tephy.lana £ i ’oral®. Vol. VI, 1898, pp. 293- 29 1*. See C. B. Oehlke, M1.6, I>asfebelmJ.a Contributions j& SnolologlCfll Theory. New Yorks Columbia U niversity Press, 1915. p. 29® 7 correlated with the strength and cohesiveness of the social group* He states* nTfcc individual is dominated by a moral reality* that surpasses him; i t i s the c o lle c tiv e r e a lity . 11 Ibtswnple* "The individual suicide succumbs to a so cia l tendency to self-murder. Durkheim*s p o sitio n can he host summed up by the follow ing quota** * tionS There are in each of us two consciousnesses, the one which we have in common with our whole group, which as a result is not ourselves but society alive and active within us; the other, which represents, on the contrary, only our se lv e s in what we have of personality and di s tine t ivene & $, i s what makes us individual*® Cooley believed that individuals cannot b© understood apart from society, nor can society be made intelligible without consideration of the association of individuals. His viewpoint may be observed from the follow ing quotations Mind is an organic whole made up of cooperating indi vidualities, in somewhat the same way that the music of an orchestra is made up of divergent but related sounds* Hon© would think it necessary or reasonable to divide the music into two kinds, that made by the whole and that of particu lar instruments, and no more are there two kinds of mind, the social mind and the Individual mind. When we study the social mind we merely fix our attention on larger aspects and relations rather than on the narrower ones of ordinary psychology. 9 The research of M. Sherif has reinforced the earlier ideas of Durk- helm, Thomas, Cooley, and others. Sherif presents a very understandable T&iiile Durkheim, Lfi, Suicide. Paris! F. Alcan, 193°» P* 3®®* ®Emile Durkheim, D ivision J#bpyt g&gjpJX* Trail slated by George Simpson, Glencoe* The Free Press# 19^*7* ^Charles Horton Cooley, Social Ormanl nation. Hew York* Charles Scrib ner*© Sons, 1909 1 P- 3* also flagm hvjfcgp the Social Qfc&flt. Hew Yorks Charles Scribner*s Sons, 1902. B picture of group interaction. His viewpoint may foe gleaned from the fo l lowing statement bJ (l) In 'bringing members of a group together there is * mtjyatiQn^L ts& b& L* This gives a feeling of belongingness and a hier archy of statuses which in turn regulate aspirations in the group# ( 2 ) In the process of interaction in group activities all th© psychological functions (perception, discrimination, judgment, etc.) are affected to a lesser er greater degree depending on properties of group atmosphere, (3 ) If group interaction is lasting to some degree, there is a tendency toward the formation of a structure. The role of leader Is determined by the demands of the situation. Certain expectations are built up on th© basis of relative positions. Group structure generates differentiated ingroup and outgroup a ttitu d e s in the member. (bO th© in d iv id u al forms 10 his attitude on the basis of values and norms of the group he joins* ' Sherif shows the sim ilarity between his views and those of Durkheim by s ta tin g th a t the in d iv id u al caught in the g rip o f a powerful movement a t times cannot help sacrificing himself. This viewpoint is expressed <$uite sim ilarly under Durkheim 13 altruistic suicide. Durkheim, Thomas, and Sherif have rendered gr©at service to socio logical research through demonstrating that individuals given similar phy sical characteristics and similar situations may react in different manners to th© situation. Furthermore a given individual, confronted with th© same situation at a later time may ret in a different manner. If tliey have per formed no other service than to awaken sociologists to the complexities ■^1-hizafer Sherif, && Out!ins of Social Psychology, hew York: Harper and B r o th e r s , 19^8* pp. 100-101. 9 involved in interpreting human notions in social groups, they have filled an important role in the development of social research. The impact of these early sociologists can he detected in the fol lowing quotation hy Burgess* Important, . however, for each science is the discovery and invention of a chief instrument that is appropriate for the study of its particular phenomena, for astronony this is the telescope, for chemistry the test tube, and for bi ology, the microscope. There are those who feel that significant advance in sociology and the other social sciences awaits a discovery of a similar instrument designed to bring under observation and examination what is most significant in human behavior. Some investigators are convinced that the social micro scope has been discovered and requires only further perfec tion and the development of auxiliary Instruments. This instrument they assert i s the personal document, or In i t s most complete and perfected form the l i f e h isto r y .^ The Social Science Research Council recently published a bulletin written by am historian, am anthropologist, and a sociologist which dealt with the use that has been made of the human document in their respective disciplines. Robert Angell in his discussion of the aim In collecting personal documents does not deviate from the viewpoint taken earlier by Thomas. He states* The aim in co lle c tin g personal documents i s to obtain detailed evidence as to how social situations appear to the actors in them and what meanings various factors have for the participants. It is of course true that not only is an individual unreliable in reporting a group's interpretation W, Burgess, "Research Methods in Sociology," G. Gurvitoh and W. 2. Moore, Twentieth Century SoclQiofy, Hew York* Philosophical Library, 19^5. P* ^5* 10 of a situation* tut he la never wholly aware wen of Ms own motives. Nevertheless, it is of great significance to know how participants interpret the aitufctiona in which they are involved, for it is on the "basis of such interpre tations, however fallacious, that they tend to act. It is difficult to see how th© sociologist can arrive at general isations unless he grasps the objectives toward which men are striving and how vari us elements of situations are in te rp re te d with r©3pect to th© attainments of those objec tiv e s . 12 Angell analyses sociological studies in which personal documents were used dividing the studies into three categoric© depending on th© type of interest which led sociologists to undertake the research. The three categories are: ( 1 ) those in wnich the investigator wanted to understand the development of a particular person* gproup, or institution, ( 2 ) develop ment of a "body of theory, and (l) development of methodological tools. The following projects uero included In the first groups Hebert G. Foster and Pauline Parks Wilson, Women After College i & Study of the Effectiveness. o£ Th&ir Kducattmi, New York, 19^2. B. Franklin Frazier, Negro Youth At && S m yrna 8 M i IIjssm a s: all tv Development in thft Middle States. Washington, 19^- ______SM ilBflKL & ailz la 123ft IM is4 Washington, 1939* Charles S. Johnson, Growing Un in jtJjfi black Belt* Bfipara Y p n tik 1ft The Rural South. Washington, 19^1. W. I. Thomas, The Unadjusted G irl. Boston, 1923* ^^Louis Cott©chalk, Clyde Kluc’-hohn, and Robert A ngell, The Use of Personal, Docum nt& 111 Sifetory. MMML, Vol. 5 3, Social Science Research Council, 19^5* p. 1?2. IX Clifford fh Shaw, ££& Jaok-loller? A .Baliaquent Boy1* Own Story.. Chicago, 1 9 3 0 . — .» M .W M Mjjj&tzx a£ & M te i# 5am$:» Chicago, 1 9 3 6 * , .. Brothers in Crime * Chicago, 1 9 3 6 . Harriet H. Movrer, tm m & L X & t* a&£ Ba&ml&S. BlSSSS&i Hew York, 1935* Angell concludes hie a n a ly sis of th is category “by commending the writers for their arduous task of collecting such documents and for their skillful presentation of the personal documents used. He statest HTh© demonstration of the feasibility of securing data of this kind in widely differing fields is in itself a methodological contribution. After analysis of the remaining Wo categories Angell concludes that much progress has been Baade in the use of personal documents, parti cularly in the techniques for securing the data and in interpretation and analysis. The most difficult problem in connection with the use of such 1 h documents continues to be verification. Burgess comments on another area of research which is pertinent to the present study. He states that outer and inner aspects of behavior are separable only in abstraction. He also adds: "There is growing recogni tion that problems to be studied are interdisciplinary even if methods of 13m a . . p . 1 9 9 . p* ? z * ' 12 research are "best developed within the discipline* This fact. means that the adequate study of a problem Hire that of crime or race prejudice demands the employment of concepts and act hods of two o r more d isc ip lin e s . It is evident that sociological research has faced many obstacles, nevertheless* new methods of research have been developed while errors made in initial developments have been corrected, thus resulting in progress in sociological analysis# Sociologists hav® contributed greatly toward an ■understanding of imn*s activity in a social group. If knowledge of group processes Is of value to society* in like manner a knowledge of student behavior in the college community possesses value. Following Cooley*s introduction of the concept* the looking glass self* many educators came to believe that a student might benefit by a cri tical self-armraisal of his potentialities and his situation. Self-analysis under the guidance of a counselor came into widespread tise. Harvard College in 1S99 had created a committee of freshman advisers, of which Professor B. A. Bartlett was chairman. Fourteen faculty members engaged in the work* the chief Item of which was periodically to Inspect and spurere the list of intended electives. There Is little evidence that any other kind of g^iitaice was given. President Lowell allowed concentra tion and distribution in choice of studies and social con tacts through th.® house n la n .“^ As counseling services progressed, two trends developed vhieh are of special gifriflcaaice. First, mrrny teachers end counselors accepted the « E . V. Burgeen, 22,. g i t . , v». 'JO, *^John V>m Brewer, Ills tor;/ of Vooatiopal Guidance. ••’lew York* Farcer rzifk B ro th ers, 19^2* VP* 2-37-236. 13 the results-of I- Q* teste and other test* without reeotfratiuna or q u a li fications. This unwise use of to at results brought many -repercussions and resulted in isany attests to discredit tasting in general* Tho socoad trend concerned test construction. Kyra Shimberg eons true ted two tests, one consisting of typical questions based itpon information freely available to ciV ■>eople* The test )iad been used daily in the Judge faker Foundation in Boston, and had been found adequate as a test of practical common-sen&e information. In a similar manner and with the same met:,ous of standardisa tion that had been used in constructing the first test, & second one was made that was based upon ex orient es common to the rural world. Teat 5 was no more specialized in favor of run cl children than Teat A was speci a lise d in favor of the urban children* Both testa were given to nearly 10,000 school children, of vhon about half were rural and knlf urban* On the first test rural children were retarded r> f u l l year as compared with the urban? on the second, th:- situation was exactly reversed. The conclu sion was that the mental differences -/ere more a function of the tools of 17 measurement than of innate intelligence• These and other similar results have caused increasing euro to be used in equating background factors (hereditary said cultural) of the indi viduals in the sample. B e e or, t workers brve been cureful to set forth explicitly that claims of test validity are limited to the populations sampled. V?^» h3™-- Smith, toJiglp/y of a^ESl. Ly^., Key York* Harpor end, Brothers, 19^), pn. 120-121. Counselors have come to regard test results as clues that may 1)© used In easing the adjustment of students to college life. These clues are ordinarily catalogued as follows? (l) clue of ability, ( 2 ) clue of achievement, ( 3 ) clue of basic educational skills, and (A) clue of per sonal and motivational problems. Under appropriate safeguards and with appropriate experience* tests are invaluable devices in helping faculty and students formulate judgments that they are called on to make. In the section o f th is paper e n title d "Selected Aspect® of the Literature* one w ill fin d numerous reports showing that within certain lim its success or failure of the individual student may be predicted rather accurately. In a similar manner to other social research, the research in the f ie ld o f testin g and guidance has been improved l i t t l e by l i t t l e . Cone got of Ad.ti»sten In order to understand and appreciate adequately the problems that a student faces in adjusting to a new situation one needs to keep in mind some criteria by which to measure adjustment* Is there a definite lin e that may be drawn between the normal and the abnormal? I t appears that the difference between the normal individual and the abnormal one is one of degree* The normal individual has uotentialities of poor adjustment and carries about with him certain problems about which lie la ego involved and which may i f carried to the extreme, result in his becom ing maladjusted* If an Individual tends to develop emotional attachments In several of the areas of life he faces more serious conflicts than the individual without ego involvements in a number of areas* A® my be seen from a 15 study of various criteria. of adjustment the individual who tends toward emotionality finds adjustment to now situations more difficult than the loss emotional individual. Thus the process of adjustment may “be simple or d if f ic u lt depending upon the values of the individual and t'he'oppor- tunity in the new situation for achieving satisfaction with reference to the values. Durkheim analysed th is problem and came to the following conclusions) , Bat when it is a question of belief which is dear to /us* we do not, and cannot, permit a contrary belief to rear j its head with impunity. Bvery offense directed against it ( calls forth an emotional reaction, more or less violent, j which turns against the offender. We inveigh against it, \ we work against it, we will to do something to it, and sen- \ tiaents so evolved cannot fail to translate themselves into \ actions. We run away from it, we hold it at a distance* w© X^banish i t from our society.*® Just as the normal individual has the potentialities for abnormality so does the abnormal person have the capacity to become normal* normality may be defined in terms of the following broad c r ite ria s (l) balance ( 2 ) maturity ( 3 ) adequate functioning and (4) compromise 19 between inner and outer demands* In the normal individual no one characteristic overshadows all others to produce an unbalanced nersonality* He nosse&ses a combination of tra i ts which work harmoniously together. With reference to maturity one recognises as abnormal the individual who acts in a manner ordinarily described as childish. 1 Sm ile Durfchelm, Tfcg. J & z W m . Ql M te 1& sp.gla.ty. pp. 97-9®* *% , H. SymonAa, She Dynamics of Huynan Adjustment. Hew York* Apple ton 'd entury Co.* 19^» PP* 566-566* 16 Normality in terms of adequate functioning refers to the amount of strata which an individual can undergo and adjust to suocesBfully without showing signs of disorganisation, The normal person is one who overcomes severe frustration whereas the abnormal individual makes ineffective ad justment to the slightest frustration* The crucial area of adjustment lies in the ability of the indivi dual to integrate his wishes or desires with the demands of social living* This may involve substitution of goals* compensation for failure in one area by overdevelopment in other areas* or to some extent sublimation of goals for short periods of time* The previously defined concepts give one an adequate conception of the normal individual* However, there are other criteria which must be considered in order to obtain a clearer picture of good adjustment. Bmpha^ sis is not placed on any one concept since each one represents a serious and important aspect of the total adjustment process* Ifltagmtion. The Integrated person has achieved a reconciliation of freedom and discipline. He adopts compatible goals which permit him to live with harmonious purposes in an open and forthright manner* TntAlilgattea. Intelligence reveals itself in the capacity to work as well as in one's efficiency and adequacy in work. Necessary solutions of problems in his work do not disturb Mm unduly. II© uses his ability to think to determine goals that seem to bo possible of attainment and then he makes effective nlans for reaching the goals* Afrpapfcanne of B e a llty . A well adjusted Individual has insight into his own abilities and weaknesses. He accepts his weaknesses a d selects his goals in accordance with them. He has the ability to analyze his own 1 ? nature and the situation In which he finds himself and to make substitu- tio n s of goal* a* it becomes necessary without a great amount of anxiety* Hegftonsibilfty £g£ SeJ£. The well-adjusted individual develop* self-control and the capacity for inhibition and restraint. I© makes decisions with a minimum of worry or conflict, and once having made a decision, he accept* responsibility for his actions* JsptlonaL Expression. The previously mentioned concepts all imply i&hibltive or restrictive aspects of personality. Another area of adjust ment Involves emotional expression. The adequately adjusted individual has a sense of security wide began developing in childhood. He does not continually annoy himself by comparisons of hi* efforts to those of others. He judges what he accomplishes in the light of what he thinks of Ms talents and his opportunities. The w ell-ad ju sted >ereon has no trouble relax in g when the opportunity presents itself. He also has the ability to show and accept affection. He ha* the ability to sympathise with his fellow man and also to share his joys and troubles with others. In like manner he is able to show anger. He has the a b ility to determ ine when to fig h t and when to compromise* Social Relationships. The individual who has adjusted satisfactorily to his environment is one vl-o live* with other* and enjoys social contacts. He has no particular difficulty in making friends and understanding them. He is not too unlike the group in those ways wMch the grotsp feels to be significant. He recoftiizes the qualities of others whether they are super ior or inferior to his own. In summary the well-ad justed individual I s a mature individual who hr* established a well rounded life wrick is fairly persistent and consistent. 18 He has adopted goals which axe reasonable In th© light o f his capacities* h at he i s fle x ib le and does not hold to a course too rigidly in th© face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles* The well-adjusted individual makes those essential compromises which the s itu a tio n demands* The following chapter presents the aims of the study and the instru ments used la the counseling program* GHAPTHR II T m PKOBItEM this study represents an analysis of characteristics of all stur* dents who eaae to the Bureau. of Testing and Guidance for vocational or educational guidance of any type daring the school years 1940-41 # 1944- 45, and 1946-47* Students who secure counseling service do so volun- tarily. It should therefore he assumed that the hulk of the oases involved individuals who f e l t that they had some type of problem* This assumption is strengthened by the fact that the entire counseling pro** cedure requires from six to eight hours of the student's time* The adras of this study arec (1) to determine the areas within which student's problems tend to concentrate * (2) to determine whether the problems students experienced in a prewar school year vary signifi cantly from those students experienced in a war year or a postwar year* (3) to determine eharacteristies of students who sought help with their particular problems* (4) to determine factors which seemed to be respon sible for these eharacteri©tics, (5) to determine whether students achieved a greater degree of adjustment after going through the counsel ing procedure* and (6) to determine weaknesses in the counseling program* Instruments Vjfeft j& tfeg. g.p.tiMeUM student who re quests help is riven an appointment by the secretary of the Bureau* When the student fills the appointment he is introduced to th© counselor who w ill handle his case* The couneelee is Informed as to th© general pro cedure which will be followed* Following this brief preliminary interview 19 20 he Is ashed to f ill In an Individual record form, (See Document Ho# 1. Appendix* p.2^3). The first page contains information relative to age, sex, r e lig io u s preference, and fam ily background w ith emphasis on the education, occupation, and marital status of the members of his family* The second page offers information relating to high school work, seho- lastic achievement, participation in extra-curricular activities, etc* Next cooes a statement of all work experiences, preference of jobs ant? why, present liv in g arrangement, and general information such as major subject, number of years of school, hours of study p er week, outside work, hobbies, end interests in books and magazines* The next areas include questions dealing with th® student*s reasons for coming to college, how family feels about college, plans for financial support, and a listing in order of ^reference of five occupations in which the student would like to earn a living* Present vocational choice of the student is secured along with the time that he made the choice, reasons for the choice, degree of certainty concerning the choice, and the source of information about the occupation. He is then asked the following question! "If you were free of a l l r e str ic tio n s, ( i f you could do as you wish) what would you want to be doing 10 or 15 years from now?1* A final question asked is! "What else can you tell us that would be helpful in understanding your problem?w This record gives a general p ic tu re of th© student*3 background — his likes and dislikes — and o fte n give® the counselor some indication as to why the student is seeking help* It also gives the counselor bit© of information to use in achieving acceptance by the student* In one way or 21 another ttthe loe must he broken.” Benjamin Mar^clis presents the prob lem facing the counselor very clearly in the following statement* ’’All students whether they are tense or at ease} hostile or friendly, evasive or in a mood for confession, begin by presenting in varying degrees only the exterior to the counselor* In any ease, no youngster of college age can he expected to possess sufficient Insight into his own motivations and dynamics to he able to present a psychologically valid picture of himself in relation to his problem* At best he is able to describe some aspects of his puzzling overt behavior and his sense of confusion and thw arting. The counselor through the use of accumulated objective data must help the student analyze the various determinants of Ms problem. Upon reporting for his second period the student is given the American (foupcjflL Psychological Teat If he had not previouisly taken the teat* The purpose of this test is to appraise what lias been called scho lastic aptitude or general intelligence with special reference to the requirements of most college curricula. The test consists of two parts -- a quantitative section involving arithmetical reasoning, number series* and figure analogies and a linguistic section Involving same-opposite relationships, active vocabulary, end verbal analogies. The two subscores do not represent primary mental abilities, but they do represent two groups of abilities significant for curricula that ore linguistic or technical* In g e n e r a l , linguistic tests /Ive higher correlations with scholarship in ^Benjamin Marzolia, ’’The Problem of Facade in the Counseling of Low Scholarship Students,” to lM l fi& SflMT&UM l x * March, 191*5, p. lAl. 22 the liberal arts colleges than do quantitative tests* For scientific sad technical curricula. tlie quantitative measure is usually more significant. I t m a t be stressed that the scores are roughly indicative of the level of mental alertness of the student end should be coupled with other evi dences In making decisions concerning students. When the other factors in a ease seem to contradict the results of this teat, the counselor re** sorts to o th o r lntelllgoneo tests such as the Ohio Stats Psychological 2 a i i or the QMS lasi s i Sa&tik &U1&- Both the Strong Vcn.tin^.1 Interest Teat and the Bndae Preference Record are administered to each student. The first test Is designed to reveal the extent to which a testee's interests agree with those of people who have achieved success in oert&ln occupations. The men's blank may be seore& for 39 specific occupations and that of the women for For all scales the reliability is about .68* The validity of the test has been cheeked through numerous follow up studies. One method by which i t s power of differentiation is shown is as follows: Fifteen per cent of 933 non~ engineers rated A in engineering interest as compared with 75 per cent of 2 513 engineers who rated A in engineering interest. The Fader Preference Record presents the subject with 169 groups of activities* there are three occupational activities In each group, and the subject is required to rank all three in order of preference. From the answers given, a score is computed for each of nine occupational spheres, including Techanlcal, computational, scientific, persuasive» artistic, 2a. k. strong, Jr., Hamad, i s z r m M m X Interest monk j&£ Mga, Stanford! Stanford University Press, 19^1, p. 1^. 23 literary, musical* social service, and clerical* The development of each scale included the selection of items which correlated within the indivi dual scale hut which had low correlations with other scale®. Many items were thus eliminated after testing and obtaining correlations on them* Three experimental form# of the test were developed and analysed before one was finally published* The reliability of the scale# is satisfactory, with reliabilities ranging from *8h to *95 with a median o f *91. With reference to v a lid ity , Suder shows that each of the ?2 occupational groups obtain mean score# on one or more of the nine scales which are statistically different from the mean secret on other scales for a base group of 2,667 men and 1,^29 women.^ The counselor use# in tercet teste as a means of making a systematic approach to the vocational problem. Occupations are often chosen by young people because of some chance influence rather than as a result of a care fu l review of the occupational field* If the idea of surveying the whole range o f occupations occurs to a student, he i s lik e ly to be overwhelmed by the immensity of the task. The test score# direct th© individual’s atten tion toward occupational areas which appear to be promising in view of his preferences. In many cases a person’s attention may be called to an occupa tion for which h® had not previously considered simply because he wa® not familiar with it. The test may also determine in the c&ee of a student who has selected an occupational goal whether M s choice i s consistent with the type of thing he ordinarily prefers to do. Tims* i t must be noted that 3o. K, Ruros, 3d*, The Third Men to! fttoftwaramente Yearboofo, Hew Brunswick* Rutgers University X’reas, 19^* P* ^ b ia. * p. 6*k>. zh the interest tests nor any type of test circumvent the need for careful Interview, T h ey merely enable the interviewer to make a systematic ap proach to the various problems. Problem ChgpX Mfii* Another instrument used in counseling all students is the Mooney Problem Chqok List which is used* (1) to prepare students nrior to an interview by allowing them to review and summarise their individual problems and see the full range of personal matters which should be discussed with the counselor, (2) to save time by pro viding the counselor with a quick review of the variety of problems which are the expressed concern of the student. This instrument when used with a sufficiently large group of stu dents may also serve to help locate the most prevalent problems expressed within a student body. These results may be used in guiding new developments, improving curricular and extra-curricular activities* and in mapping out the entire personnel urogram of the institution. The eleven major areas covered are a© follows* (X) health and physical condition, (2) finances, living conditions, and employment, (3) social and recreational activities, (b) social-psychological relations* (5) personal-psychological relations* (6) courtship, sex, and marriage, (7) home and family, (8) morals and religion, (9) adjustment to college work, (10) the future: vocational and educational, and (11) curriculum and teaching procedures* Many neople assume that student© would be unwilling to check per s o n a l problems, This has not been the case, however. The average number of problems marked by college students is 30, by high school students 2?, 25 tt &nd by junior high school student® 23. Host students were willing to express their problems and were desirous of help with them. Sixty per cent of the students at the college level replied "y^B11 to th© question, "If the opportunity were offered, would you like to talk over any of these problems with someone on the college staff?0 One drawback in using this test for individual counseling Is that norms are net significant. One student may indicate that ten problems in the area of health and physical development are of serious concern to him. An interview may reveal that another student ohacking only one problem in this area is more vitally affected by the one problem than the other student is by ten problems* Btmlv B*bita Inventory. The Study RaMte Inventory as developed hy C* G. Wrenn is used to determine particular study weaknesses that are evi dent for individuals and for groups as a whole. The inventory is a weighted check lis t of specific study habits and attitudes which high scholarship and low scholarship groups of students possess In differing proportions* These groups have been found to differ on these attitudes and habits even tho\sgh they rate the same on a number of other factors such as scores on scholas tic ability tests, courses taken, and academic interests* Many factors contribute to good academic achievement, such as g e n e ra l scholastic aptitude, subject-matter background, motivation, study habits, and attitudes. It is the habits of w ork that determine the effectiveness of the other factors in the study situation, v.'rojin'e Inventory is the result ^fioss 1* Mooney, l*SbEploratory Research on Students' Problems," Jo urnal o f E ducational Regearcfr. Vol* 3 7 , November, 19^3, pp. 219-220. 26 of an effort to determine which habits end attitudes have the closest relationship to achievement when the other factor© are controlled or held constant* In summary the items of th© Inventory are habits and attitudes toward study that were shown to be possessed In a significantly different degree by student© of high academic achievement and students of low aca>* desdc achievement who had been matched for intelligence test ability# sex, len gth of time in school# scholastic load# and pattern of subject matter taken. The original study was baaed upon 110 pairs of undergraduate stu dents a t Stanford U niversity and was rev ised on the basis of an equally controlled study of undergraduates at the University of Minnesota* P.ygrmal ltv jDgal. Par.nn^lita- Inventory developed Ijy K. 0, Bernrouter is used in the counseling pro, ram a© th© need arises* As the interview progresses# the counselor may or may n o t use it according to whether he feels the results might be helpful* This te s t i s composed of the following six scaless (1) a measure of neurotic tendency* ( 2 ) a measure of s e lf sufficiency# (3 ) a measure of introversion-extroversion, (4) a measure of dominance-submission, (5 ) a measure of confidence In oneself* and ( 6) a measure of sociability* The range of reliability for the various scales is from .8 5 to * 9 2 * As a check on its validity* correlations were obtained between the results of this test and four other recognised and validated personality tests* High 7 positive correlations were obtained. 6C. G. Wrenn, M m l &£ Stanford* Stanford University Press# 19^1# p* A. 1 G. Berar enter, M toal far, .the, gjaaegojaality Inyentyffv. Stanfords Stanford University Press# 1935# p« 2? Other tests which are used rather frequently in cases where the need is indicated include the following! (l) SaalaeMriafl sa i gto»Aoftl Ap titra te l a s t , (2) Saa>hftg .6 tfeftlffSl gest. (3) Meier &£& Jatojeyit I a s i . W Mten««ate £sai£ a z g a a l s a . '•■'ofegra. (5) Hlnneaote Paper ffora Beard, ( 6 ) OooparatlTB AcQilgremont Ia a t« . and (?) J|j& AdJuat- ■att Inrentpgy. The r e su lts of th is program provide th© counselor with an auto "bio graphical sketch of the student, his rank in high school, entrance and placement test scores, scholastic achievement to date, and his expression of preference and Interests in various occupational fields* Information derived from other specific tests plus a record of the student*s expressed problems, personality, and study skills are also in the hands of the coun- selor. With this information coupled with that secured from several oral interviews, the student is then assisted in evaluating his problems and his chances for success in a specific field of training at the University and in la te r life * The preceding chapters presented th© problem and the general theore t ic a l framework w ithin which i t is stu d ied . The follow ing chapter presents a review of selected aspects of the literature which seem p e rtin e n t to th© present investigation* ghapt ® i n SELECTS© ASPECTS 03? m i LITERATUB3S Problems of college students have "been the subject of numerous investigations by persons interested in uncovering both causes and aoli> tion s of various difficulties encountered by students* These studies have contributed a great wealth of information which Is helpful from many standpoints# The results of investigations which seemed per tin** nent to the present in v estig a tio n have been summarised under the follow ing two categories* (1) A General Review and (&) The Relationship of R esults from Various Tests to Academic Success* A general Rwrl.nr Rora&s asked 137 sophomores and upper-elasamen to w rite papers stating freely the difficulties which they experienced as freshmen. After they listed the difficulties he asked the same students to check the ones they had encountered and to indicate the degree of seriousness of each problem by giving it a rating from one to four. Boraag classified the problems according to two d iv isio n s! 1. Difficulties due to the nature of college life. 2. Difficulties in connection with classes and studies. The highest ten problems in the first division were* 1, Confusion because college life is so different from home life and high school life* £8 29 2* Lack of anyone to confide in or take counsel with* 3* Complicated reg istra tio n system* Difficulties in getting acquainted. 5. D iffic u ltie s due to the new independence and consequent responsibilities for one’s own conduct* 6. Feeling of "being looked down upon "by student® of higher classes* ?. Feeling of "being lost in a miscellaneous crowd* 8* Difficulty of getting used to the rules and regulations. 9. Difficulty of catching the spirit of the school* 10* Difficulty in adjustment to regular study hours. In the second division the highest ten weres 1* Selection of studies* 2* No way of knowing how one gets along. 3* Large classes. Resulting fear or embarrassment on reciting. k* Some subjects take more than their share of the student’s time* 5* Methods of teaching d iffe r e n t from the high school. 6. Teachers new to the students hence difficult to work with a t f ir s t . 7* Students do not know how to study* 8. Long lessons. Teachers expect too much* 9. Classes large. Hot enough chances to recite. 10* Trouble with collateral reading. From th is in vestigation Boraa® recommended: 1, I!ore guidance in the selectio n o f courses and stu d ies. 2. More help in the choice of a vocation. 3* Elimination o f la rg e c la sse s. 30 fibre attention to th© deficiencies of each individual student* 5 * An orientation program of personal conference® w ith fresh* men,* Blanton, one of the most eminent psychiatrist®in the United States, reported the results of an intensive study of information collected through personal interviews with 10& mselected juniors and seniors. It was found that 82 per cent suffered from self-consciousness, timidity, stage fright, fear of reciting, and anxiety when meeting people. These attitudes were so well marked that the students themselves felt they constituted a severe handicap to their social adjustment* Fifty-three per cent had problems of borne conflict, while ?1 per cent were handicapped by feelings of insecurity, 2 inadequacy, or inferiority, Sperle considered the difficulties of first year normal school stu dents from the viewpoint of the faculty and also from the viewpoint of the students. Three class sections, taking the introduction to teaching under the author, cooperated in the research, They were an unselected group, a "second-best" group and a "second**poorest" group as determined by th® O tis Group Intelligence Test, Students were asked to list the difficulties they were having with th eir work at the normal school. In each one of th® three groups Included in the study, the beginning students experienced the same difficulties, which were also verified by their instructors, Th© follow ing difficulties, in order of importance, were reported by the students* * Julius Boraas, "Troubles of College Freshmen," School and Society. Vol. 6 , O ctober, 191?. pp. **91-95* %miley Blanton, "A Mental-Hygiene Program for C olleges," Mental Hygiene-*. Vol. 9. Jtiar, 1925, pp. ^ 8-88. 31 X. Difficulty in getting reference hooks when wanted* 2. Work ©fid methods new* 3* Indefinite assignments (not by pages or chapters). 4. Too much time spent In commuting. 5, Too many subjects. 6 , Herd p rojects and notebook work. 7* Harder work due to more d if f ic u lt assignments. 8* Ibo many references. 9. Insufficient background in some subjects. 10. Toe l i t t l e time* 11* Inability to concentrate* 12* Self-consciousness which checked participation. 13. Irregular assi^unents? too much work on some days} little on others* The conclusions drawn from this study were as follows! JU the three outstanding difficulties of first year students are (1) thoughtless use of time, (2) lack of skill In using aids to more ef fective work, and (3) reading ability Inadequate to meet the demands of the teacher-training Institutions from the standpoint of both rate and comprehension. Students who have sufficient Intelligence to meet the entrance requirements of institutions of college grade can reasonably he expected to acquire these skills* 3* From th© attitudes of the cooperating groups it i© reasonable to believe that if students were made aware of their specific needs and 32 given assistance* they would make the effort necessary to acquire satis* factory work habit**^ A study of the personal problems of women students in seven teacher- training institutions was reported by Strong. The study included seven freshman, classes and two sophomore classes. The sources of information were as follows? 1 * The writing of people who hove been in intimate contact with stu d en ts. 2* The student's own statements of their problems. 3 * The records kept by seven deans of all the personal problems that eaaie to their attention during on® month. A* The schedules of their professional day kept by ten deans. The classes reported by Strang were asked to write anonymously about the three ehief difficulties encountered during their freshman year. Of the 5*000 difficulties reported, approximately half were related to study. Of these, the following academic problems were mentioned most frequently* 1« Difficulty with a particular subject. 2* Difficulty with teachers who were "inconsiderate of students," "who did all the talking,M "lacked Interest in the student*e progress," "do not give suggestions for improving scholarship," ''pile up work near the end of the term," and "use unstimulat ing methods of teaching." 3 . Too long or too indefinite assignments. A. Inefficient methods of work. 5. Difficulty in bridging the tgap between high school and college. One-fourth of th© problems Reported by th© women were social. The th ree most im portant ones were* D. Sperle, "Some D ifficulties >bcperl©nced by F irst T e a r Students in Teacher-Training Institutions," Teacher'? C o lle y Heqord. Vol. 29, April, 1928, pp. 618-2?. 33 1. Difficulty in getting acquainted with other students and teachers. 2* Homesickness. 3. Timidity. One-eleventh of the administrative problems were largely d iffi culties *dua to tedious and unsystematic registration, and unsatlaf&o- tory curriculum said schedule of classes, and location of classrooms and too large classes. * D ifficulties concerning rules ana regulations were mainly threes t 1* They did not know what the rules and regulations were. 2. They could not remember them* 3* They did not want to obey certain ones whioh seemed irksome or too rigid* Students mentioned a variety of specific difficulties relating to the environment—monotonous or insufficient food, unattractive furnishings, a poor bell system or telephone system, and difficulty in finding a desir able room and roommate* financial problems were common to a ll institutions* The following lis t gives a comparison of the percentages of problems reported by students end those reported by the deans from the conferences held in their offices! Percent by Percent by ..au4eat&, . ] ? $ m & ___ Academic 33 Social adjustments 22 14 Administrative 9 —- Special problems of commuters 7 eta* Sales ®«d Peculations 7 19 Physical environment 5 18 Financial 3 3 Health 0.6 3 Vocational 6 3^ Increased gyiqpathy and ma«rstanding of difficulties encountered by the students was one of the values gained by the survey# Another value was that of bringing forcefully and vividly to the attention of the dean, the president and other members of the Institution conditions which need investigation and modification. Knowledge of the ex istin g problems suggests changes in the so c ia l, academ ic, and physical environment of students which will prevent these problems from arising, which w ill make a normal life possible and which w ill enable each student to develop hie abilities to the full extent.** Questionnaire surveys of freshman and sophomore girls mad.® in two teacher-training institutions were reported by Green. The questionnaires consisted of two questions, as follows: 1« What ware the three greatest difficulties on problems which you as a freshman met? 2. What suggestions can you give as to what th© dean of women or some other member o f the staff could have done to help you with each of them? The first study was made at Marshall College, Huntington » West V irginia. A summary of the data revealed that the six outstanding problems, in order of frequency o f mention, were as follow s! 1. Social contacts------—115 2. Regi s tra ti on— ———————105 3# Orientation— ---- — ------9^ 4. Homesickness------..—«— 63 5# jjingiisiv--— 25 6 . Study Conditions—-—— ------22 The sumrnary presented 602 problems and ^2 suggested rem edies. **Ruth Strang, ^Personal 'Problems of Students," of; Deans. g £ Worm IfiSCJMSi Vol. 16, 1929, PP* 1^-51* 35 The recommendations* made bgr Green for the correction of the difficulties, included "faculty advisors," "upperclase assistants," "mere system," and * guides for shoving new students about the builds in gs. *5 For eoraparison and contrast, the figures nr® given for the second survey which was made at West Texas State Teachers College located at Canyon, Texas* 1* Huntington, West Virginia, is a town of There i s "ample commercial amusement*" 2. Canyon, Texas, Is a town of 3,000. West Texas State Teachers College students come mainly from ranch owners or people commoted with th® cattle industry. Their "entire life centers about the college end church." The two full-time church secretaries, with offices in the ad ministration building, have been decidedly "helpful in making the first days of freshmen students pleasant." Hach faculty person sponsored six freshmen. In order of frequency of mention th® six highest problems were* 1. Social contacts——-— 13^ 2. Orientation———— — — 92 3. Study difficulties-— — 61 b. Library— — — ------— 37 5* Homesickness——-—— —— 28 6m Hegletration— — — 2k G-reen made the following comment about the authenticity of the information: -^Geraldine Green, "Freshmen 'Problems," National Aasoelatlop of Define of Women Yearbook. Vol. 16, 1929, pp. 152»5^* 36 However* in general It Is my opinion that the student gives fairly accurate information on an unsigned question n aire o f the nature o f the one used In these surveys*—as an alumna of Marshall C ollege, i t appears to me that th© survey has given a eorreot idea of the problems which freshmen meet in that institution. The suggestions which the students gave for remedying the difficulties which they encountered have been especially help fu l and have served as a b asis for working out an orient tation program and for in stru ction al talk s in the group meet* ings.® Angell directed an investigation at the University of Michigan in I 93O dealing with the adjustment of undergraduates in that institution. He studied 216 students, 133 a©** and 83 women, selected largely from the sopho more class. He secured information concerning the following aspects of ad** justment: 1. Philosophy of life. 2. Knowledge o f own ca p a citie s, aims, and in ter ests 3- Understanding life . k. Self-control, dependability. 5. Originality, initiative. 6. Tolerance, scientific thinking. 7* Adjustment to academic work. 8, Pecuniary adjustment. 9. Group relatione, social integration. 10, Congeniality, social facility, tact. 11. Sex adjustment. 12. Health. 6Ib ld ., p. 1 37 Each subject w&s given an intelligence test, a social intelligence test, a fair-.mindedness test, and an information test* In addition, each person bad an interview with a psychiatric oase-woidcer and filled out a personal history record. From an analysis of the data Angell arrived at the following con clu sion s: 1* The academic adjustment of the students left much to be desired since only 35.6 per cent of the students were well adjusted and 23.1 per cent were suite poorly adjusted, 2, There was a need for better social organisation since one-eighth of the students were poorly adjusted socially and over one-third were not well adjusted, 3* There was a "need for a better system of educational advice,H k. There was a "paucity of truly cultural organisations* * 5- If fraternities and sororities would raise their study stand ards they would become real agents of "social adaption." 6, The need was urgent for a "smaller group connection in the Freshman year as a means to a sense o f security." 7. One of the greatest needs was some sort of mental-hygiene program. Angell concluded that there was a definite need for providing an agency for advising and directing students suffering from personality 7 oroblems. 7b. C. Augell, & S tete i a Uadarmtdmte Adjustment. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1930* P» !&*• 36 Smelt ser obtained an expression from a group of Ohio State Univer sity students regarding vliat they considered to he difficulties which kept the© fro® doing hotter work in college* By making combinations and eliminating duplicates, the initial list of 281 difficulties reported was reduced to 20* Copies of this final list of difficulties were given to 721 stu dents with instructions to rank the difficulties in order of importance to them personally* The method of arriving at the weighted score was that of multiply ing the rank by the frequency of occurrence. The products, when placed in numerical rank from low to high, gave the following orders 1. Instructors expect too much, considering the number of subjects a student carries. «...... 4,896 2. Unable to concentrate while studying ...... 5*458 3. Instructors forget that students do not recall many facts once learned ...... 5*775 4. Study time not used to advantage; inability to start promptly . . . • ...... ♦ 6,237 5. Lacking the ability to select the important material from a mass of information ...... 6,265 6. The classes are too large ...... 6,958 7* Nervousness; self-eonscloiis; worry ...... 7*001 8. V&ny of the assignments are indefinite ...... 7*138 9. Inability to apply learned facte to practical prob lems ...... 7*145 10. Embarrassment dturing a recita tio n in h ib its good work 7*188 11. I do not know how to study ...... 7*512 12. Not enough explanations made in the classroom . . . 7,642 13. Not enough reviews and not enough recita tio n s . . . 7,729 39 14, M&terlal in the textbooks ie too complex. # * . 7,71*4 15. Poor previous foundation for advanced work# . . 7,909 16# instructors not well enough acquainted with the students (Passive attitude) 7,909 17, Don11 know how to take notes# Kever taught the techniques of doing so...... 8,082 18# Hot enough reference hooks in the library • . • . . 9,82? 19* Poor personality of the instructors 10,447 20. A physical defect, i*e«, eye, ear, speech# etc# # . 11,565 The first difficulty was the most important in keeping th© students in general from doing hotter work while the last one may "be considered the 8 least significant for the entire group. The study indicates that problems one, three, four, and five might he handled by setting up instructional machineryl; that number two might be correlated rather highly with lack of intelligences and that the sixth was perhaps local# Many factors considered as being handicaps by the student were remediable if the college would take the time and effort to correct them. In brief, the study disclosed that difficulties directly related to instruction were of greater Importance than those related to the student© themselves or to the administration. Kat* and oth er, reported In the a m w t t 3aaoti.on JSforiBt the resu lts of a survey involving 3*515 students at the Syracuse University, % means of a comprehensive questionnaire, the student© revealed information, K. Smeltser, "A Method for Determining VIhat College Students Con* gider Their Own D ifficulties," School and Society. Vol. 32, November, 1930,. pp. 709-10. at tit'odes, opinion®, and practices on such matters of vital concern to student life as "cribbing, fraternities, religion* cost, academic work* social life , and prospective Careers."^ A lis t of the most important problems upon which the students de sired advice that had not been received, in terms of percentages of check ing, was as follows: 1. Problems of own personality—— — 30 2. Choice of vocation--—— —— ■— Stratton reported a study of Hacademic and personal perplexities in which the students needed guidance.” She investigated the personal services which were actually rendered to the students and the individuals who were responsible for their performance. She also investigated the student problems as stated by the students themselves and as shown by interview records in the personnel office. The survey endeavored to answer the following questions concerning students: ^Daniel JC&ta and others, jyaaftgpqft Syracuse: W. E. Kosher. 1931. OT* S9-90. 1* What do the student a themselves report a® their major oersonal and academic problems dwi&g their period of study in the institution? 2. Are certain problems characteristic of sxjeoial group®? 3* Which problems are students bringing for conference to offi cers of the collegel Which officers are being consulted most .frequently on various kinds of problems? Bo the students regard these conferences as helpful? 5* Bov are the problems being solved? 6* What student problems are not being adequately solved at p resen t? Stratton found more than three-fourths of the academic problems included "getting desired course* ** "choice of courses," %se of the library," "requirements for a degree," ’’advisement, H "academic standing, 11 "covering required work," "dissertation and research," and "how heavy a schedule to carry*" The e n tire group of academic problems showed more evidence of being satisfactorily solved than did tlie group of personal problems* Bl^ity-four per cent of the academic problems were taken to in structor* for help, end 82 per cent of them were solved to the satisfaction, o f the students. The most perplexing personal problems of the above group were "finance," "part-time work," "leisure and recreation," "placement," and "social relationships* ” Problems which appeared to be least effectively dealt, With were as follows* 1* Problems of finance, part-time work, living condition®, physical health, and professional matters were being solved by only 40 to 50 cent of the students reporting them, kZ Z * A minority of silentb reported solution® to problems of le i sure * social relationships* and placement. 3* Three of the six types of academic problem© were being solved uns&tiafactorily. They were •‘problem© of study , !l ‘‘academic standing*11 and ”general advisement* ” In brief, the study shows that the graduate student© studied* as well as the undergraduates, have a wide range of unsolved problem® both personal and academic, that they consult college official© with regard to all types of problems* and that they find over three-four the of their conference© helpful In the solution of their problems* 10 Cowles reported on problems of youth as seen among freshmen in state universities* Ee drew his conclusions from statements of thousands o f students* from interview s w ith hundreds* and from ©core© of case studies* The conclusions arrived at in this study are! 1 * Freshmen had trouble in gettin g started properly* The red tape confused them* 2. More than h a lf the freshmen had trouble with their study programs* had poor study habits* and did not budget their time properly* 3* More than a fourth of them had problems of social relationship with other student© and with faculty members* A. One-fourth of the freshmen overemphasized the importance of soror ities and fraternities. 5- They found their instructors "cold and formal'1 when they craved friendship* 10p, c. Stratton, Q& .g&Mflfi&ta 1& St l i M <2£ K&S. cation* Hew York: Columbia U niversity Publication Ko, 550, 193^, pp. 138- 1A1. *6 6. Intelligent students bad difficulty in harmonising some of the intellectual growth held up as college Ideals* 7* Th© most serious problems of freshmen involved a growing doubt of the value of the courses they pursued* Cowles made the following recommendations: 1* More and better guidance and counseling should be offered through a "cooperative faculty-student attempt to solve the troublesome personality problems* * 2. Courses need to be reorganized and readapted to the "functional needs o f present and future society." 3* Shore is need to "substitute medieval classroom methods with u^-to-date procedures. n11 In 19^5, Hooton presented the results of a study made in the Depart ment o f Hygiene a t Harvard U niversity. This study o f 2.6B students had as Its aim to determine what physical, mental, and cultural characteristics were common to the "normal boy." One phase of the study considered the "worries and problems" of 100 of the so-called "normal students." These students identified 250 distinct problems. S’orty-three per cent of the students had problems of social adjustment, and almost one-fourth of them experienced family problems. Twenty-three per cent expressed sex problems while 17 per cent had difficulties relating to choice of a career* Boughly 12 per cent of the problems were of an academic nature, and 9 per cent were financial.12 11LeRoy Cowles, "Problems of Youth as Seen Among IVeshmen in a State U n iv ersity ," AflflT-ftatfiA £&& B attltftafll. Q l J&a iMlfthftl MsflSltolm# 1935. PP* 92-93* ^E arnest A. Hoo ton, Young Han. You Are Homal. Hew York! Putnam's, 1 9 ^ 5 , VP* 70-76* Hh I s summary, the previous in v e stig a tio n s disclosed that the problems found to he most disturbing to the students worst studying effectively, too little time for so many subjects, social activities* emotional diffi culties* and selecting courses. Other im portant problems were? bridging the gap between high school and college, fear of embarrassment upon r e c it in g , and feelings of inferiority. fha R.I&tlon.flhia o f Basalt-. Btom Tarloua te a t, to Academic Success Many individuals in an attempt to predict academic success have used various tests to determine whether students possessed certain charac teristics common to students who had performed successfully In college work* Psychological examinations have long been used as measures of th© ability of students to perform successfully in college. In recent years various person ality tests, study habit inventories, and vocational tests have been used with varying degrees of success as indicators of a student's ability to succeed in a given course of study* A rather thorough study was carried out on the campuses of four Michigan colleges (Albion, Central State Teachers, Michigan State, and Olivet). A total of 916 of 93® individuals included in the group of fail- Ing student, had taken the AaejJ-pafi C ^ m l X O R BflBMAlail Payoholpglcal T^gl, which is one of the moat widely used group tests for college student®. The scores indicated a wide rang® of ability with the lowest score falling below the first percentile for college students and the highest score at the ninety- eighth percentile. The distribution of score® for the 916 student® is as follows* 9*7 per cent of total wore in the highest one-fmirth of freshmen, 45 30*6 per cent were in the second fourth, 21*8 per cent were In the third fourth, and 3?.9 per cent were in th© lowest fourth. Shin indicates that approximately one-third of the failing students were above the average of all students in similar college© on psychological score®, while two-thirds wave below average* Among this group of students 36? of them entered college with a psychological score below the twenty-fifth percentile. Of this group 13 had left school V *h© end of October and 22 by the end of the term. A to ta l of 14-3 students from this group were on probation a t the end of the term. This l e f t a remainder of 203 students out of the low psychological group who were still in school and not on probation at the end of their first term. In terms of percentages 6 per cent had left school by the end of the term, 38.8 per cent were on probation, and 55*2 per cent were not on probation. The line which separates probation from non-probation is a very narrow ones consequently, many students not on probation might have achieved very little . However, a study of th© grades revealed that low psychological scores did not necessarily mean academic failure for all s t u d e n t s . ^3 The findings of th is study may be summarised as follow st a) The scores on psychological examination® is one important factor, bat not the only important factor, to be considered in the prediction of academic succes? and failure. ^Kenneth L. Heaton and Vivian v/ee&on, Thff Tampa Student. Chicago# University of Chicago Press, 1940, pp. 37- 39. i\6 b) A broad range of a b ility a© measured by psychological te s ts is foimd among falling: students, with many students with high scores in cluded* c) A broad range in decree of success is found among those who receive low psychological ©cores at th© time of college entrance. A) There is strong feeling among students, and some supporting data from the research to support th© feeling that the conditions under which examinations are given* and the mental attitude of students during enrollment week of the freshman year, do not always permit an accurate measure of ability* e) A considerable number of students with low reading ability see* p ecu liarly handicapped on the American Council Pmrcholoalaal SsSElBr at!on beoau.ee of the importance of reading ability to success on th© bast* This sruL-gesi© that an individual psychologies!: test might well be included in a freshman test battery for use with students of low reading ability. f ) A study of limited scope suggests that scores on the group psy- eological test may be influenced by language handicaps, ©motional inst®^ bility, and physical deficiencies* g) £h® percentage of hi^i scores on psychological examinations among failing students is sufficient to call attention to difficulties met by colleges in providing educational opportunities suited to th© needs of students of sraperlor in telligen ce* Mental a b ility as measured by psychological te sts is only on© of the variables In personality which may determine academic achievement of students* Although psychological testing ha© p r o b a b ly received raor© credit than it deserves, it doe© possess special significance for guidance, ©specially when coupled with other indexes* ii7 Educators have come to recognize that the personalities of indi vidual learners serve to determine what is learned. Therefore, some careful analysis of personality must serve as the basis for determining those potentialities idiich enter into the learning process. In Sarah Lawrence College, a college much concerned with studies of the relation of personality to learning, the Banttfaaefairesponses of entering college students (3U8 subjects) have been compared with their competence in academic work and with the broader problem of their social adjustment in the college en vironment. The responses predicted college success on the whole as well as an intelligence test does, doing better with some types of students, and not quite so well with others. When combined with an intelligence test, a predictive tool resulted which proved far more effective than either the personality measure or the in tellig en ce s^ore taken separately. In this study the inspection technique also revealed with a very small margin of error which students would later be found to constitute personality problems for their teachers and which ones would be disturbed to a degree leading to reference to a psychiatrist* The examiner had no ^ p ertain in g to the student fs background, and teachers and college au th orities had no knowledge of the resu lts of the t e s t . This o b jectiv ity is of significance in properly interpreting the results of the study. The results of this and other studies have-led many people to state that the Ttorschach^t ^aSL8 demonstrated its capacity to unveil emotional disposi tions which affect the process of learning, and at the same time to define those sources of strength and weakness upon which social adjustment and maladjustment so largely depend. liiR. L. Munroe, Prediction of the Adjustment and Academic Perform ance of Gollege Students, Stanford* Stanford University Press, 19U5* p* 37* 48 Tables I, U f and III picture rather clearly the predictive value of the BarschachTeat alone and in combination with the American QfiimaU, ZmM laglS&l fMfa TABLE I STANDING OH THE ACE IN RELATION TO ACADEMIC STANDING AND TH3 BORSLHAlH ADJUSTMENT RATING IN RELATION TO ACADEMIC STANDING AFEIR ONE YEAR1 Academic •* — T fa m t e m k ..__ ! Standing • 6o$il« 9 bhder 1 Total ftf -S ad aM y a * 6o£ll® .. 9 * ft -**. * ...... j._ io . $ i , Satisfactory or su p erio r 124 74.7 102 56.0 226 Lew average or f a llin g 42. _ 25,1 80 44.0 122 166 100.0 182 100*0 348 I Adjustment Bating From Rorschach 9 Academic ft» - Insueeilojfi , ft Total Standing ft A and B i 0 and D S ; (Adequately * (Poorly 9 ! —MdSalMl, w * . 1 S No. t X . m * _____ ...... _ A. . Satisfactory or su p erio r 156 84.3 70 42.9 226 Low average or failing 29 15.7 93 57*1 _... 12)2___ „ 185 100.0 163 100.0 348 XR. L. Monroe, 2 l && MiBg.te.nj bq& M M tlto F M jQ m m m g£ Call ego S indent s. Stanfords Stanford University Press. 1945* P* 46., Table II indicate* that the predictive value of a combination of the two test* Is far superior to either of the te*t« alone* Table III present* the same data in greater detail* Only one student who performed veil on both teste did failing work in college. Among the next group--those adequately adjusted but average or below In intelligence—only one student failed. It is interesting to not© t h a t 49 TABLE I I THE RORSCHACH AttTOSMaiiT KASIM C0I*iBIKl!3> RiTH .ACE PERCENTILES IK RELATI W TO AC ADM C STANDING1 t RorsghachA^B t farscha,ch J Academic * 60&Lle * ACE Below t 6o $ ile iACE Below i T otal Standing i aa&ab.pve t jSfi&le : and above u S ^ l'a i ------i ..M o,. ..I... .j....I He.,., t $ ' i Jfo.i .4 .....t__ , ...... _ Satisfactory or •a p e ri or 75 92*6 81 7 7 .7 46 57*4 22 2?. 8 226 Low average or failing _i ZA...21.-.. 22, a .86 4 2 .6 ,5 7 7.2*2 .122^ 61 100, Q 104 100.0 84 100*0 79 100* 0 348 XIMd*, p. 49. TABLE I I I THE RORSCHACH ADJUSTMENT RATIHG COMBINED KITH ACE PERCMIIiH IK RELATI K 1*0 ACADEMIC STANDING1 s Rorschach: Rorschach: orschach:Rorschach 1 Academic t A*-B# A d t A-B# ACi 8 C-D, ACE JC-D# ACE 8 Total Standing t 6o6lle I Below ! 60-oil e 8 Below t 8 and above ? 60^11e 8 and above: 60^ ile t ______8K0.8 ch ~8Ko* : % iHo.t i tlfo.: >0 t Ho. 1 ft Superior 20 24.7 8 7*7 12 14.4 0 0.0 40 11.5 S atisfactory 55 67*9 73 70.0 36 4 3 .0 22 2 7 .8 186 53*^ Low Average 5 6.2 2,2 21.4 19 2.2*6 40 50.6 86 24,8 b a ilin g " 1 1 .2 1 0 .9 17__ .?Q.,0 1? ....gk A - - 10*1 Total B1 100.0 104 100.0 84 100*0 79 lO'-LO 348 100.0 ^Ibld. , p . 5 0 . this second group lags far behind the first in students falling in tho su p erio r to up. Ho--ever, the second ;tou ;> has relatively ,-reater number® doing satisfactory and low average vorlc than the fir ft group* 50 Another point of significance i s the fact that ?2»2 per cent of those poorly adjusted and of aver ago or below intelligence were in the low average or failing group with respect to academic standing* b'ith respect to the group of 36 students who failed in their fresh man year th© ACK test did not discriminate among th® croup. line students failed who had placed in the 80 to 100 percentile* nine from the 60-79 per centile* nine from the ** 0 -5 9 percentile, and nine from "below *V 0 percentile. It is in tliis group 0 1 failures that the Rorschach yielded th e most spec ta c u la r r e s u lts . Of the 36 failing students 3k had been rated relatively maladjusted (C or D). This led the author of the study to conclude that failure in the freshman year at Sarah Lawrence College la due more to per so n a lity fa c to rs than to lack of n a tiv e endowment o r in te llig e n c e ." ^ Too nuch stress cannot he laid on the fact that all tests are un reliable in various areas. Many brilliant people who have achieved great success-journalists, scientists, etc.—might be rated poorly adjusted. An adequate guidance urogram must be built around any number of tests coupled with personal history data, personal interviews* ate. There are always some students who achieve a high degree of success despite poor showings on intelligence tests, emotional difficulties, and personal problems. On the other hand the reverse situation is often to be observed. A student may fail completely wlien all the oredlctiv© factors Indicate tho probabil ity of success. Yet, one must remember that these cases are of such small statistical significance that tiiey rarely reflect upon a pro^ flenic prediction and #uidance. 15ibia. , p. *$. 51 Th® results of the study at Sarah h&wrenc© Colley© &r© not In complete agreement with those from other studies in the area of person^ ality adjustment. George H. G riffiths mad© a study of freshman men at Ohdo State University to discover whether there i® a relationship be tween scholastic achievement and personality adjustment* The mor.sure of scholastic achievement used was the first semester point-hour ratio. The Bell Adjustment Inventory was used as a measure of personality ad justment. This Inventory measures four types of personality adjustment! 16 health* home, social* emotional, and a total composite score. Griffith states that Strang observed that high intelligence is or&insrily associated with a pleasing personality* since intelligence involves insight, the ability to see relationships, end the capacity to le a rn . Terman found th a t snioerior child ren are more em otionally sta b le and more socially adequate than unselected children* On the other hand Tborst'Uie found, in apnlyin.^ his Persona'*ity Schedule to college student®, that no relationship existed between intelligence sad "neurotic tendency,” but that the less well adjusted student® tended toward slightly higher academic grades# Griffith*® result® tended to fall in an intermediate area. His conclusions are summarized as follows! (l) Men clearly in scholastic difficulty, having been placed on academic nrob&tion, are not very rrsuoh inferior to men of superior college ability. ( 2 ) Men students with bril liant scholastic records are no better adjusted in nersonallty than men 16 G-eor ;© P. G riffiths, ’’The 'Relationship Between ochol stic Achieve- ment and Personality Adjustment of Men College Students,” Journal of Applied Pavchology, October, 19^5, p. 3^0. of lowest academic achievement* ( 3 ) .An analysis of men with v e ry irnsatis- f&etory ">©rson&lity scores shows no significant differences in their grades from those with saecellent personality adjustment scores* (h) A comparison of non with very unsatisfactory health scores with men of excellent health scores reveals a small but n o t significant difference in f a v o r o f th© ess- cell ent group* (5) Hsn with very im satisfactory ©motional adjustment scores tend toward higher grades than men of excellent emotional score®, hut the difference is not significant. (6) There is no great difference in personality scores evident between men in the lowest decile of college ability and men in the highest decile. This study leads on© to believe that a personality test possesses l i t t l e value as a p red ictive instrument. However, on© must acknowledge that definitions of personality adjustment vary between tests a® well s.s the methods used for neascoring eersoality adjustment. In reviewing the results o f some of th® research conducted in this area, Gough c ite s the work: of Stagner w o found slight tendencies for stu dents with higher scores on the introversion, dominance, Rad self-suffi ciency sections of the herareuter Personality Inventory to obtain higher grade averages than those with lower scores. At the seme time ha c i t e s the w ork o f Nemzek who found no relationship between results from the Bsrar outer Inventory and grades.^-® Altus attempted to develop a college achiever and non-achiever scale which might be used in conjunction with a valid Intelligence test 17 it>ia. , op* 366- 367. lSH.a. Go gh, "Factors Relating to th© Academic Achievement of H igh school Student 5 , ” Ih.e Journal off 3Educational Psychology. Vol. A'), Febru ary, 19^9$ PP* 65-77* 53 in predicting aeadeK&e achievement, Two groups of 2 5 students were given the group form of the gummis Eg&amU*^ Jamfcaa* <&• group represented achievers since they were students w o rk in g ©hove t h e i r tested aptitude while the other group represented th© non-achiever& "being those who were working below their tested aptitude. The results of the study may be summarized as follows* (l) The trend on eigh t of the nine c lin ic a l sca les of the group M.M.P.l* was for slightly greater maladjustment on the part of the non** achieving students. (2) Subsequent item analysis of the M.M.P.l. in terms of final grades re vealed 60 items which showed a difference of five or more points between the two grouos. A study of these 60 item® revealed that the answers of the non-achieving group could be characterized as revealing greater fern*- in in ity , immaturityv se lf-a sse rtiv e n e ss, and manic tendencies than the achieving group* The best single bi-pol&r concept characterizing th® answers of the two groups seems to be the traditional in trover sion-eztro- version concept when emphasis is placed on its social aspects. The answers of the achievers revealed infcroversive tendencies; those o f the non-achiev ers, a love of and a dependence on people, here termed social ©xtrover sio n * ^ This study, though based on a small number of cases, appears to Justify the belief that if the correct met. od of selecting them la used, adjustment items can be found which w il be associated with academic achieve ment. D. Altus, "College Ac' lever and Fon-Achiever Scale, " Joacaal Pf Atmlled pgv-c'iolo-jf. Vol. 3 2 , 199fi, pp. '96-397- 5^ A study of Iowa State Collets produced similar results to those obtained by Altus. Th© problem of this investigation was to identify, from responses to standardised personality inventories, some of th© d istin c tiv e characteristic® and modes o f adjustment of a sample of col- legiate underachiever s. Three personality inventories were administered to college groups of (1) underachievers, (2) normal achievers, and (3) overachievers; and two series of item analyses were run to differentiate th© responses of the underachievers from those of each of the other two groups* Subjects were on© hundred sixty-fou r male freshmen in Engineering at Iowa State College. Jifty of them were designated as underachievers, six ty a® normal achievers, and fifty -fo u r as overaoftisvera, Almost half of the differential items, fifteen of thirty-eight, deal directly with social adjustment. In these items the typical under achiever uniformly and without exception gave better adjusted or more extroverted responses than the typical normal or over achiever* The pre dominance of social adjustment items among those which are discriminating seems the more remarkable if it be considered that only sixty items of the original five hundred nineteen items dealt with this topic. Secondly, it may be noted that underachievers were characterised by good adjustment in all areas tanned save those of family relationships and neurotic-psychotic tendency* The most obvious conclusion would seem to be that th e s e students were too so c ia lly orientated, and r>robably too socially active to spend large amounts of time in the so lita ry study essen tia l to academ ic achieve ment on t;e c o lle g e le v e l. 'Phis study did show that it was possible to isolate certain measw- I?0 able personality traits which were peculiar to underachievers. Althou^i overachievers are generally not social extroverts, they are generally described as socially adequate or socially effective* On© author, after a review of many studies of social adequacy* listed th* fol lowing eleven characteristics eg a definition of the socially adequate individuals (a) takas neopl© as they are, (b) Inflates the ©go of others, (c) is considerate of others, (d) is adaptable to changing circumstances, (e) is careful of personal appearance, (f) displays good manners, (g) has a normal degree of functional intelligence, (h) lias a normal asiount of emotional maturity, (1) is able and willing to assume leadership when group consensus calls for such leadership, (j) possesses & high character without attitudes of reform and holiness, (k) lias certain similarities to ?1 the group in which he is participating. ' If a student feels secure in all these social relationships, he feels free to devote a large part of his efforts to study- ^h© insecure individual devotes a larger proportion of his time trying to achieve a sens© of belongingness in the groups in which he participates* He also tends to be overly assertive within the group framework. By and large the st tidies of non-intellectual f fie tors relating to academic a-chieveraont indicate that introversion, dominance, scIf-a’Effi ciency, good motivation, liberal social attitudes, and lack of malad justment were all characteristic® f m m d among achiever®. Other factor© ^'/llllan A. Owens and Uilma C. Johnsonf "Some hensured v’ersonality Traits of Collegiate Underachievers," Pol. 'K>, January, 19^9# pp. ^1-46. a*. £. Jackson * ^Moas’irement of Social Proficiency* ” Journal of T-^eriiaental IducMlaa, Vol. S, 19>f0, pp* **22-^- such as o^rrlcul&r satisfaction, maturity of goals# efficiency of plan ning and working* and adequate personal and social orientation pertain to 'better achievement* Items found to ho predictive o f tmderachleve- meat include items reflecting a lack of emotional tension* Immaturity* social extroversion, disinclination to admit personal problems, and a tendency to see others in a favorable light* Bckert made a study of 120 students with a B average and 120 siu~ dents with a D average at the University of Buffalo. The first group of comparisons which were concerned with the high school background of these students, disclosed a number of interesting and reliable differences. The superior students spent less time In high school, with aluost a f if th of the group completing the course in less than the usual four years. They also graduated at a younger a g e , and tended to be drawn more largely from Buffalo public high schools rather than from the smaller suburban or rural schools. The only significant variation in the subjects elected x^as the greater proportion of able students taking Latin. Token as a whole, th© data on high school electives indicated little concerning the quality of subsequent work in college, and do not lend any substantial support to the theory that certain subjects prepare students for college better than others. Disparity in high school quintil© ranking wag striking, with 81.7 per cent of the superior grown in tho upper two fifths of the class as compared with 29.1 par cant of th® lower .•Tad© students. “% n t h lek ert, "Analysing the Superior College Student," School and Society, Vol. *H, 1935# Pp. 69-72. Borov thinks that tho limited predictive value of typical educa^ tlonal aptitude tests and entrance examinations reside® partly in their failure to appraise the non-in tell actual determinants of academic per formance* He state® tliat this is why th© simple high school graduation rank, despite its obvious flaws as a meeaurement device, ha® matched th© more sophisticated sad more painstakingly molded educational aptitude tests as a forecaster of college achievement, A student's high school rank reflects, however roughly, a student's self-application to studies as well as Ms educational ability and achievement. This is less true of many formal aptitude tests. The main trouble with many personality tests is that they are not developed and validated within the scholastic set- 23 ting where they are to be used. High school grades were found to show a higher correlation with college grades than did intelligence, or anything else by a number of investigators. Correlations reported are mostly in th© . 6 0 's and .70*«* going as high as > 73. ^ In one study single high school subjects wore found to have high predictive value for average college grades with correlations ranging 25 from .56 to . 7 0. By and large fet* studies have found high correlation between grades on individual sublets and collage achievement in general. Z3e. Borov/, n 15i© Measurement of Academic Adjustment , 11 Journal of American Association 2I Collegiate Hfeglctecirs, Vol* 22, A o rll, 19**?, pp. 27^ - 286 . 2h Daniel Harris, *1'actors Affecting College Grades* A .Review of the Literature 1930-37,w gfflgahologlcal IhOlfttla.. Vol. 37, March, 19*K>, ■p. 125- 126. 2% . L. Garrett, ^Predicting College Success tfoon th© Baals of Right School Records," Rehbofly jo u rn a l of Educatio n . Vol, 11, 193*K pp. 193-201. 58 H. H. Shaffer *aad© a comprehensive study of tho affect of m. English deficiency upon the adjustment in college of those students who otherwise had sufficient ability to achieve a satisfactory record. .Any student who ranked In the upper three quartilea of his entering class at Indiana University on the A»q&agi g.aaB^P^3S£ Stoi ^ who ranked in the lowest decile of his class on the Cooperative English Test was considered to he deficient in English. Two hundred and forty-three students fron the entering classes of 19 ** 0 , 19 ** 1 . and 19**2 ver® found to fell in this category. The 19**0 students had "been at th© University for five semesters, the 19**1 students for three semesters and tho 19 *i -2 stu dents for one semester. Three aspects of adjustment were considered, namely, scholastic adjustment, social adjustment, and emotional adjust ment. Students who were deficient in English passed significantly fewer hours than non-deficient students for the first three semesters of their college careers. The differences between th® two groups decreased sub- stantially after the third seme star. A co^>nrison of the mean number of credit - oiuts earned by tho two groups reveals that there was a significant difference in. the quality nf work achieved by the deficient anti non-deficient gro uc during the first four semesters in school. Th© difference for th® fifth semester was sub stantial but not sigoifleant. Th© fact that differences arc more persis tent and significant in quality of' work achieved thou in acted passing 2<5 H. E. Shaffer, "The Effect of English Deficiency Upon a Student's Adjustment In College," g£ J&& JMaftgl 21 SaBBftWLf.« fl£ lafliaaa Unlvertlte. Vol. 24, 1948, p. 8 . 59 o f the work suggests th a t the d e fic ie n t student gradually overcome® their handicap sufficiently to pass work, hut the quality of the work is poorer though passable. Of course the most logical explanation is that th** student completes In the first three semesters those courses in which an Rhgliah deficiency W'Uild play & primary role. In every academic su b ject commonly taken the freshman y ear, w ith the exception of account!-,and mat heretics, the students vlth an Jkipliah deficiency made significantly lower grades. ^ TABLE IV psa gkjt or esficim t Asm froH-DEPicmiT studm ps hhseiviko VARIOUS LETTER OU-Vm s tj s?E cm o SU3JECTsl A and 31 i c I _ DJ?,W. Inc. Subject Def. Hon.Def . *Def. Non.Bef. fPeft Hen.Def• Line,. Subjects Economics 17 33 46 44 37 23 Eng. Composition 3 44 48 49 49 7 Eng. L iteratu re 18 43 40 40 42’ 17 foreign Languages 21 1*2 25 38 54 20 Government 1? 4? 53 43 34 15 History 13 46 36 38 51 16 Lab. Sciences 26 36 42 44 37. 20 Psychology 11 22 57 50 32 28 Sociology 10 26 55 53 35 21 HonrIiln/% SuMafitg, Accounting 30 38 37 37 33 25 Mathematics ‘ 21 42 16 22 63 36 Military Science 36 39 35 35 29 26 ■ usic 21 47 37 24 42 29 Pl^sical Ed. 4o 42 41 37 19 21 •^Robert Shaffer, nTha Effect of English Deficiency Upon a Student*s Ad justment in College," 'M-2ptX& 2&_&£L M M ll &£ &L M~ University, Vol. ?4, January, 194-4, p. 13. ^ IMd.. p. 12. 6o In determining the effect of an fhglish deficiency upon social and erocti raal adjustment in college, the first procedure was to cforttpp.ro the scores of the deficient and non-deficient students on the various scales of Gk© Bernreute,r P.ersjonallty .Inventory. There are six different scales. These purport to measure neurotic tendency, £©lf-sufficiencyj introversion, extroversion, doninance-submission, cccJTidence in oneself, and sociability# According t the data, first semester deficient students anpoar to he significantly loss neurotic and more evenly ‘balanced emotionally than first semester i.on-deficient students# They a pear to ho more extroverted, to worry less, and to suffer emotioaal upsets less often than do non-defi c ie n t stu d en ts. They are more doiairwuit, seemingly more se lf-c o n fid e n t and better adjusted to fchoir environment, and are nor® sociable and gregarious than, non-deficient students. students who are deficient in English, ability apparently suffer fewer emotional handicaps than do those who do not lack t..is a o ilitry . *^ u i r s t semester deficient students scores indicated self-confidence and good adjustment to th e ir environment, but th ird an d fifth semester '■‘eficient students scores shewed lose sclf-confide-ico# Contrasted w ith this change in the deficient students is that of th e non-deficient, from a very high score indicating self-co sciousness and feelings o f inferiority on the oari of first semester students to the very low score of the third and fifth semester students. Thus third and fifth semester non-dcflcient students are well-adjusted and self-confident. There was also a s h if t from worry ' n& emotional instability o r the p a rt o f first semester £oIMd. . p. 17. 61 students to a well-balanced emotional state on th© part of third and *>o fifth semester non-deficient students. Explanations for th# findings are many and varied* The Inventory was filled out approximately four to six weeks prior to final examinations of the first semester. The non-deficiest students* attempting to make hi£$i grades, might have teen more on edge, more worried, and anxious than the deficient students. The deficient students may have already lowered their goals, become satisfied with low marks, and participated more in social activities. Another explanation is that many students with the greatest problems in these areas drop out of school during the first nine weeks of school* T h is may have had some effect upon the r e s u l t s * For every tenure group (students who remain in college one semester, two semesters, etc.) the differences between the deficient and non-deficient students for mean hours passed and mean points earned were smaller for the group's last semester in college than for its first semester, 0 . C. Held made a study of 582 students who were dropped from the University of Pittsburgh over a period of six years because of low marks. One o f the most significant findings concerned the high school quin til© in which these students had placed. Of the total group only five per cent had been in the upper one-fifth of his graduating class, 16 per cent in the second fifth, 69 oer cent in the lower three-fifths and 10 per cent not known.^ ^ IteUt. . p. 18. 3°itia.. p. 19. 31o. C. Hold, "Students Asked to Lew.,* Journal <*£ Higher ji&ja&fia, Vol. 12, 19^1, P. 320. 62 ?ln&l*i£9 from a study o f co lleg e achievement of 68? seniors at th© University of Wisconsin substantiate the previously quoted study by hckcrt, regarding the relationship of certain high school subjects to college achievement. Byrns and Henman state as follows* "Pragmatic sanation nay justify the belief tltat foreign language* and mathematics are valuable instruments of instruction, but the evidence does not indicate that they are sacrosanct. They have probably been valued out of proportion to their significance for success in college. Their prominence both in th© high school curriculum and in college entrance requirements must be justified on some grounds other than mental training, for the facts seen to show that these subjects do not develop a student*s capacity for successful co lleg e work. Reading Ability. On the basis of such tests as were used for th© measurement of reading a b ility among co lleg e students on the campuses of four colleges in Michigan the following conclusions seem justified* (a) Low scores on reading tests were made by failing students in a sufficient number of cases to suggest that low reading ability may be an Important cause of academic failure, (b) Students with low reading scores were not necessarily those with low psychological s c o r e s . This suggests that th© ineffective reading habits of many students are due to factors o t h e r than mental ability, (c) The presence of low reading scores apart from low psychological scores further suggests that improvement might be cxoccted to r e su lt from learning experiences designed to improve reading efficiency. 3%. tiyrns and V. 0, Henman, "Entrance Requirements and College Success, « School and i&cfefry. Vol. 4-1, 1935. p. 10^. 63 It is to be exoeciad that this important factor may thus, in many instances, he removed from the causes of fa ilu re in academic v/ork*^ Lester and Viola 1heeler mde a. study of the relationship between reading efficiency and intelligence ratings using as their subjects 1681 freshman enrolled at the University of Miami. They found that learning to read has its lim its set by in her cni, pat terns of mental development, but it do eg not follow that reading ability and intelligence are synonymous* While it takes definite degrees of mental maturity to develop residing pro ficiency, there are many individuals of normal and superior intelligence who have reading difficulties. The large percentage of poor readers found in high school and college indicates this condition, and the clinical diag nosis of reading difficulties attests the fact that intelligence and read ing skills do not always go hand-in-hand. The authors cite other studies which have shown that college fresh men receiving remedial reading instruction earn significantly higher final grade averages than the untrained students of equal aptitude rating and slightly higher initial reading status. The rapid growth of reading in struction in high schools, colleges, and universities, during tine past ten years indicates the tendency for educators to recognise that reading pro- fieiency depends upon many factors in addition to intelligence. Using ability to read as a major factor in determining intelligence is a dangerous educational policy. It resuuposes uniform reading instruc tion, reading experiences, interests, and motivation. Various tests de fending 'heavily upon reading ability ooutinue to be a determining factor 33k. i . Keaton and V. b'eedon* 90. c i t . , P< 57. 3**L©jter E. 'heeler and V iola L„ Wheeler, “The Relationship Between ' ea&ing Ability and Intelligence Among University Freshmen/’ The Journal of Educational Psvcholo/3T. Vol. AO, April, 19^» pp. 230-232. 6k in guidance, admission# mid instructional policies. Brown and Lofgren attempts^. to isolate some of th® character is tics of the relationships existing between three varia,hies—high school pro** paration, reading ability, and schcletlc optitude--a»& success in college in a group heavily weighted with students who were failing to achieve an acceptable level of scholarship in their college work. Fron this analysis of the difficulties of students failing their first two years at Wisconsin, the authors arrived at the following con clusions: (1) fn the three variables of high school achievement, read-* ing ability, and seholstie aptitude, the most inferior performances of fa ilin g stu d en ts is in the variable of high school achievement# (2) Falling students achieve their highest relative performance in the vari able of reading ability* (3) When high school achievement in the four fields of subject matter Is examined, the failing students are found to give their lowest relative performance in English* language, and social science; and their higheet relative performance in mathematics, natural science, and biological science* (k) In the reading teste utilising dif ferent types cf subject matter the failing groims achieved their lowest relative performance in reading English mid language material, and their highest relative performance in reading material in natural science. (5) On scholastic aptitude tests the lowest relative r^rforrasnce of the two failin g fprouos wag made in reading comprehension. {6) The range of vari ation In ■erformc-jnce in the different ports of each of the three variables tended to be greater in the falling group than in either of the successful groups.-’-'3 5 ^C* W. Brown and P. V. Lofgren, ’’The Nature of Some of the Diffi culties of students falling the First Two Tears of College, M Journal of lmental KduoatioJl. vo l. 9, 19*H, Madison, pp. 209-215* 65 B a t e m m Kahn and Slng*i% in their study of successful and non-successful students at Rev fork University, found that neither the press of extra* curricular duties no* the amount of studying done Is a differentiating factor in academic success. Although studying is recognise&ly important for scholastic achievement, the amount of time spent on It is apparently not so important as the efficiency with which it is d o n e *3^ Borov makes the follow ing comment w ith referen ce to study! Fhe commonly held assumption th a t the amount o f time spent in study, as such, is a crucial factor In the achieve** meat of grades is net home out by research. It cannot be disputed, of course, that a minimum allotment of time must he made for purposes of work if the student, whoever he is, is to progress satisfactorily In his work. But it does not follow that, as one devotes increasing amounts of time to Ms assignments, precisely proportionate increments in his scholastic proficiency will occur*37 Here intelligent students have been found by many investigators to devote a smaller amoimt of time to study, on the average^ than do the less Intelligent students* A credible explanation Is that the student of low academic aptitude must spend more time on his work In order to cireum- vent possible failure* It has not been demonstrated that more study time on the part of the pee* student completely offsets his Initially poorer ability* What is important is the question of techniques, skille, habits, and attitudes that the students exhibit in study. 3^H, Kahn and B* Singer, "An In v estig atio n of Some o f the F actors Related to Success or Failure of School of Commerce Students, n Journal, of ue^flAtiopal Psychology. Vol. 40, February, 1949* pp. 107*116* 3?H. Bo row, “Current Problems in the Prediction of College Perfor mance," Jouraal of Amaglflia a£ Mlsne. &Mlnftraya* Vol. 22, 1946, p* 22* One exception to the finding® concerning amount ef study time concerns the study tine of veterans. H«search on the academic superi ority of veterans disclosed that veterans report on© hour of study per week nor© than non-veterans.^ This difference alone is not great enough to possess significance. Borov cites evidence v ieh indicates that the superior student oper ates in ecordance with a more systematic work schedule. His load is more equitably distributed making work by fits and starts unnecessary. H© is also less often guilty of irregular class attendance and frequent trips home than Is the poorer student. The research indicates that efficient v/ork skills are necessary in eollege, as in any occupation, in order that students may make th© most effective use of their time and gain understanding of complex subjects. There are indications that even good students have bad habits of study and are, on the whole, relatively inefficient in their study methods. Ho bineon attributes this to the ''sink or swim method" of teaching. He sta tes! A long time ago people were taught to swim by throwing them in the water. Bach person gradually developed a dog-paddl© swimming stroke from his des perate thrashing of the water in an attempt to stay up. In those days such swimming methods were good enou$i to have fun end even permitted some to swim b etter than others. But since then exports have analyzed the problems of resistance and propulsion and devised new swimming methods which each year result in new swimming records. Students have "'w* A. Owens and V, A. Owens, J r ., "Some factors in the Academic Superiority of Veteran Students," & s m m L Ql IteMML* Vol« [December, 19**9, PP« **'99-502. ^H . Bo row, 22,. c l t . , p, 23. 6? sim ilarly been thrown into assignments and each has had to figure out as good a method of studying as he could* Bright students, however, have easily Been able to keep ahead, even with inefficient methods* Now the educational psychologist is stepping In and, on the basis of extensive creative experiments, i s suggesting new methods of study ing on a higher le v e l o f e ffic ie n c y . Such s k ills permit students to learn more rapidly, with deeper understanding, and with no more e ffo r t than with th eir present tr ia l and error methods#^ A study o f AST? students showed that they were a highly se le c t group in terms of Intelligence, previous scholastic record, and present knowledge; hut their study skills were no hotter on the average than those of other college students. Inquiry brought out that, bein :: "brighter than their classmates, they had been able to get by in high school with their wit and personal i ty. ^ Many students demonstrated in term papers that they had little know ledge of cues which a writer uses to clarify and present his thoughts in an orderly fashion. They seldom used headings of any type, underlining, points in sequence, summary statements, etc. failure to tise such cues in writing presumes a failure to use them in reading. The idea of higher level work skills is not a new idea. Time and motion studies of various industrial workers have indicated inefficiencies in operation. Hew work arrangements and new techniques have in some cases doubled production. The reader undoubtedly realises that If distract ons and environmental factors are important to any extent in industrial output they are of far mors significance in an operation Involving extreme m en tal activity and concentration. ^®3P. P. Robinson, Effective Study. Hew York: Harper and Hrog., mo. vii-viii. ^ S . P. noMneon, "Study Skills of Soldiers in A: TP," Sahnol and snoi.tr. Vol. 58, m 3 , PP. 39?-399. V acating Problems gad Motivation The eaase of lack of Interoat in college work almost always lies with the student. If a student is not interested In Ms overall college course* or if he its unable to apply himself to his work in spite of ex* pro seed interests in it* ho needs to take stock of his situation rather ca refu lly . There are a neither of reasons why some students can’t get Inter* estod enough to study while others can. Few people are completely unmo tivated* Laslness in general is an expression of disinterest in the Immediately available activity. Personal problems seem of such great importance to some students that worry about thorn dispels Interest in col lege work* The student mast enjoy a certain amount of personal security if he is going to show a maxium of interest in school work. Many people are not interested in college work because they feel It may not be the best step toward attainment of success. They prefer trade schools or business c o lle g e , but social pressures or family pressure in particular makes them undertake c o lle g e work for a period of time. Failure then gives them the opportunity to say "I told you so.** Still other students lack the neces sary maturity for college work and openly admit that they ®r® looking for a good time. Thus it appears that since a student will work hardest for that which he values most* college courses may or may not appeal to the student* I f an individual is desirous of developing intellectual competence* college work w ill seem vital and interesting. This point can well be demonstrated by th® Intense motivation of many returning war veterans In college work,^ On the other side of the oictur© are students who ar© a&olesoently engrossed in belonging to a group and being esteemed for high school type activities# Between the two extreme groups ar® ranged the remaining stu dents. The part that interest plays in motivation in th® life of th® aver age student has been aptly shown in a study comparing how hard students w ill work for a professor and a fraternity# Ton freah&tas fraternity in iti ates* on the last evening of & very strenuous Hholl week,w were required to spend about two hours in working arithmetic problems# They were In formed that the tests were a part of their evaluation for admission to the fr a ter n ity . Later 54 students working tinder normal classroom condi tions were asked to do the same tasks# The fraternity initiates* tired and harassed* did a third more problems than th© group working under normal 4t classroom conditions# • Bo row found seriousness of educational purpose and a liking for aca- demie work to be intim ately linked with success in co lleg e, A study carried on at Yale University demonstrated that when stu dents were gro ined according to the seriousness of their motives for at tending college* with intelligence held constant* a hlerachy of grades a p p e a r e d * with th® most seriously motivated students averaging highest 45 grades and the least seriously motivated averaging the lowest grades# S. Hadley* Scholastic Adjustment Proolens of th© Returning Veterans*11 ideational Research Bulletin# Vol. 24, 1945 * pp. 87-92* ^y?. S. *ob!;, .son* SSfig-itejt -Safe. 73' Boroa. ot>« e lt. ■ p. 21. A. B. Crawford, to Mafe, Hew Haveni Yale University Pre3S# 1929* p* 31* 70 Idly Detchen developed a regression equation bated upon a ooeh bination of a psychological examination tost score* social science place- sent test score* and an interest test score, which when Used for actual prediction genre the exact grade on a social science comprehensive examin ation for per cent of the students and within on© letter grade for another per cent* Miss Betehen was attempting to prove that student performance is a combination of more than ability and past performance in a field of study* She felt that these additional factor* are not as intangible from the standpoint o f measurement as they are usually con sidered* She stated that her results indicated that interest patterns could be developed which might serve as well in th© prediction of per- forrasnce in other subject matter areas as in social science* Since goals are directly related to motivation it behooves one to consider to what extent students have selected vocational objectives* Th® number of beginning college students who lack a well defined occupational goal is surprisingly large. A goodly number of this group earn average or above average grades* On the other hand, students who drift vocation ally throughout most or all of their college careers are frequently poorly adjusted to college work, and their grades are substandard. Once a student develops a clear-cut vocational motive, he tends to make hi© highest grades in courses iu which the subject matter is closely associated with Ms occu pational choice# This bears out earlier statements hinging on th© assump tion that a student*s measured in te r est in his curriculum is one index of ^Li?_y Setchen, HTh* Effect o f a Measure of Interest Paotor on the Prediction of Performance in a College Social hcienco Comprehensive EaBro- Journal, of Educational Psychology. Vol. 37, January, 19^6, pp. k$r 52. 71 Ms proWbl© success in Ms classwork. Borov says that with other things constant, the engineering students scoring high on the engineering scale of th® Strong Vocational Interest Blank ana likely to surpass in achieve- ty? m m t thes« students who score lev, Th® selection of a curriculum involving work for which a student possesses aptitude and -nature interest i® the decisive condition under wldeh optisnsa achievement may he secured* Heaton and Heedon, after studying the relationship of definite voca tional plans to scholastic success, present the following findings* (1) Ten and six-tenths per cent of the successful freshmen had mad.® a tentative choice of a vocation, and every one of the students had mad© a choice in line with hi3 vocational preference. ( 2) Ten and eight-tenths 7>er cent of the "failing" freshmen had mad© a tentative choice, hut only 75 per cent of these students had tentatively chosen one of three ;referred vocations. (3) Of the "successful” upperclassmen, 10.9 p©r cent hod made a tentative choice, each on© ‘being in line with the preferred vocation, (h) Of the "failing" upperclassmen, 8.3 per cent had made a tentative choice, hut only bO per cent of these h*d naclc tlie choice in line with their stated refer ence* (5) J6r the freshmen 37*2 per cent 07? the "successful" and only 73*5 per cent of the "failing" Indicated th.t they considered college "very Im portant" to their ” if e plan®. (6) Over five tim.es a® imiuiy " f a i l i n ’:" as Vjcceseful" upnerclaasmen said they would not he in college if they could kg find remunerative work. Borov, QXi- c l t . , a, 31. K. Heaton and V. Weedon, o it . , p, 133* 72 Thus it appears that sage a useful $Uidents in general have more c lea rly defined goal© in view than failing students, that these g o a ls are in lin© with the student 13 preferences* 2farthermore» the students view college work as needed preliminary training for attaining goals* The next chapter presents some of the ohar&cteristies of students who reported for counseling and attempts to relate these characteristics to the problems experienced hy the students in their attempts to 'become w ell adjusted to the co lleg e community. CE\TOTt I? CHAJRACraiSTIOS OF CQUNSF.MS Sex and Aapu The ^oups studied consist of those students who reported to the Bureau o f Testing and Guidance to seek complete guidance service during the school years 1940~4l, 1944-45, and 1946*47. The 1940- h i group was composed o f 119 students of whom ?4 were male and 45 female. Thus males constituted 62.2 per cent of the total group and females 37.8 per cent* As a resu lt of the impact of the war on th© maleuniversity population., the situation with reference to sex was reversed in 1944-45* This group was made up o f $0 males and 117 females. Males represented 29.9 per cent of the total as compared to 70.1 per cent for the female®. The 1946-9-7 group was composed of 119 males and 88 female®* representing 57*5 per cent and 42.5 per cent, respectively, of the total group. The to ta l number of men for a ll three year® was 243 as compared to 250 women* Men thus accounted fo r 49*3 P e r cent of the total grot?) while th© women accounted for 59*7 P«r cent. The male group o f 243 students represented 1 .8 per cent of th© to ta l male enrollment for the three year neriod studied. The comparative figure for the women students is 4.0 per cent. It therefore appears that women students at Louisiana State University seek professional counseling help with their problems to a greater extent than do the men. Student® who cane to the Bureau for guidance were concentrated In the younger age groups. The average age for the male® who reported during 73 74 the three-year period staled was 19• 2 year®. Table f Indicate® that the average age for the males in 1944-45 was considerably lower than the aver age of males la the other two years* This was undoubtedly a consequence of th® war. The males who reported for guidance in 1944-45 were predomi nantly students who had escaped the draft because of their age. The average age of all females studied was 1?.3 years. Th© differ ence between average age of all males and all females is 1.4 years* It appears that women students seek aid with their problems at an earlier age than do men. This does not necessarily mean that woman seek aid earlier in their college career than do men. However, an analysis of the average age of men and women at tlse time of entrance to the University and m analy sis of the classification of the students revealed that women did seek help with their problems earlier in their college career than did th© men* Table VI gives the average age of men and women at the time of entrance to the University. The average age of men at the time of entrance was 16.7 years as compared to 16.4 years for the women* This difference of 3 tenths of one year is slight when compared with the difference of 1*4* years which existed between the average ages of men and women at the time they sought help with their problems* Hsaldance Areas* An analysis of the areas from which the guidance students came indicated that the percentage of the students coming from a particular area varied widely from one period to another. For example, 2.4 per cent of the student® enrolled from Orleans Pariah in 1940-41 reported to the Bureau for guidance. For the 1944-45 Orleans Parish enrollment, the comparable figure was 12.0. The percentage of enrolleea from this parish seeking guidance declined, in 1946-4? to 5*0 per cent. Nevertheless, Orleans Parish led all areas with an overall percentage of 5*0* 75 T m s v AmA@B AG® cap MATftS AM) WHO MBP0RBSD 3POB GUIjQAHCIfl Bt THB SCHOOL YEAHS 1940-41, 1944-45, AMD 1946-47 1940-41 1944-45 1946-47 Total M alts 19*2 18.5 19*4 19.2 F ta a le s 18.5 17-6 17.7 17.8 TABLE VI AVERAGE AGE OF MM AND WOKffiT AT THE TIM OF estrange TO THE UNIVERSITY 1940-41 1944-45 19**6-47 Total Male* 16.8 16.7 16.7 16.7 Eenales 16.4 16.4 16.4 16.4 Many individuals contend that students who seek professional gui dance are urban students who have had previous experience with special counselors in high. school* The findings from this study do not 'bear out this contention. In 1940-41 th© area having the highest percentage ox’ its er.rollees to seek guidance was the smell fruits and vegetable area o f the State. Shi a area i s composed of the follow ing parishes* J effer son, Livingston, Plaquemine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Tanwaaay, and Tangipahoa. The average sis® of graduating class for all students from these parishes was 71. Orleans Parish and Ca&clo Parish tied for second place in the percentage of enrollees who sought counseling assistance. The average sis© of graduating class for Orleans students was l£5 while the co cm arable figure for Caddo students was 417. Trailing these two urban pari sties by only one-tenth of one per cent was the cane area of Louisiana with 7.3 per cent of enrollees from this area reporting for counseling In 1940-41. This area comprises the following parishes* Ascension, Assumption, Iberia, Iberville, Lafourche, St. James, -t. John, St. Martin, St. Kaxy, Terrebonne, and D.reat Baton Jtouge. The average sis© of graduating cla ss for students from these par ishes vo.s 29. The evidence is rather conclusive that students who repor ted for guidance in 1940-41 were not drawn primarily from urban areas. Counselees aside up 1.5 per cent of the total enrollment from all five farming areas of the State. This f if cure com mire a favorably with the figure for urban counselees who comprised 1,3 per cent of the total urban enrollment.“ ^Urb&n as u sed in th is stu d y includes the following cities* >Tew O rle a n s, Baton Houge, Alexandria, Shreveport, Monro©, end Lake Charles. 77 Table VII indicates a ll areas from which counsel©©© were dream in 1 94o-4l, 19Mk^5# 1946-47, Approximately the Baste variance In areas occurred in the 1944-45 aa& 1946-47 g rcunc as occurred in the 1940-41 group. It is significant to note that only 1,7 per cent of all students enrolled in the University reported for counseling in 1940-41. However* in 1944-45 the percentage rose to 6.3 to he followed by a decline to 2,2 in 1946-47. In 1944—45 sen were more seriously inclined tower’d their studies since they were particularly interested In string in school to remain out of the m ilita ry service. There are numerous factors which indicate the validity of this statement, end they w ill he presented in appropriate sections. During this same period the percentage of women who reported for guidance also rose si, palficantly, The only explanation which appears to "be valid to the writer is tlsat the wartime period made women students more conscious of th eir problems, or that they may have approached education a l i t t l e more seriously as a consequence of the war. An assumption held by some of the University authorities was that Hast Baton ^ouge students used the f a c i li t i e s of the Bureau of Testing and Guidance to a greater extent than other students because of their famil iarity with the organization, it® location, and purposes. That this was v l» lly untrue may be gleaned from Table VII, In 1040-41, five other areas bad a higher percentage of th e ir total stubcuts reporting for guidance than Bast Baton Rouge, In 1944-45 the percentage of Bast Baton Rouge students reportin'* for guidance was exceeded by eight other areas. In 1946-47 hast Baton Rouge olaced th ird , coming a fter Orleans Parish end the rice area. Of all students who reported for guidance 52,4 per cent eventually graduated from the University, The two areas having the lowest per cent 78 h/uslk n i v m s n m m o f s f w s w m u s t o from m m M A m s of IOTXSXAHA T O MPORTEJ} FOR GUIDANCE Areas 1940-41 1944*-45 1 9 4 6 -4 7 Total Upland Cotton i.i 6 .9 1 * 3 2 ,0 D e lt a Cotton .4 5*1 1*5 1 ,6 B ic e 1 . 4 4 . 8 3* 7 3*0 Cane 2 .3 6 ,0 1 ,2 2 ,3 Small Fruits and T e g e t a b le s 2*8 4 ,7 2 ,0 2 ,7 Caddo 2 * 4 9 .0 2 .3 3*3 C a lc a s ie u • 7 3*9 • 7 .8 Bast Baton Bongs 1 * 9 4 , 2 2 ,5 2 .5 O r le a n s 2 * 4 1 2 .0 5*0 5 * 0 O u a c h ita • 6 2 ,0 0 .0 *3 R a p id e s 2 .0 5*5 .9 2 .0 of student# who reported for counseling to graduate were the small fruits and vegetable area and the cane axes* The oercentagea of students who reported for counseling who graduated was 30*0 45* 0 » respectively. Both of these areas contain large numbers of people who are btlin- goal and who hare a cultural tradition which is quite distinct in many respects. Of the students fron the cane area 81*8 per cent indicated that they were Catholic while 54.5 P$r cent of those from the small fruits and vegetable area were Catholic. Smith and Keep comment upon the differentials which exist in edu c a tio n a l achievement within Louisiana as follows? There is a definite association between the popula tion of French language and the drench culture arid lev; educational statue. Moreover* the educational standing of the population is lowest in tnooe particular parts of 79 th e h*r©nch section in which th e Acadian influence has "been the greatest* More than any other factor this contributes to Louisiana's- poor n a tio n a l, standing, just a# th e Span!oh- speaklng population of Hew Mexico is resp o n sib le fo r th a t state’s low ranking educationally . 2 Parenton revealc very clearly how these differences In achievement arose. Ha states* The low educational status of the descendants ox the Aeadians residing; in rural South Louisiana, as contrasted with the hif her educational achievement of the Anglo- Saxons of Horth Louisiana, reflects fundamental differences in men* tallty which are engendered. by lonpuage, religion, class structure and environment. Generally , th© Anglo-Saxon Pro testants of ITorth Louisiana were oriented by their leaders toward an appreciation of the merits of 5 ba t e-suppo r t e d edu cation, while the Acadian population, accustomed to a Priest- guided society, was seldom motivated by their leaders toward a deep interest in a secular system of education. Conse q u en tly , when Catholic schools were not maintained in a par ticular area, a lack of interest in secular education was usually evident. Furthermore, most plantation owners did not encourage their laborers and tenants to send their chil dren to state-supported schools. Moreover, this cultural pattern perpetuated an apathy toward education on the part o f the Acadian population. In recent years, however, th© Church has greatly accelerated its program of Catholic sponsored education, and lias advocated secular education in those areas where Catholic schools are not maintained.3 Th® above quotation reveals how the particular cultural situation may play a significantt role in th© adjustment of a student to college, par ticularly in the area of motivation. Cl&»sIf1cation. Table VIII gives the distribution of students ac cording to their standing in the University. Among the total male group 56.2 per cent were in their first year of college work. Tho coraparabl® 2*f. Trjrm Smith and Louise Kemo, S.tftttts. o£. Farm ‘Population. Louisiana Agrlcult/ural J;x >eriment Station Bulletin Bo. 427, December, 1947, p* 22. 3Vernon J . Parent on, T h e BumL Fran,eh- Peoule q£ Suobaa South Lmil sigma. Unpublished Ph.D. teaser tat ion, Harvard University, 1948, pp. 323-324. TABLK VIII CtW^SIFICATIOH OF FTUDKNTS WHO ttilPGRTED FOH GUIDANCE IK 19ifO ~ifl, 1 9 ^ 4 5 , AsJD 19/+6-4? ...... 19i+6-47 ...... Fresh 2 3 4 Fresh 2 3 if Fresh 2 3 if Fresh 2 3 if Steles ^7.2 20.8 1 5 0 16.7 75-5 16.3 2.0 6.1 53*6 31.3 lif.3 8.8 56.2 2if#9 12.0 6.9 Females .52.1 20.8 12.5 ih .6 68.7 17J;- 7.8 6.1 68.2 18.8 ? .l 5.9 65.3 18.5 8.5 7-7 O'j o 81 figure for females was 65-3 ?or cent. These two figures indicate that womeai sought aid at an earlier period in their college career to a greater extent than was true for the ra*m. Of all students who reported for counseling, $1*5 uor cent were in their first two years cf college work. This factor my have ‘boon In- flnenced "by the location of the B u re a u of Testing and Guidance- A high proportion of th© students who enroll in the University remain In the Junior Division for two years* Since the Bureau of Testing and Guidance is housed in the Junior Division office and participates in the freshman orientation progran, one world expect more Junior Division students to seek its services* This is undoubtedly true to a limited extent. How ever, it must he pointed out thwt the activities of the Bureau, receive a great deal of publicity, and that in all notices it is carefully stated that the Bureau offers its services to any student. The writer h a s also been ismreseed with, the fact th.it approximately two-thirds of the students in the reading pro-ram come from outside the Junior Division. --:aah semes te r the demand Isas become in c re a sin g ly g re a te r fo r reading sectio n s fo r graduate students. Yet tils program is h o u sed in the Junior Division in exactly the sane offices as the B u re a u of Testing and Guidance. The writer feels that the significant factor In understanding wty an unduly large share of those who report for guidance are freshmen may b© found in the process of adjustment. Adjustment *u;s been defined as a satis- h, factory relation, of an organism to its environment* Various conceptions **#. M. Symonds, The. 3knami-C-ft of. Hmaan M itts teajnifr. Hew York* Appleton- Century—Crofts Go#* 19^6* p* 1, 82 of adjustment hinge on ▼saying ©onoaptionz of th© term s&tlsfnatory* However, it suffices here to state that the writer views Adjustment m adaptation to the demands of reality. The Individual who attends college for th© first time must adjust to a new physical and social environment# In addition he must reanalyze value© previously accepted and decide whether the new vroun forces strengthen his values or produce conflict. The first year* therefore, represents the crucial year for the average college stub* deait* The writer is firmly convinced after carefully scrutinizing the eoHtrrlete records of slightly less than 580 students that these students reported for guidance because of their inability to adjust to their envi ronment. Scholastic Average. The point-hour ratio of all students prior to the time they reported for guidance was 1.41, The ratio for their college work after guidance was only slightly higher, being 1.48. Table IK shows that in every year considered th© students mad© better than a C, average* The lowest grades were mode by th© 1946-47 group. This was true of both m en and women* However, th© average of the 1946*47 women was 1*39 before counseling as compared t c *98 for the men. Table X presents th© percentages of students who scored below average, average, or above average on th© Aracr- lean Cornell cm ^ufiatipn ?MPtK>X°rtfi,zX &S&' 1946-4? group, 44.2 per cent of the moles were in the 67-99 percentile range or above average grouping as compared to only 34*7 per cent of the women. The psychological test scores thus do not explain the .98 average of the men In the 1946*4? grouping. Fowever, th© psychologies! test scores help explain the differ ence in scholastic record of the men and v/omen in th© 1940-41 and 194.fi-. 45 groups. Men in the 1940-41 group mad© a 1.43 average before counseling as M Bm IX POEt«*BDTJR RATIO KNOB BY 5TUMHTS PRIOR TO COUKSffiLIHG- MS A W COUHSSLING IK 1940-41, 1944-45, MS) 1946-4? Tesur Hen .... _ Women .ftitpl ll( Before A fter Before After Before i After 1940-41 1***3 I .60 1.65 l .?6 1.52 1.67 19Mk 45 1.78 1.68 1.^3 1.53 1.58 1.60 19*16-47 .98 1.37 1.39 1.50 1.17 I.A9 Total 1.37 1.56 1.A7 1.56 1.4-1 1.48 compared to a 1.65 average for the women of that group. Table X indicates that 45.2 per cent of the men scored in the 67-99 percentile range as com pared to 59-5 per cent of the women. The situation was reversed in 1944-45* The men made an average of 1.78 while the women made an average of 1*43* Table X indicates that for the 1944-45 group 54.1 per cent of the men were in th® 6?»99 percentile range as contrasted to 38.1 per cent of the women. The 1944-45 group was the only group in which moles made a better scholastic record than the females. It has been Indicated that intelligence as measured by a psycho logical test may have been responsible for their superiority. However, It is to be noted again that 1944-45 was a war year. The student who was making satisfactory progress in school had a better chance of obtaining a deferment when he became of draft age. More Indications will be given of the effect of the war on the student's attitude toward his studies in a later discussion concerning students who dropped out of school. TABLH X PSYCHOLOGICAL SCOROS FOR STUBRKTS WHO RBPOROT) FOR OOONSSLIRO IK 1 $>40-41, 1944-45, and 1946-4? i j X 3 Percentile ' t 1Q46-4? Score 3 1040-41 ____ i 1944-45 _____ t JtoJnl... Mai© : Female! Total t Male iPemalei Total : M l« l Females Totals *_Male J Females total I * t Qr-03 t : Humber 15 9 24 : 8 29 37 * 22 15 37 45 53 98 * • Per cent 24.2 21.4 23.O: 16.7 29.9 25.5^ 23.2 20.8 22.2 22.0 25.1 23.6 i ■ i 3 Humber 19 8 27 14 31 45 ! 31 32 63 64 71 135 • ► 9 Per cent 30.6 19*1 26.0 29.2 32.0 31.0: 32.6 44.5 37*7 31.2 33*6 32.4 : 4 ♦• 67- 9.9 s Humber 28 25 53 26 3? 63 3 42 25 67 96 87 I 83 9 Per cent 45.2 59*5 51*0 54.1 38.1 43. 5: kb. 2 3k.? 40.1 46.8 41.3 44.0 . *« •9 gotal *» Humber 62 42 104 i*s 97 1.45 3 95 72 16? 205 211 4i6 •* Per cent 100.0 1 )0 .0 100.0 100.0 100. 0 100. 0s 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ©0 Males said females for each gr^up studied were divided into three categories according to their score on the psychological test. Student© placing from the 0-33 percentile were placed in one category. Those scoring from the 3**"‘66 percentile were placed in a second category and the ones scoring in the 67-99 percentile, in a third category. Table XX gives the scholastic averages as computed for the students falling in th© three categories. TABIdS XI PQINT-HQUR EATIQS BASHED BY STUI2MS WHO KKPQBTKI) FOE GUHUUfCE ACC0HDI1TG TO SEX AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MfficsKJTiijB n m m Psychological Percentile Male Female Total S®n*e ___ 0*33 *9 • 9 *9 3*-66 1-3 1-3 1»3 67-99 1*6 1 .8 1.7 Students who placed in th© O-33 percentile range on the psycholo gical test made an average of 0.9, Those who placed in the 3 ^ 6 ? percen t i l e made an average of 1.3 while the superior group (^7-99 ) made a 1.7 average. It, therefore, appears that the test does discriminate between students of varying ability. However, for these averages to posses© much significance one needs a frame of reference for comparative purposes. Sine© the normal grade distribution is generally accepted a® a guide for use in grading, it may be used for this purpose. Students who score in the super ior group on the psychological test should b© th© ones with a point-hour 86 ra tio varying from 2.0 to 3*0, Therefor®, m average of 1*7 appears to "be rather low for the superior group. Students in the average group should make a point-hour ratio vary ing from al»0 to a 2*0* The average of 1*3 made by the average group* therefore, approximates what the capacities of the students actually were as measured by the psychological test* The average of 0*9 made by students who wore rated as D and f students by the test indicates that a goodly number of the students so characterised exceeded th© scholastic achievement expected of them* It appears that a significant number of the students designated as superior fa ile d to measure up to their ability in terras of achievement* Th© stu dents designated as average came up to the level of achievement which v&s expected of them. A goodly number of th® b©low-average students ap parently obtained b etter grades than had been predicted for them. From still another standpoint it appears that the achievement of these groups of students classified as below average* average, ptlCl superior according to their scores on the oayehological test was above the level of their fellow students. In 19 ^4-45 the average for all Junior Divis on students was a 1.086 . The conn arable flur© for 19 ^6-47 was O.986. The student® who reported for counseling in 19i^~ty5 and who wer© classified as below average mad© a point-hour rati of .9 which was only slightly below the average of 1.086 mad© by all students. Students who cam® for counseling aid In 19^6-^ arid vrho placed in the 0-33 percentile rang® made a point-hour ratio of ,7 as comp-red to th© figure 0*98 mode by all student® in th© Junior Division. a? A cor^p&pl*on was mad® with the average of a ll Junior Division stu dents because, as was previously Indicated* 82.5 per cent of th© students who asked for counseling services were in the Junior Division. The com parison of grades na&e by counselees and all students cannot he regarded as very valid* however, because of th© concentration of student® who re ported for guidance la the average and especially in the above average gyoup. Statdaat. Hot Registering tha Semester Alter Counseling After careful analysis of a student’s record the counselor some times finds that the scholastic record coupled with th© test scores and other information indicates very little probability of a student’s achiev ing success in the University. All of th© factors are explained to the student, and if non© of them are correctable, th© student is told that his best course of action is to give up th® idea of additional higher edu cation. Some students, no matter how clearcut the evidence, reject this advice very vehemently. Others consider the advice carefully and accept It a© the best solution to their problem. Table XII indicates the per cent of students who reported for counseling who failed to register for additional college work following the semester In which they reported to th© Bureau for help. Of those students in the l$M*Q-4l ©poiqp who placed In the 0-33 percentile rang® on the psychological test, 25.0 per cent failed to register for additional college work. The comparable figure for students In the J}^6 6 percentile range was 1^.8 ner cent. Por those scoring between the 67-99 percentile, only 7.5 per cent failed to take additional college work. 88 o & v0 •* «■ *• hS * cm i *h cv •* M •* * * » * rv o cv o <& CM • • JNm* *» 0* IfH R vd d H VO»» 58 CO rv CM •» *» • • *» •« c'v en Cv 4 • • »« M «« 0 C- Cv CJ 1 VO • » • • • • *» VO Cv VO • CM H c*^ » •« « *• « f n o P* • O vn M CM B ON• » ■* CN & n d VO VO f~l « IN rv •* M *• *• •• rv XT', rv m CM & H *• •» » CJ R o £ mm mm v0 vO Cl i *H rv•» fH c-. rv H fH R * d rH vO 0* mm mm m* mm GO vo uv i rH r i mm mm mm mm mm r \ rv « CV The percentage* of women who failed to take additional college work following the eounsoling period were smaller than for m m in each percent tile group for the 1940-41 group and th® 1946-4? group. However* M g the students for 1944-^5# th® per cent of women who failed to take addi tional school work was considerably higher than for men in corresponding psychological groupings. For example, among the students placing in the O-33 percentile range, only 12.5 per cent of the m l00 did not register for more school work as compared with 20*? per cent of the women. Only 7-1 per cent of the sales in the 34*66 percentile group failed to reregis ter as contrasted to 12.9 por cent of the women. Hone of th® males in th® 67-99 p ercen tile group fa ile d to take additional work as compared with 2.7 per cent of the women. Percentages of women in the three categories (0*33# 34*66, 6?-99) who did not register for additional school work following guidance were fairly consistent in all three years studied. This was not true of th® men. For the 1940-41 group of men in the three categories (0-33* 34*66, 67*99) the percentages o f drop-outs were 33*3* 15*8 * end 14.3, resp ectively. The comparable fig u res for the 1946-47 group were 40*9, 25*8* end 16.?. fbeee figure* indicate a much higher mortality rate for the 1946-47 ©oun- sele es then for the 1940-41 counsel©® e. However* the most significant mortality rate among co'inaelees seems to be the rate for the 1944*45 men* The percentages of men in the three psychological categories who failed to r e g iste r for additional school work follow ing guidance we e 12.5* 7*1 and 0.0* Thus, the lo ss of male cmmseleea in th® 1944*45 group was ap proximately one-third o f the lo s s sustained among male counsel*©® In th® 3940-41 group and the 1946-4? group. This factor assume* greater signi ficance when on© notes again that 1944*45 was a war year. On first thought one would expect the percentage of men who failed to reregister for additional work to Increase in a war year* Hwcrtheles®, the reverse was true* The most p lau sib le explanation seems to b® on© which hinge® around motivation* As previously men ti one A, most of th® male student© were confronted with the possibility of the draft as they became of age* However, most draft hoards were rather lenient in granting Aeferrmcnts to college students in good standing, thus, the men students had. an extra motivational factor which was not operative among the men In l$kQ~>kl and 19^6-47. There was considerable evidence that the 19^f*-^5 men worked harder, sad© better grades and stayed in school in spite of pergonal obstacles to a much greater extent than th© men in th© 1QUo~U1 mid 19^>“ k7 groups. As previously cited, the point-hour ratio of men counsel©©® in 19hi*-45 was l.? B as contrasted to 1*^3 in IS&O-bl and ,98 in 19**6-117 5k fiffit s£ 5fi2sasslsfij6 feaa *£& Myjsfrjltg Since graduation is the ultimate goal of most students who enter the University, it seemed essential to consider th© proportion of the gui dance students who reached this goal* Some of th© students who are in cluded in the 19^S-^7 group had not. graduated hut wer© enrolled in th© University at the time the computations were mad©* Consecuently, these students are considered as graduates. One serious drawback in this area is the lack data on students who may have transferred to other colleges* -^Thero v/as some evidence which indicated that with the g r e a t in flu x of serious minded veterans some teachers apparently raised the standards of grading* fhe following statement is an example of the student®1 comments with reference to standardat HTh© returning veterans make the curve la c o u r s e s like sociology and astronomy too high* 1 !v© never before made gr ode as bad as the ones I mad© this oast nine w eeks. M 91 'Table XIII presents the percentages of males and female® who gra- dixated in each group with further 'breakdownb made according to the per centile range in which they planed on the psychological test# Only 33-3 per cent of the IP&Vbl group of nssn who had placed in th© psychological test range of 0-3 3 graduated from the University# lor the men who placed within the 3*5-66 percentile range, the percentage of graduates was 63* 2 . In the final category ( 67- 9 9 ) 75*0 per cent of all students who had re ported for guidance graduated- Thus, the psychological test score served as a good predictive instrument for predicting graduation. Two out of every three male students in the 0 -3 3 percentile range failed to graduate as contrasted to only one out of every three in the 3^*66 range and one out of four in the 67-99 percentile range, The psychological test failed to discriminate satisfactorily be tween two groups of students with reference to graduation, In th© 19^-^5 male group who placed in th© O -3 3 percentile range, 37»5 peff cent graduated from the University* For the male group placing in the 3*5-66 percentile range, only 35*7 cent graduated# However, among those in th© 67-39 range, 65*^ cer cent graduated. iTo explanation fo r the low percentage of graduates in the average category ( 3b - 6 6 ) could be found# A comparison of all ml© 3 indent a la the IpbO-b-l group with the females of that group revealed that the difference in percentage of gradu ates between the sexes was slight. The women hold a slight edge on the men w ith 6i *.3 per cent of their number graduating as compared with 6l .3 per cent of the men. This same trend held true for the other two periods* The difference between the sexes was very flight in th© group. However# in the 19*^6-^7 group only *K ) . 0 per cent of th© man students actually 92 u r n s x i n vm cm ? o f m s ooo&sklxno who ra a m « D isok tkh m m a m T Y P sF csn tlle Total lumber For Saturn ...... Ri^aihir.,..-..... *-•*- fw* 1 jSO&fr 1 ■■■won.wiii ;iw>e ■■> ■ 0-33 M&lss 15 5 33*3 Females 9 4 44*4 Total 24 9 37.5 34.36 Males 19 12 63.2 Females 8 5 62.5 Total 27 17 63.O 67-99 Males 28 a 75*0 'Females 25 13 72.0 Total 53 39 73*6 Total Males 62 38 61.3 Females 42 2? 64.3 Total 104 65 62.5 0-33 Males 8 3 37-5 Females 29 11 37*9 T otal 37 14 37-6 34-36 Males 14 5 35*7 Fen&les 31 15 46*4 Total 45 20 44*4 67-99 Kales 26 17 65° 4 i'e;!iales 37 25 67.6 To te.1 63 42 <6 .7 Total f e le s 46 25 52.1 Fercales 97 51 5 2 . 6 T otal 145 76 52.4 "{contfouiod next noi^o) 93 f a s t s m i x ( coup ’d ) m m n of stuwtts yon. ooimsPLim who ora33uam) man mi m m zisrn P ercen tile Total Humber Per Ss&ge r______J&iwfter ..... cent Ta riff 0-33 Hales 22 4 1S.2 Penales 15 5 33*3 Total 37 9 24,3 34-66 Males 31 11 35*5 Females 32 15 46.9 Total 63 26 41*3 67-99 Hales 42 23 54*8 Females 25 19 76.0 Total 67 42 62.7 Total Pales 95 33 40.Q Females 72 39 54.2 To tal 16? 77 46,1 Grad Total Males 205 101 49*3 Females 211 11? 55*5 Total 4l6 213 52.4 graduated as contrasted to 54.2 per cent of the women. Indications hav® already bee cited ag to why the per cent of graduates among non-veterans declined- Among the veterans there were indications tlvat a rather large percentage of then had. poor educational backgromda and were not motivated very stro n g ly toward educational endeavor. Of the 37 ffl&lc veteran students, 45.? per cent .'graduated from the University. The point-hour ratio for male voters-'& who fa ile d to graduate was 0.8. This does not imply that veterans 9^ were inferior students. Hie average veteran approached Ms studies with a serious attitude and therefore worked more diligently m Ms school work, Perhaps one reason why the veterans who reported to the Bureau of testing and Guidance were inferior concerns the guidance facilities provided for veterans in the Veteran9a Bureau of the University* Any veteran was of fered special counseling service including vocational counseling at the Veteran1 s Bureau* It might therefore he assumed that the veteran students who came to the Bureau o f Testing and Guidance had some particular reasons for not seeking the special service which was readily available to veterans* The following statements give some indications as to why the stu dents did not excel in their school work! One veteran stated: "The war changed my idea on the profession I had chosen* I found it would take too long to finish in it* 1 had lost in te r e st* " Another remarked: "Have too many outside a c tiv itie s* spend too such* * Other comments were as follows: "Not satisfied with school* Can’t g e t situated in the right field*" "Do not have a decent place to live with ay wife*" "I have lost all interest in college. I cannot keep my mind on my work* I feel that I could do tetter if I were to leave college and get a Job." "I suppose I have the same problem ©very on© else has — worrying about the future — 2 am handicapped by partial loss of eight in one ©ye* I want a decent Job so th a t I can get married and live Ilk© a human being for a change*" 95 **% conflict centers between th® necessity of obtaining a college degree in order to commend a good income, and desire to get started In order to he sooner in a position, of security and comfort so that I may pursue interests peculiar to myself and perhaps marry should a suitable mate appear in the interim .n "Dissatisfaction at living with parents — He&liaation now of many opportunities missed during adolescence through financial discipline of father causes undue resentment*” "I am now 2b- years of age, I want an education hut sometimes wonder if it is worth four years of ay life now. If and when I finish I will he 28 years old — then two years before I could probably get a job that would permit me to get married and have a home — 30 years old *— that seems a little late to get started in life. The war might have been res ponsible, hut thousands of others are in th® same predicament so why should I complain. I want to have a feeling of satisfaction that what I am doing Is right.n These quotations give a rather clear picture of the problems of adjustment which many veterans faced. S till another group of veterans who had never attended a college prior to the war built up an ideal mental picture of college life during their period of service. When they found that college required a certain amount of hard work and was not a social and recreational paradise they lost interest. The B*l»tianafaia of .S*l*ftttA fam ily Bnefaa>o«nfl, gactora & Apadesfte Adjustment 5b® well-adjusted person is on© who has learned to apply in telli gence to the eff ©ctire solution of the problems which confront him. Evi dence of successful adjustment is found in the way that one gets along in the world with one’s fellow-aan* A well-adjusted individual learns from hi a failures in order not to make the same mistake on another occa sion. He 1earns to make intelligent compromises, renunciations, and sub stitutions as bis drives and wishes meet resistance* The well-adjusted individual is one who also has the capacity to plan. He is capable of planning for the successful accomplishment of his goals in terms of his needs on the one hand and the conditions of life facing him on the other* Thus, one might say that the adjustment of an individual in a new situation, depends on certain situational factors as well as the past ex periences of the individual* It is essential to consider certain factors pertaining to family background since the earliest experiences of the indi vidual occur within the family* In th© fanily the child develops a set of habits for handling needs or wishes* After a stable sot of habits has been developed in the Individual, one can forecast with fairly high probability what the individual would do In a similar situation. Kimball Young states that not only do others know what to anticipate but that th© Individual himself knows what to anticipate in a given situation* H© adds* Expec tancy or anticipation of certain sorts of conduct and not of other sorts plays a highly important function in th© process of interaction and adap tation of individuals to each other. The inception of reliable patterns 9? of expectancy rests in those initial habits of the child* for on them are constructed all others* Th© family has lost many of its earlier functions but it still retains the task of introducing the child to society* It seemed logical to the writer that the experiences of the individual within th© framework of the family might affect the individual1® adjustment at a later period to other groups* A tentative hypothesis was developed to th© effect that the individual reared as an only child would not make as adequate an ad justment to other groups as would the individual reared in a larger fam ily. fhis hypothesis assumed greater significance when the writer noted that well over one-half of the cases who reported in 1946-47 ©backed ^being an only child* as a serious problem in their adjustment. This indication was followed up by comments on the part of the individuals* Examples are as followst "Being an only child is the worst thing that could happen to a person. I have always gotten my way and am Very stubborn. I am very sarcastic and therefore hurt a lot of people*s feelings* I am also sar c a stic to my parents and often hurt them. ” "I am an only child and this is the first time I have been on my own. I came to college because ray parent© expected it of me and they expect me to do good and I*m afraid I won't.,l The f ir s t g m rep to h© subjected to analysis was the 1946-47 group of female students. After the students had been divided into three groups ^Kimball Young, gfffl&IfiSa SL How York* y -S . C rofts Co., 1945* PP» 345^3^. 98 (only child, two children, three oar more children), tabulations were made to determine the per cent of each group who graduated from th® University and the point-hour ratio for all school work undertaken prior to the coun seling period. Of those students in the 19^&-^7 feraal© group who were c la s s ifie d as only children, only 35-7 P®r oent graduated from the University* The coaparable figure for those who had one brother or sister was **5* 5* the final group (two or more children), 56.1 per cent graduated from the University. If all three groups had been made up of students possessing comparable intelligence, these differences would have been significant. Since a breakdown by e lse of fam ily and by psychological te s t scores would have resu lted in very small groups, i t was deemed advisable to combine the females In tbs 19**6~**7 group with those in the 19*K>-b-l and 19^4-45 groups I for more detailed analysis. U© consistent trends were discernible from the data concerning either males or females. Table XIV gives the final tabulations with breakdowns being made by sex, number of children in fam ily, and psycho logical test score. For the total group of students who were only children in the family and who placed in the 0-33 psychological score range, 19.2 per cent graduated. Vor those who had on© sister or brother and who placed in the same teat range, 27*3 per oent graduated. For th© group coming from families with three or more children and placing in the 0-33 range, *H,7 per oent graduated from the University, For the next group - those placing in the 3^66 teat score range - the trend was not as consistent as in the /*ronp scoring from 0 through 33* The per cents of cases who graduated according to whother they were only 99 TABLE XIV m m m m b percentage op s r o n w s cmaduatikg moia o c u m m with BR33AJOXMS BY SSX, SIZE OF FAMILY* MB PSYCHOLOGICAL TB8Y SCOMB -‘i4r6.it..1T 67-W Only OfrlM m & i No* of eases 13 8 23 44 No* of graduates 2 1 1? 20 For cent 15*4 12,5 73*9 45*5 No* of cases 13 16 12 41 No* of graduates 3 7 7 17 Per cent 23.I 43*8 53.3 41*5 To,tel No. of eases 26 24 35 85 No* of graduates 5 8 24 37 Per cent 19.2 33*3 68.6 43.5 Tea Children Ha1m 5b* of eases 8 21 27 56 No. o f graduates 3 12 16 31 Per cent 37*5 57.1 59-3 55*4 Fanatics No* of eases 14 20 35 69 No* of graduates 3 10 26 39 Per cent 21.4 50.0 74*3 56.5 &LttL No* of eases 22 41 62 125 No. o f graduates 6 22 42 70 Per oent 27*3 53-7 67-7 56.0 Three or More Children 2f£Lfi& No* of eases 22 32 44 98 No* of graduates 5 14 28 47 Per cent 22*7 43.8 63.6 48* Q Female* No. of eases 26 34 38 98 No* of graduates 15 18 26 59 Per cent 57-7 52.9 68*4 60.2 Total No. jof cases 48 66 82 196 No. o f graduates 20 32 JrfKb, 106 Per cent 41*7 48*5 65.9 54-1 xoo children, had on# sister or 'brother, or had two or more sisters and "brothers were respectively* 3 3 0 * 53*7 * and 48 ,5* She differences in the percentages of case© graduating among children who scored in the 67-99 range and who were from families with e&e child, W o children, or three or more were insignificant, For the group composed of o n ly children 68,6 per cent graduated, Hi® comparable percentage for cases having one "brother or sister was 6?.7* Xu tli# final group (three or more children) 65.9 p w cent graduated. It thus appear© that the percentage of graduate© varied more widely according to the number of children among the student© with less intelli gence as measured by a psychological test. Students with higher psycho logical test ©core© apparently were not Influenced by this family back ground factor to the same extent that students with lower psychological scores were* These findings are based on a total of 406 oases. The breakdowns that were made resulted in some very ©mall group©, the smallest group in any one test score range being 22 students. Another factor to "be considered in interpreting the significance of graduation is that no record was available to indicate students who trans ferred to other schools* Consequently, it was necessary to cheek th® finding© as presented in Table XIV by tabulating the point-hour- ratio for the various groups# Table XV gives the point-hour ratio for all groups according to ©ex, number of children in family, and psychological test score, The differences in academic records of students coming from various types of family group© did not appear significant. The meet significant differ ences occurred among the females in the various family groups who had 10X TABLM XY POIKT-BOUR HATXO MAE® BY SRXDSHTS liXSB 3M3AI®MS BY M , KUMB® or CHILHKKK IK FAMILY, .AKD .I’SYCHOLOGXOAL T3ST SCGKlilS -...... — ______0-12 . . ^*~66 ...47-99 ...... Only OhlJLA Males *82 .70 1 . 1*3 1.13 Females • 66 l.Ofc 2. 21* 1.1*9 Total i .7? .91 I.?!* 1*28 Xksl iM l& m Mjdw *72 1*17 1.23 1.15 Females •S3 1.26 1*65 l.lfO To te l .79 1.20 1. 1*6 1.28 Three or Moro Childrm Males .78 1*15 1.65 1*32 Females 1.10 1 . 1*1 X.?l* 1.50 Total .95 1.29 1.69 1.1*1 scored within th© 3lb*66 range. Th© point-hour ratio for those who wore only children was 1*01*. For those who had on© sis te r or "brother the point- hour rati'* was 1*26, and for those who had two or more "brothers and sister® the ra tio was 1. Al. A s n a y he noted in Table XI there was also a slig h t variation among the ferules from the pari us categories who had placed in the 0-33 range. The point-hour ratios for only children, those with one trother or sister, and those with two or nor© brother a and sisters wero • 66, .83, and 1*10, respectively. Among the females In the 6?-99 cattery the only children made a much higher average, than th© other two groups* In drawing any conclusions from these findings# the reader must keep in mind, that the size of the groups after subdivision m-nkoe the findings questionable# It may he stated that the evidence found supported th® 102 writer*3 hypothesis strongly ©nougb to indicate the need for additional research w ith a larger group on the e ffe c t of else of fam ily on the to ta l adjustment of the individual. Educational yj&fa, a t Student'» gather.. One significant find- ing of a general nature was that the bulk of the eases displayed a need for someone to confide in . Such a verson wcrald of a n ecessity b© someone in whom they had great trust* The problems which many students experienced# regardless of the type of problem, assumed undue proportions in the minds of th© students after they thought over them for a considerable period of time. There were numerous indication s that the students welcomed an oppor tunity to talk ever their troubles with a sympathetic counselor* A sign!* fleant number stated that they felt as if their load had been lightened by bringing their problems out Into the open* Heaton and Wee Aon found that the philosophy of failing students often varied significantly from that of their m&rents. He also observed that encouragement and wise understanding of college problems on th© part 7 of parents wag helpful in the student1® adjustment to college. A parent9 s ability to help in th© oroeess of adjustment of a son or daughter to college would depend on many factors among which would be per son ality and experience. In keeping with this line of reasoning* the fol lowing question arose? HIs there a relationship between th© academic adjustment of a child and. the educational status of th© parent?” To answer this question partially, for the groups studied th© cases were ?K* I*.-Heaton and V, Weedon, clt. . pp. 188-189* 103 divided into three group*. Students whoa® parents fe ll within th® range from no schooling through seven years of schooling were plsused in th© first group. She so whose parents placed within the range of 3 through 11 \ years of schooling comprised the second group. Th© find, group was com* posed of students whose parents had completed 12 or more years of school* ing. Two factors were used a® instruments to measure the academic adjust ment o f these groups* These were the per cent of students who graduated and the point-hour ratio made in all work undertaken. Tor the men students Whose fathers had received less than eight years of educational training, 31*7 per cent graduated from the University. The comparable percentages for those students whose fathers received from 8 through 11 years of schooling and those whose fathers received 12 years of schooling or more were **?.6 and 57*5* respectively, la short, 15*8 per cent more of those students whose fathers had from 8 throu^i 11 years of schooling graduated than did those whose fathers had less than 8 years of schooling. The difference in percentage of graduates between those whose fathers had less than 8 years of schooling and those whose fathers had 12 or sore years of schooling is 25-3 per cent. The differences between the percentages of graduates among the female groups were not as con sisten t as among th© male groups* Th® p@r cent of graduates among those whose fathers had 8 through 11 y ears of school exceeded the per cent of graduates whose fathers had less than 8 years of schooling by 19*2 per oent. However, among the female students whose fathers had 12 years or more of schooling, the percentage of gradu a tes was le s s than i t was among those female students whose father® had 104 completed from 8 through 11 years of schooling, The percentages of gra duates for all three female groups are 39.1* 58*3* 48.3, respectively* Table 3HTI gives the percentages of students who graduated for males, fem ales, and to ta l group according to the educational classification of the father for all three years studied. "The greatest differences in per*, cent&ge ©f students graduating occurred in the 1940-41 group, particularly among the male students. For those whose fathers f e l l In th© 0 through 7 classification, 35*® per cent graduated. The comparable figures for those whose fathers fell in the 8 through 11 classification and those whose fathers fell in the 12 and over category were 61.9 &nd 77*8* respectively. Th© mean psychological score for students whose father® li&d cobv ploted le s s tlian 8 years o f schooling was 54.8. For those whose fa th e rs had completed from 8 through 11 years of schooling the mean psychological score was 53.5* For the final gr-uro (12 years and over) th© mean psycho lo g ic a l score was 65 -0. Thus, it appears that intelligence as measured by the psychological t e s t did not explain the variance In percentage of gra duates among the various groups. Although the differences were not as significant a® thos© which existed, between the per cent of students who graduated in the various fam ily categories, a snail positive relationship was found between the educational status of the father and the point-hour ratio of th© students* Male students whose narenta had completed less than 8 years of schooling maintained a point-hour ratio of 1.11. The point-hour ratio for those whose parent® had completed 8 through 11 year® of school lug had a 1.20 average and those whose parents had received 12 or more 7/ear a of schooling maintained, a 1 *3^ average* 103 WSLB x n ' p m o m m m o f swsmm w&asatim im tmmrnm who owcm/iesd from th& sN im sm , according to r m educatiohal stasis OF IKES SfUBSM'S FATTO Father1® t Kalae t JTjfflffilea. E %Wv r Sducational iNu»~ Gra Per 1 Venn- CJra- Per lUum- Gra Per „ Status duates cent 5 her du&i&a j_J»ar duate a cent Sb2-.sr.ft- 1940-41 20 7 35-0 5 2 40.0 25 9 36.O 194M>5 11 3 27.3 11 4 36.4 22 7 31.8 1946-47 32 10 31.3 7 3 42.9 39 13 33.3 f e ta l 63 20 31*7 23 9 39*1 86 29 33*7 5-11 v r i. 1940-41 21 13 61.9 17 13 7 6.5 38 26 68.4 1944-45 18 8 44.4 43 26 60.5 61 34 55*7 1946-4? 43 18 41.9 36 1? 47.2 79 35 44*3 Total 82 39 47.6 96 56 58.3 178 95 53*4 IZ y?i>ir SSST 1940-41 27 21 77*8 22 12 54*5 49 33 67.3 1944-45 20 12 60.0 54 25 46-3 74 37 50.0 1946-4? 40 17 42.5 44 21 47*7 84 3S 45.2 Total 87 50 57*5 120 58 48*3 207 108 52.2 Sable XFII indicates that no consistent relationship existed be tween the point-hour ratio made by females in thoir school work and the educational status of their fathers. For males and females the point-hour ratio was 1.25 for the 0-7 group, 1.30 for the 8-11 group, and 1.4? for the 12 and oyer group, Thus, for the total group, both the per oent of total students who graduated from the University and the point-hour ratios indicated a posi tive relationship between the ©ducati nal status of the student*® father and th e academic adjustment of th® student. 106 « . o VT\ V0 C- O cocooo si I* rj 9\Sro,°iH ^ CM VO CM rH CO vo VO CO *rt J3 -H • * • * (Hi© © t f H H H rH rH rH rH rH rH rH , COMO CM O r i N o * « » S , On CM rH 8 COON VO CO CO VO ON NO £ H H n CM CO 00 co-d" co rH co© VO H 00 VO co CM v o 00 O CO WO VO On O co ©- co CM On NO On i-i co IN) CM CM CO Co- co cm co © NO On ©- « f c P VO VO CO CM CO vo vo vo vo 3 S 3 • * • « * « • £ £ g H H r t H H H rH rH rH rH fr*. ©-V0 ~fr COHj- »H CD 0N ON NO O vO VO C^- On ^ O ON CM VO O On 4 CM N£» ^ CO vo© vo CO VO 3 ft O* rH rH rH P r? CO CM |N c CM CO ON rH CM CM CO O H H V O CM «H CO OV ON rH •4- v rH CM VO O CO 49 » • • • • * « d! H H H rH H H H £ £K £ v * i CM O' O CM rH CM CM O n O CM CM CO VO C O O xfr co vo o o n &> rH CM rH CM CO CM CM CO IN n ©*■ CM Cv, |H O rH VOjJ- *© 1 3 h yo c> <4 Ht -t Jfr & H an on tn H H H riH r ! H IOIH H H o i 10? Student® UPfra#* Mothers Were Working The attention which a youngster receives from Ms parent® i® an Important factor In Me per sonality development* In some oases too little attention to children say accentuate in trover tive tendencies* However, in some oases th® lack of attention seen® to stinalate and develop the individual1® ability to provide for his own needs* It ha® generally been conceded that inatten tion on the part of parents over a long period of time is harmful to the child1® personality development* On the other head it appear® that too Booh attention often produce® undesirable ch&racteristics in* the child. On® factor in the present study which seemed worthy of investiga tion concerned the difference between the academic adjustment of students whose so there were gainfully employed and those whose mothers were not gainfully esroloyed. fhi® factor is weak from two standpoint®* $irst* in u sin g the factor the writer had no way of determining how long the parent had been working* Secondly, there was no evidence as to what hour® the mother worked, tfork hours which coincide with school might not result in inattention to children on the part of the mother if the element of fa tig u e i s discounted* for the total male student group only 19*7 p er cent of th© mothers were gainfully employed* for the female students the comparable per cent i s 20*6* The point-hour ratio of male student® whose mothers were gainfully employed was 1*11 a® compared to 1*21 for those male students whose mother® were not gainfully employed* Of the former group only 38*5 per oent gra&ur a ted from the University, while h?. 8 per cent of the latter group graduated. The trend v a t not as consistent for the females as it was for the nales* The point-hour r a tio fo r the female students whose mother# were g ain fu lly employed, was 1.42* For thoee whose mother# were not employed the point-hour ratio was 1*3?* However* 37*8 p e r cent of th© former group graduated from the University while only 50*0 per cent of the latter group graduated* For the group as a whole student# whose mothers were working out side the home made an average of 1 .2? while those student# whose mothers were act ee employed made an average of 1*36. The percentage# of grad* nates was almost the ease for both groups* being **8*8 for the first group aad 48*9 for the second* The mean psychologies! score fo r the male students whose mothers were employed was 64*2 as compared w ith 57*1 fo r those male students whose mothers were net gainfully employed* For the two female groups th e co rres ponding mean scores were 37*1 and 56.8. Thus* from the standpoint of test scores the groups are essentially comparable. It appears that students whose mothers work outside the home tend to wake s lig h tly lower grades than students whose mothers are not thus a llo y e d * The Impact of Broken Homes. Much has been written concerning the impact of a "broken home* on adolescent development* schoolwork* and juven ile delinquency* The term "broken home" re fe rs to the d isin te g ra tio n of the family as a group of interacting persons brought about by the death of one or both parents* by the desertion of one or both, or by legal ©op eration or divorce* a |© H & .H © 4* f t © 33 9 § S3 O « jS 03 U £ *rt 4* r-l £ s £3 © 5 + > o > ft *rt £ © I e ft* a 3 4 * fo •*»1 iS I « m ft* t* * O H • •ft t® r4 © § i 2 S’ S S3 • I I M £ Th® fem ales who easie from broken homes const!tubed 2k,y per cent o f the total female group. ffemle® from broken homes made a point**how r a tio o f 1*38 a s eoiapared w ith 1.49 made by those female® who came from unbroken homes* The mean psychological score for the male students whose parents were s till living together was 59*9* ®e* those who came from broken homes the mesa score was 6l.8« f o r the female groups the comparable scores were 57*2 sad 54.4* Thus from the standpoint of intelligence as measured by a psychological test, the students from unbroken homes and those from broken homes were eon^&rable, the mean scores for each total group being 58. B and 5S*1. However* th e re was a a ig n lfle a n t d ifferen ce between the two groups In the par oent of students who graduated. In the male group from un* broken fam ilies, **9*7 per cent graduated while only 37*7 P®* cent graduated In the male group costing from broken homes. ?or females cosing from unbroken homes the per oent who graduated wa« 54.5 while the comparable per cent for females from broken homes was 41.5* Since the point-hour ratio Is a more valid factor than per cent of students who graduated, the relationship between family status add the aca demic adjustment of the individual remains questionable, A point-hour ratio of 1*36 was earned by both total groups - those from broken homes and those from unbroken home®, There was no indication of a relationship between the student*® grades and the marital status of his family. GBWH8R V m m m a rs a S j a fe b lim in a h i xmRQDtrcrcxair The a n a ly sis s f the cases revealed that the hulk of the students who came fo r counseling had an excessive number ef problems which troubled then* It is Impractical to compare the number ef problems because two students may mark the same problem or identical patterns ef problems, and yet the problem world of the students would not be identical because the orientation o f each is in terras of his unique experience. furthermore, the fact that a student has a problem is not in it* s e l f "bad.” Whether a problem Is to be taken as "bad 11 or "geod" depends upon whether it signifies a point in progression toward growth or signi fies a point ef imbalance toward excessive frustration. It is also true that students who refuse to recognize their problems or who fear to express them nay well be in a verse situation than those who feel free in their recegsition and expression* Among the present cases there was l i t t l e evidence of reticence on the part of the student to discuss his problems. Perhaps the reticent student would not report to the Bureau e f Testing and Guidance in the fir st place. Host researchers who have analyzed the impact of personal and social factors on scholastic success have found a close relationship to exist between the two factors. lh© effect of problems on academic ad justment depends upon the degree of "ego involvement” in th© particular 111 112 problem area on the pert of the student and upon the student1 s ability to solve the problem within a reasonable period of time* In the present student there was considerable evidence to indi cate that the students felt unable to solve the problems which they indicated they needed help on. She student who is in love with a girl at heme end she Is spending a large proportion ef Ms time and energy in keeping her in love with him feels that Ms problem cannot be solved* He can't get married until he graduates and gets a job* At the moment he is falling his courses. She only way to pass is to stop going home every weekend and to stop daydreaming so much about the girl* He couldn't possibly do that because she might start going with ether boys. He feels that It's foolish to think ef that because he just has to see h e r. In a similar manner the girl who desires to make friends - both sale and female - but who finds th a t h er standards are apparently old- fashioned and eut of place at college fo o ls there i s no solution for her problem. As more and mere problems were studied in their total setting it became evident th a t a great number o f the students either lacked proper orientation in a system e f values or found themselves facing conflicts within their value systems. The future following their educational training seemed too remote or p o in tless. In many case® no certain goals had been arrived at. The case histories brought to the mind of the writer two quotations from the writings of Franz Alexander and Hrich Pros® which appear in the writings of Be Orazia. Alexander states! After long hours of daily work, spent listening to the suffering victims of these unsettled times end trying to extract sense from the kaleidoscopic variety of sincere revelation* a hypnagogic vision appears before the eyes of idie pondering psychoanalyst. Hie analyst sees his patients physicians, lawyers, engineers» bankers, advertising men, teachers and laboratory research men of universities, stu dents, and clerks - engaged in a marathon race, their eager faces distorted by strain* their eyes focused not upon their goal, but upon e&eh other with a mixture o f hat©, envy, and admiration* Panting and perspiring, they run and never arrive. They mould all like to stop but dare not as long as the others are running. What makes them run so frantica lly , as though they were driven by the threatening swish of an invisible whip wielded by an invisible slave driver? The driver and the whip they carry in their own minds. Zf o n e o f them finally stops and begins leisurely to whistle a tone or watch a passing cloud or picks up a stone and with childish curiosity turns it around in his hand, they a ll leek upon him at first with astonishment, and then with contempt and disgust. They call him names, a dreamer or a parasite, a theoretician or a schisophrenic, and above a ll, an effeminate. They net only do not understand him - they not only despise him but *they hate him as their own sin.* All of them would like to stop - ask each other questions, sit down to chat about fu tilities - they all would like to belong to each other because they all feel desperately alone - chasing on in a n©verending chase. They do not dare to stop until the rest stop lest they lose a ll their self-respect, because they know only one value - that of running-running for its own sake.- Srieh Proa® also notes the uncertainty of goals: He states: Today one sees the destruction of any kind of stxucturalized picture of the world. •. • The adult does not see the meaning of the ’whole,1 the nieces of which come Into his hands. He is bewildered and afraid and just goes on gazing at his little meaningless pieces. 1 Sebastian Be Grazia, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, lp48, p. 105, as quoted from: Pranz Alexander, par M o of Unreason. Philadelphia, J. B ,, Mppincott Co. 19^1, P* 310. 114 Modern mn seems, If anything, to have too ©shy wishes and his only problem seems to be that, although he knave vh&t ha wants, he caaaot have lt.2 It appease that the inability of students to resolve the many conflicting situations which confront them might be a characteristic which is becoming more and more common to a ll people. It is one thing to find evidence indicating the great signifi cance of conflicting situations in an individual's life and quite another to develop a method for c r it ic a l analysis of these factors in an individual's life* An attempt la made in the present study to determine the problem areas, how the more significant problems arose, and how they affect the individuals concerned* The problem areas analysed includes (1) Health and Physical Development, (2) Home and Family, (3) Social Adjustment, (4) Personal- Psycho logical Problems, (5) Vocational Adjustment, and (6) Study Habits and Other Academic Problems. A ll available information i s used in an attempt to present the total situation confronting the student* The Mooney Problem Check List ie relied upon heavily in the analysis of each problem area. Each area i s represented on the check l i s t by 30 problems* The directions for the student are as follows! This is net a test* It is a list of troublesome problems which often face students in college - problems of health, money, social life, relations v/lth people, 2 Ib id ., p. 105. ns quoted from* krich Fromm, .$j»oane Prom Freedom, Hew York! Farrar and Pinehart, In c ., 1941, p* 250* religion, studying, selecting courses, and the lik e . You are to go through the llet, pick cut the particular prob lems which ere of concern to you ond make a. summary in ter pretation in your own words. More specifically, you are to take those steps* (l) Head the list slowly, pause at each item, and i f i t suggests something which is troubling you, underline it, thus - 3*k ffUtamss & family. «J© through the whole list, underlining the items which sug gest troubles (difficulties, worries) of concern t© you, (2) .Answer the summarizing q u estion s.!l With reference to his purpose in developing the Check List, Mooney states as followst She function of this article is to open this field to re search worker® who are interested in this area of investigation. Students* problems have been recognized for some time as being of vital importance to "the design and conduct of personnel work and have been accepted as basic considerations in the construc tio n of curricula. However, to date, surprisingly few instru ments have been developed which w ill quickly and simply bring these problems into focus for students, counselors, teachers, and adm inistrators. She cheek l i s t i s designed to help f i l l this need, and in performing this function it also provides opportunities for advanced and vital research on the develop ment and functioning of problems in human behavior,3 She Dean o f Women of Ohio State used this measure as a method for surveying the problems of dormitory girls. The survey was made In November, about two months a fter the opening of school when the girls were meeting the problems of adjustment to college with full force. The somber o f problems marked by 10 per cent or more of the students was 112. The distribution of these problems among the various area® was8 Hoes L. Mooney, "Explanatory Research on Students** Problems,*' Journal of Sdacatipnal £ejBp_arch, Vol. 37, November, 19^3, pp. 223-22&. Adjustment to college work zz Personal-psychological relations 17 The futures vocational and educational 12 Social and recreational activities 11 Health and physical development 11 Curriculum and teaching procedures 10 Social-psychologi cal relations 9 Courtship, sen* and marriage 7 Morals and r e lig io n 6 finances* living conditions, and employment b Homo and family 3 These figures Indicate that the type of personnel program needed "by these girls would be on© that would give them help in learning how to handle th eir sch o la stic work, in understanding and dealing with personal feelings, la getting command ef their pleas for the future* la finding outlets late satisfying social sad recreational activities* ia guarding aad improving their health* and ia adjusting themselves to the academic system of the university* Another point of aigeifieance is that among the 60 per cent who indicated that they would like &tt individual conference to discuss some of their problems* only one-fifth knew of a particular staff member to whoa they wanted to talk* This meant that when those freshman girls needed help on problems, 80 per cent of them felt that they did not know whoa to turn to* After making use of this survey for one year the Doan of Women at Ohio State has decided to make the survey an annual project* The data is to be continually used in the development of the personnel program for a l l begiiminr women students.**' Il Robb L. Mooney* "Personal Problems o f freshman G irls, " m ■Tamrnal of Higher Mmcattnn. XIV (JPeTjraary, 19>+3), p. 90. 11? Ia addition t© i t s use in se ttin g up personnel programs fo r groups the chock list is helpful in an Individual counseling program* It givos the counselor come Insight as to what areas the student needs help in. Research has indicated that problems may he determined and solutions worked out to the student's satisfaction by means of the ? check lis t and personal interview. The following selection from an actual case history is pre sented to reveal to what extent the check list may prove to he helpful in counseling the individual student. Case #3173 reported to the Bureau on October 21 of his freshman year. He had graduated from an urban high school with the rank of fifth in a graduating class of 20 students. His personal history data Indicated that he participated in very few activities in high school with the exception of sports. Although he stated that he needed vocational guidance when he reported to the Bureau, there wore several indications pointing toward problems other then vocational ones. He stated that ho planned to major in petroleum engineering as a consequence of talks with men in the field. He felt this field vould b© 11 the coming thing” and that it offered good money,” On the Strong Vocational Interest Blank ho scored "A” on Jngineering and Chemistry, Ho had placed in the 97th percentile on the Mathematics placement test and in the ?9th percentile on the Chemistry test. 5 Ibid. , pp. 219-220. His extreme nerveusness indicated serious personality disturb ances, In describing bis general makeup be indicated that be expe rienced frequent periods of gloom or depression. He underlined 5? problems on the Mooney Check lis t; Under Social and Recreational Activities this student indicated that the following items were prob lems that bothered hint (1) in tee few student activities, (2) ark- ward in meeting people, (3) unskilled in conversation, (4) nothing interesting to do in spare time, and (5) unsure of my social etiquette. Supplementing bis problems in this area were numerous others falling under the area of personal-psychological relations, These included* (1) unpopular, (2) being talked about, (3) feeling Inferior, (4) disliking certain persons, (5) being jealous, (6) wanting a more pleasing personality, and (?) dislike talking about personal affairs. At the interview the oounselor began to talk to the student about social activities in general and gradually tried to draw the student out concerning his attitudes toward people and bis lack of social contacts. After a lengthy conversation the student had imparted the following informations An older brother bad been very outstanding in high school and had been very active in a social fraternity. The young brother envied the older brother and was most anxious to join the seme fraternity that his brother belonged to, When ho came up for mem bership someone blackballed him, and in spite of the efforts of his brother he could not get into any fraternity. This episode seems to have had a tremendous Influence on the student. He stated that he vowed that he would net participate in any activities for the rest of his high school days. All ties of friendship wore Woken, and with the exception o f cla ss room contacts he had l i t t l e to do with anyone other than his family. When ho entered the University he ’became homesick and lonely, and as a natural consequence began to wish for some type of friendship with other students. His efforts to make friends proved unsuccessful as a result of his rather warped personality and his lack of knowledge and experience in the techniques used in developing friendship, This factor prohahly had great hearing on the student's decision to seek aid from the Bureau. At this point in the interview the counselor began to make suggestions concerning how the student might overcome his handicaps. As the counselor stated that the student needed to learn to talk with individuals alone or In groups without showing extreme nervousness the boy interrupted his, saying, ’’Sir, I don't think I'm very nervous with anyone after I've talked with them awhile. X feel perfectly at ease now talking with you. There is only one person, maybe two, that I'm really afraid of when I'm talking to them.” The student stopped and for a short period it appeared that the counselor had lost contact, but finally the boy stated that the two people he had reference to were his girl friend's parents. After a few comments and questions about his girl friend the counselor began to try to weave some pattern from the student's re sponses in the area of courtship, sex, and marriage. Problems that were underlined included* (l) going steady, (2) disturbed by ideas of sexual acts, ( 3) wondering if I 'll ©ter get married, {**) insuf ficient knowledge about tax matters, ( 5) wondering if 1*11 find a suitable sate, ( 6) Wing ia love* ( 7) thinking te e much about sex matters, and (8) disappointment la a love affair. fhe facts which shaped up from these problems are as follows; following the student's withdrawal from all social activities he passed through stages of rather extreme isolation, Paring some of these periods a g irl whom he had hardly noticed before because of her extreme homeliness began to make social overtures towards him. Ee reseated her efforts at first but gradually cam e to spend more and mere of hie time with her. After becoming quite close friends they began to have regular sexual intimacies with one another. This prac tice coupled with pangs of conscience undoubtedly accounted, for his being ill at ease in the presence of his girl friend's parents. This supposition is given added weight by a statement of the student that he couldn't understand why he felt So afraid in their presence, especially sines they had dene so many nice things for Mm, Two ether lines of thought need exploration to complete this particular area of his problems. When he entered the University he set a number of oeeds during orientation week. He was quite impressed over the fact that they all seemed much more beautiful and desirable than his girl friend. He then began to think about the fact that both the g irl and her family were expecting him to marry her when he finished school. Many questions as to whether he actually loved her and wanted to marry her occupied Ms thought®. At the same time he at seed the physical intimacies, This latter problem was solved when he decided to el ham* every weekend la order that he ml&ht see her* bat la solving it he merely accentuated the other questions and prob- lens* So had alee cited very strongly that he was afraid of hie moral cede wakening and of cheating in classes* The first problems require me elaboration in view of the previous discussion. The matter of cheating requires some clarification. At the high school which the student attended the teachers had adopted the policy of leaving the room during examination periods. He stated that although he knew he could make HA*sn end HBleM by studying hard he soon began to cheat because everyone else did. The habit became so engrained th a t when he came to college he was tempted to look on hie neighbor's paper. At the same tis e he re a lis e d th a t i f he were going to attain & very high goal as a petroleum engineer ho would have to master his school* work. The tendency w ithin him to cheat, regardless the eons©* quencev that might occur i f he were caught, caused him to experience a serious mental conflict. Thus, this summary of case #3173 reveals to what extent the check list may offer clues to the counselor as to the typo of help a student needs. There may be those who would maintain that an Informal interview would have produced the same results* This may be true, but it is the opinion of the writer that this chock list served in some what the same capacity for counselors as does an X-ray for a physician. The interview with the counselor, in this particular case* terved as a "talking cure” ©r emotional catharsis for the evident* The student's previous attempts at self analysis had turned into breeding and worry. The counselor helped him to see hie problems in relation to his environment as a whole and to his lifelong experien ces* The student began to see the problems from an objective stand point, stripped of their strong emotions* Pefi<e decisions and needed actions were pointed out to him* As the student made one decision after another daring subsequent visits to the counselor, a change began to occur in his general composure* He seemed to have found new organisation of thought as well as more definite purposes Is his everyday school experiences* The final phase of th is study attempts to determine the impact of problems falling in sp e c ific areas of the student* S life upon his total adjustment to college l i f e . This in the subject of the next six chapters* CHm&R VI PHOBMMS OP FCSALfH A&D PHYSICAL MVlLOr-'MW The soluti on to many adjustment difficulties is in m m way related to physical health* The measurement of physical health should he le ft largely to a physician* hut the counselor should secure some indication as to the health status of the individual* If sericms prob- less involving health arc evident, the student *s health record should he secured* Xf the student has not secured medical attention he should he referred to the clinic with a request for examination, b'ith this report the counselor can then make intelligent recommendations from an overall standpoint* It nay he pointed out that in addition to its importance as & factor in academic success health is of Importance in the area of social adjustment. Social contacts are a drain upon the physical resources. A person who has heen ill for a considerable period of time may tend to withdraw from contacts with others because of this strain upon his avail able energy* 1 1 1 health may also produce timidness, Irritability, or other states which are not conducive to good social adjustment. The importance of physical stature must not be minimised in this area* A student who possesses some characteristic which differs markedly from that of the average person may develop feelings of timidity in deal ing with people* A boy who is overly thin and lanky or a girl who is heavy for her height •usually becomes quite conscious of their distinc tion. The girl with an unusual skin texture may come to feel that every one stares at her. As the youngster becomes well adjusted, he learns to 123 124 ignore these peculiarities. He finds acceptance by various groups and achieve* a sense o f belonging© ss. However, the gap he tween these phy* stea l conditions and poor mental health is an extremely narrow one* Consequently, when a student indicates that these problems are of «soa» oern to him, the counselor must not ignore them* In ©very case they are caution signs* fab le XVIII indicate* the health adjustment of **8 females and 72 oalee* I f the first three areas of health adjustment are combined and treated as satisfactory adjustment, one finds that 66*7 per cent of the females and 73*0 o f the male* scored in th is area on the Adjustment Inven to ry * In lik e nanner a combination of the unsatisf actory and very uns a tis - factory areas Indicated that 33.3 per cent of the women and 25*0 per cent of the men had poor health adjustment scores. TABLE XVIII HEALTH ADJUSTS? OF STUDENTS RKPORTIM FOB. CRJIDAJ-1CK, 1940-41 S sc ellen t Good Average Unsatisfactory Very Ungatlafactory Male Number 2 11 41 13 5 Per cent 2,8 15-3 56* 9 18.1 6.9 female Humber 2 7 23 9 7 Per cent 4.2 Ik* 6 *+7.9 18.7 14*6 Total Humber 4 18 6k 22 12 Per cent 3*4 15*0 53.3 IS. 3 10*0 The i»5 m n who reported for guidance during the school year I9l^ ^ 5 indicated that 120 problem* in the area of physical health were of sigai- finance to them* This i s an ear©rage of 2.7 problems ">®r male student as compared with an svcra ge of 3.2 problem* for the 106 women who sought help during th is same p erio d . The problem checked by the greatest number of men was not enough sleep . Of the to ta l male group 26.9 pd* ©eat checked th is problem a* compared w ith h i. 5 per cent of the women. Eleven problems were Indicated by acre then 10 per cent of both men and women* However, these problems varied between the two groups as may be observed in Table XIX* The effect of physical features upon social adjustment has been previously dealt with. One factor of prime importance not mentioned con cerns the relationship of organic factors to efficiency. Industry has made exhaustive studies of the effect of rest, relaxation, and sleep upon the efficiency of workers, but educational authorities have not paid too much attention to these factor*. A number of studies have arrived at the conclusion that the amount of time spent on study has little relation ship to academic achievement. The important factor in study appears to be quality of study habits. The average student who allows studies to out into needed time for sleep continually reduces his powers of concentration and e ffic ie n c y . The counselor has a difficult job in making a decision as to whether a student has a physical health problem or whether it ia more of an emo tional one condng within the realm of mental health. On© student indicated that he was bothered by the following things 1 tiring very easily, being underweight, not enough sleep, poor complexion, not very attractive 126 TABLE XIX PBOBLBMS OP HEALTH MX) PHYSICAL miTELOPM* i W h - W 19M-47 Problem >*ales ...... fem ales ...... Aflale* ...... females Num Per Num Per Num Per Num Per ber cent ber cent ber cent ber cent Hot enough sleep 13 28,9 ifrfy b l.5 2b 20.9 38 b3,7 Tiring very e a s ily 11 2b-, 0 27 25*5 22 19*1 33 37-9 Being underweight 10 22,0 lb 13.2 19 16.5 15 17.2 frequent colds 9 20.0 lb 13.2 11 9*6 7 8.0 Weak eyes 8 17.8 22 20.8 19 16.5 13 14.9 Hot as robust as I should be 6 13*3 lb 13.? 12 lo .b b 4.5 Hot enough exer c ise 5 11.1 18 17.0 20 I7*b 13 14.9 Poor teeth 8 17*8 7 6.6 7 6*1 6 6.9 Hot very attrac tive physically 6 13*3 10 9-b 10 8,7 13 14.9 Hose or sinus trouble 6 13*3 10 9.b 9 7*8 10 11.3 Physical handicap 5 11.1 5 b.? b 3*5 2 2.3 Poor complexion b 8.9 23 21.7 9 7*8 10 11.5 Being overweight b 8.9 2.2 20.8 9 7.8 lb 16.1 Poor posture 3 6.7 16 15.1 1 *9 9 10.3 physically, nose or sinus trouble, and poor teeth. In the space provided for additional comments he wrote '’uninterested in anything.” The student*s own summary of his troubles Is a© followss WI don*t feel the same as I *ve always felt before. I feel tired most of the time and am bored with most of the tilings I come in contact with. I have to force myself to give some signs of outward emotions such as interest in other ueoule1© enthusiasm. I feel that I *m not getting anything accom plished, so I might as well not waste my time, my professor*® time, and my money. It is for this reason that I dislike college and want to leave. 12? I feel that I would just like to sit back and watch the world go by with no comments. 1 have begraa to lo se a ll the in&gnetic personality I ever bad. I force myself to be friendly and interested In other oecple. Would like to gain weight, also*” fhis student graduated from Byrd High with the rank of 99th in a class of **00. His entrance test scores were above average. Hi® aver- age for the first year at L.S.U. was a 1*7* His father was an oil broker professionally trained as a lawyer. His mother bad completed two years of college and a business course. One of his sisters graduated from college and the other sister married after completing two years of college work. He had been very active in numerous sports in high school. In addition he pearticipated in a number of Little -’heater ploys. His edu cational training also included a business course and five years of study o f music and v o ice. Prior to attending the University he had served as a page for one session of the Louisiana Legislature* He worked one summer as a file clerk in the Caddo Court House and the next summer as a mail clerk* In short there were no significant factors in the student1® record that pointed toward serious health or personality *rcblem». There was some slig h t indication of family pressure on the student toward a law course, whereas he seemed to be in clin ed toward a th eatrical or musical career. Heaton and VTheedon give a case history of a student with a some what sim ilar health background to th is student. Dick was a student of superior a b ility whose achievement and in terest did not measure up to his 126 ability. During Dick1s first year at collage lie reported at regular intervals to th© infirmary for treatment for sore throat, colds, under- weight* etc* The school doctors saw little significance in hie repeated visits. but a letter from a consulting psychologist at th© college to his family doctor "brought forth the following information* HDisk is a very difficult case. The primary factor In his present condition goes hack to a childhood of in security due to a family difficulty. I do not "believe he he has a definite constitutional disorder. At the present he is living in constant fear. This "burns carV hydrate faster than he is able to metabolise it* Conse quently, his attention span is exceedingly short. Sis physical endurance is less than normal, and he is con stantly tired. His ability to produce cannot he expected to he normal.5* The sudden development of chronic fatigue, lack of interest, and lethargy in the case of H.S.B. strongly su gested the need of expert medical attention in the area of physical or mental health. Some students as a result of serious Illnesses or physical disa b i l i t i e s axe unable to measure up to their c a p a b ilitie s. B.B. states* "Due to an early illness which has continued through th© years, X find that I am retarded in beginning ay life*s education and work.B There ia little that t'e counselor can do in a case of this type. His most useful role is that of the patient listener who allows the student to talk through an emotional catharsis* By this method he may show the individual that the most Important thing is to make an effort not to allow hi? rior physical trouble to continue to give him mental anguish* *K* Heaton and V. V©e&mi f pit., p. 153. 129 A comment "by another la a lighter vein 1st ttI worry about my appendix at times when 1 don’1 feel so good.w The following comments give some idea as to the V ariety o f prob lems and their significances “I *m always "bothered by difficulty In breathing because of nose trouble, ** "Due to poor hearing, I fear this handicap in college competi tio n . * K1 wish I were taller, thinner» and prettier. All nay wants are really necessary "because 1 know 1 shall never he happy unless most of them are answered; the only way they will be answered is that I have to settle down and stop worrying about iry troubles. H "Being mderweight has caused me not to have the energy that 1 would have if I weighed more. Without energy I feel tired most of the time due to studying hard end walking. Because of poor health X sun often ill* this may he due to too much rushing to get to class.w "I’m very small, and am afraid It is a handicap to my being a success in Physical Ud. I also have symptoms of asthma and am afraid too that that will also handicap ay success.“ "I’m always tired. I have plenty of time in which to do things* but I never feel quit© up to it .M Th© health problems of a student may not be the most Important factor in his adjustment to college life? but when added to other prob lems* the health problem may serve as the determining factor in an indi vidual case. D* G* entered the University without much enthusiasm, because he was more interested in getting a job. He played an instrument in the band; consequently, he decided to major in music* After it became 130 evident to him that h® was In the wrong field* he changed to commerce• K© had a number of problems falling within the area of health and physical development, hut the most serious problems In his case fell within the area of mental health- He was extremely moody and self- conscious. There were indications, however, that after he changed to commerce that he was beginning to resolve Ms personal problems. At th is point he became i l l from influenza which developed into pneumonia. His prolonged illness made it necessary for Mm to resign from school. He came back the next semester, bat he was extremely weak and. displayed a cos^lete lack of interest in school. It® completed the semester's work but planned not to return to college, Prom a numerical standpoint health and physical problems were not as sig n ific a n t as problems in other areas- However, as may be seen in the preceding case reports ..the health problem may be the determining fac tor ir the adjustment of the individual concerned* CHAPTER VII HOME j m FAMILY PROBLEMS Daring the first years of childhood a youngster Is forced to abide by a varying number of moral roles or norma of conduct because ho la under the grip of external authority, When he Is not In the presence of this authority he may ignore the do m t and follow h is own vishes because the normshave not been interior!zed or accepted by him as h is own r u le s.* As the child grows older and experiences more group activities he comes to accept rules as & necessary part of human''l^latlbnships. Sherlf quotes Piaget who states9 From the moment that children really begin to submit to rules and to apply them in a spirit of genuine coopera tion, they acquire a new conception of these rules* Hence forward, he w ill not only discover the boundaries that separate his eelf from the other person, but will learn to understand the other person, and be understood by him,2 The individual who doss not accept the group norms as hie own and fails to develop a sense of belongingness to the group regards norms Imposed on him as nuisances to be avoided* M. Sherlf, 52* clt. , p. 258* h m - ' p. 258, as quoted from; J. Piaget, ’Ihe Moral Judgment o f the C hild. London: Vegan and Paul, 1932, pp, 89-90. 131 132 In adapting to external reality the child has to distinguish hetwen himself and external things* As he faces external reality his ego begins to fora. By ego Is meant a genetic formation consisting of attitudes formed In relation to objects, persons, groups, institutions, ete»3 xn giving the general significance of ego involvements for the . individual Sherlf stateei This complex formation revolving around, the rl* notion becomes a very important part of the whole psychological makeup of the adult. The values form no small part in its constitutions and it determines goals to bo attained, and regulates to a large extent our likes and dislikes in the social sphere;^ Thus ago involvement may bo an important factor in learning, Judgment, perception, memory, thinking, etc. There i s namerous evidence to support the contention that many problems which individuals face as adults cannot be solved effectively because of the influence of background experiences of the individual. Kimball Young states: Many children of better than average intellectual ability fall to assume positions of ascendance because they have failed to learn how to manage their available energy along socially and personally efficient lines. Such failure to control energy outgo is doubtless both constitutionally and socially determined, but the evi- donee from studies of personality, especially by the psychiatrists and psychoanalysts, seems to Indicate that personal-social and cultural conditioning has a great 3 Ibid,, P. 251. \b l& . . p. 267. 133 deal to do with this matter, for instance* the child who is constantly Involved In mental-emotional conflicts with in himself* bothered by worry, fear, and competing implttses or motives* appears incapable of mobilising his energies effectively*^ Emotional development is undoubtedly closely associated with social and cultural conditioning. It is also closely tied in to rapid physical growth which occurs during the adolescent period, Ilmball Young cites four important aspects of personal growth in late adoles cence which are "5f particular significance for the present study. These are: (l) emancipation from the home and arrival at freedom and independence of choice, (2) arrival at heterosexuality, (3) development of a consequent sense of responsibility for one*s acts, and (4) the 6 emergence of mature self-control. The failure of an adolescent to achieve emancipation from the parental ties is usually followed to some extent by failure in the other three areas. The child who is dominated throughout the adolescent period by an overly protective mother may retain childish attitudes. As early as 1926, 7. X. Williams realized the consequences that might arise from teaching unhealthy ideals concerning sex to the adoles cent. Ha states: A boy is tan^ht, in the first place, that matters of sex are degrading, wrong and sinful (at least for him and probably a little bit for everybody), but this teach ing being not altogether successful, wo further try to ^Kimball Young, p it , , p. 382, 6m& - EP. 410-411. 134 •protect* Mai by creating in him an a ttitu d e towards women that we think w ill make him safe. We teach him that in Ms consideration of women he m et keep in mind h is mother and s is te r : that he moot not say or think or act in any way with another woman that he would not say* think, or act with his mother or sister, or want them to know about* Shoes are frightfully un healthy ideas. Nobody knows as does the psychiatrist how devastating damage has boon to thousands of m m and women through this utterly false ideal.7 ffce adolescent must learn to assume the responsibility which should go with his independence and with Ms growing interest in the other sex. If the youngster avoids the assumption of a moral role or retreats to the parent in the face of each crisis, he will fall to develop Ms powers of discrimination and choice. His early pattern of development in this respect undoubtedly has a direct relationship to the quality of habits and attitudes which he brings to play in later adjustment* Kimball Young sums up the problem as follows! If we consider the first fov years as basic In the formulation of habits, attitudes, and ideas as they relate to role and status in various groups and as they relate to the conception of the self which one has, we must also recognise that the years of puberty and adolescence con stitute a second most significant period of one1s life in predetermining what one w ill do thereafter.® fhe actual Impact which the home relationship may have on the college student is shown by Newcomb in a study of students at Bennington ^P* 33, Williams, Concerning Parents. New York: Hew Republic Publishing Co., 1926, pp. 153-54. 8 Kimball Yeung, cl,t *. p. ^27* 135 College* He state*? bhht toco* most clearly to distinguish the** who were sad thus® who were not susceptible to the community influence* thus appears to he the kinds of adjustments, already pretty veil **t on coming to college, la two vital areas, vis., toward parents and toward peers* Shese who are capable of considerable independence from parents find no groat obstacle in the fact that dominant attitudes at college differ from those of parents* ®hose who are particularly ripe for parental emancipation find in s o c ia l a ttitu d e s a ready symbol* Ovordependence upon parents prevents attitude change in two sorts of ways, f o r s o b s , conflict between home and college standards is simply Intolerable; to embrace the latter would be an act of excessive disloyalty* l*or others the tie is so absorbing that the college Influence* are scarcely felt; hence there is no conflict*? Many individuals feel that personal problems of students are not subject to treatment after the student reaches college because th© student*s habits are too fixed for Mm to make the necessary changes in living and thinking* On the other hand some people do not realise how effective the home can be in determining the mode of living said thinking of children and how much easier it is to change patterns of living and thinking at earlier times than when the student Is first separated from the home and is able to follow th© adolescent1 s Urge for independence. nevertheless, problems of home adjustment arc sub ject to guidance after entrance to college. In some cases the family serves as a source of constant reinfection. A new environment coupled with wise and sympathetic guidance may result in the individual's obtain ing a new outlook on life, new attitudes toward his school work, and better social adjustment* 9T. M. Hsvconl), ggjMwaetllta- J&&. ifiSisA Steaag,. Hew ?orki Dryden Press, 19^3. P- 156. 136 It is thus evident that home and fatally relationships play m important role In the type ©f adjustment which an iadlvi&ttal makSMLto. til© college community, The problem now becomes ©me of obtaining indi cations as to whether th© home adjustment of Louisiana State University students who sought guidance was satisfactory or unsatisfactory. During t)i© school year 1940-41, 48 females and 7 2 stales were given the Bell Adjustment Inventory, This test has a scale on hone ad justment. Individuals scoring high tend to he unsatisfactorily adjusted to their home surroundings whereas those making lew scores possess satisfactory home adjustment. Table XX presents a breakdown for the males, females* and total group according to the type of adjustment. Only 4.2 per cent of th© males made a score which placed them in th© excellent category as compared TABLE XX HOME ABjUSTWKJIT Very E x cellent Good Average Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory ?£*&& Shmber 7 8 10 13 10 Per cent 14.6 16.7 20.8 27.1 20.8 Male Somber 3 17 24 18 10 P er eent 4 .2 23.6 33-3 25.0 13.9 f e ta l Somber 10 25 34 31 20 P er cent 8.3 20.8 28.3 25.9 16.7 to 14.6 pe? cent of the women, However, the maloo excelled in the good and average categories, If the three categories - excellent, good, and average adjustment - are treated ae one group, 52#X per cent of the women fell el thin this group as compared to 6 l.l per cent of the men* ta m in g to the categories of unsatisfactory and very unsatisfac tory adjustment one fin d s a slight difference he tween seres for the first category hut a much wider discrepancy in the second category. If the two areas indicating peer adjustment are treated as one, 47.9 per cent o f the m u m were 9 0 characterised as compared to 38.9 per cent of the men, .Regardless of the variation between sexes it is important to note that 42*6 per cent of the individuals who sought guidance were i l l adjusted in their heme situation* Case 337 was a sealer woman of 21 years of age who had graduated from high sehoel a t the age of 17 with the rank of fifth In a class of 48. In describing her general makeup she indicated that she was anxious, ia peer health, nervous, unhappy, and underwent frequent periods of gloom or depression. In the interview she stated that at one time she was afraid o f her father. She wondered if this was the reason for her present "nervousness." This "nervousness" She described at an unsteadi ness of the hands, etc. She also talked about what she called her in d if ference and said that her roommates and boy friends criticised her for being indifferent to everything. She was receiving regular injections of theelln and a tonic which her physician had prescribed for her nerves. The counselor concluded that her family difficulties had played an 138 important part initially la her trouble, but that It bad been accent uated aa a consequence of her growing Interest la box personality, frequent sessions of natural criticism by roommates* and the physiologi- oal involvement la box case* A goodly number of the students who made poor home adjustment scores were involved in conflicts with their parents concerning their college major* S till others did not wish to attend school but were more or less forced to by their parents* The following case is an examplet Case 26fc was not interested in going to college upon gradua- tion from high school, After one semester he decided to resign in order to go into the business field, le planned to study accounting at might* but when he mentioned his plans to the family, his mother began to cry, This upset him and added to his emotional maladjustment* Other in ter ee ting eases include those where the individual failed to achieve maturity prior to entering college* Case 383 was a sophomore in the University although only 17 years of age* His parents end friends made life miserable for him by haranguing Mm about continually associat ing with boys still in high school* The Interview revealed a lack of maturity of Interests coupled with a failure to accept responsibilities* Daring the school years 19*fh-h5 and 1946-^7 the Rooney P rq frl^ Check List was used to determine problems involving home adjustment* The 45 men who took this test during the school year 1944~h5 checked only 63 problems involving home adjustment. "Being criticised by my parents" was indicated as a problem of concern to 15*8 per cent of the male stu dents as compared to 9.^ per cent of the 106 females. On the other hand 139 23-6 per cent of the females felt that ’’parents are sacrificing too ®ich for me* as compared to only 130 P®** sent of the males* ’’Home life unhappy *1 was a problem for 10*4 per cent of the women as contrasted to only 4.4 per cent of the men# Other problems of serious concern to the female students included the following* family quarrels, talking back to my parents, dash of opinions between me and my parents* not telling parents everything, and being treated like a child at home. Only one of these problems was of significance to the stale group, "lot telling parents everything" was of concern to 11.1 per cent of the males, She range of problems vac from 0 to 6. The follow ing excerpts from case histories are given to show the actual influence which homo adjustment problems seemed to have on the student. Case 1236 registered at the University in September, 1943* with commerce as a vocational objective. Later he decided to change to a pre-medical course not be** cause of interest bat to prove to himself that he could do pre-medical verk. Interest tests indicated little interest In medicine and related subjects. The available evidence indicated a lack of maturity plus emotional instability. Under home and family he indicated the following problems* mother, father, family quarrels, parent’s drinking, and being an only child. In summarizing his problems he stated* I worry too much about family troubles. X wish to have friends, to like and be liked by boys, and to be a leader. I need to find my place and purpose in life* to definitely decide upon my l i f e vocation, to become b e tte r educated and more intelligent. I need self-confidence and to have faith in myself, I need to grow up or mature lfco and to have moare interests and lead a more well rounded life* % body needs to be developed physically. 1 need to find out what1© going on and not be the innocent thing that I m * His statement gives some indication as to how early inferior home end social adjustments resulted in the failure to develop a proper self role and an integrated personality. He indicated seventeen problems in the area of social-psychological relations vhich were of serious con sequence for him. These are as follows I being slow in malting friends, no real friends in college, feelings too easily hurt, unpopular, being made fan of, being talked about, being watched by other people, feeling inferior, being left out of things, being regarded as queer, disliking certain persons, being disliked by certain persons, lacking leadership ability, too easily led by other people, failing to get the confidence of people and have no one to tell my troubles to. Closely related to these problems were fifteen others in the area of personal-psychological relations. They include moodiness or having the blues, not doing any thing well, sometimes wishing I ’d never been kora, unhappy too much of the time, worrying about unimportant things, lacking self-confidence, and too many personal problems, following his final interview this student changed his major back to commerce, but he dropped out of school at the end of the next quarter. His overall college average was 1.1. The student had been asked to report to the psychological clinic for psychotherapeutic help, but ho declined to go. This relationship between home adjustment problems an d social and emotional problems was evident in a great many cases. The following quotation i t «a average omit ffe® differences between my parents la a major handicap, necessitating nnneoessary financial difficulties and uncer tainty as to the financial condition of my mother, distract- lag ae from ay work. $h&t I m understood by none has always boon a secret fear. My life Is not natural it seems, being constantly acted. I feel that 1 do not really know myself. Family adjustment problems of the girls are quite similar to those o f the boys. One g irl el ted eleven problems which included home life unhappy, parent's drinking, not getting along with a step-parent, want in g more freedom a t home, and afraid o f someone in the family* She mmeft up her problems by stating! ,fMy step-father who X don't like but idio w ill do anything for me except let me be free* He seems too possessive.* A few o f the eases regarded the Mooney Toot as an opportunity to analyse themselves In terms of their own knowledge of sociological and psychological principles. The following summary is an example! Ifr heme environment, involving a particular factor, my m other, may account for a large proportion of my problems. Family quarrels and financial troubles caused my nervousness, insomnia, poor complexion, and aggressive manner. Improper home diet led to an ©rerwSight condition, poor complexion, nervousness, and tired feeling* Mother undermined my self- confidence by her faultfinding and her under-estimation of my abilities* fh ls lack of confidence plus my poor complex io n and fig u re may be attributed to my lack of leadership qualities and popularity. Also, my tired feeling inhibits my attempts to acquire a pleasing personality by smiling and going out of my way to be nice and taking a sincere interest in others* affairs. Probably all of these factors figure in the reason for my inability to concentrate well and therefore find it hard to study in my living quarters because of interruptions* i m Although claiming unusual insight into her problems this student apparently had not been too successful in solving her problems. The counselor in the final writing stated: With academic aptitude considerably above the average and superior high school preparation Mies *g mediocre college grades suggest incomplete adjustment to university life. She has indicated considerable insight into the causes and although she has not dealt with them successfully thus far, she claims she has determined now to do so. She problem of emancipation from the home troubled large numbers of students. Many students disliked the financial Involvements, but an even larger group disliked the interference of parents in curricula ehoiee and in social affairs. Case 1393 indicated thirteen problems In heme adjustment which ware o f serio u s concern to h e r. The most sig nificant problems seemed to be feeling X don't really have a home, home life unhappy, and wishing X had a better family background. Her state ment i s as follows! My ch ief problem lie s in the fact that my parents consider me a child, unable to make up my mind, and not capable of deciding what 1 should study in college. X have spoken to my father about changing my course; in fa c t, X to ld him a t the end of my first quarter here that X don't enjoy the prospect of becoming a social welfare worker, but X would like to enter the field of music. Without endeavoring to find out whether I were capable, he insisted that I was 'better material for social wel fare work.' One student who had a number of family problems was given the Personality Test. The findings of the test may be summarised as follows: immaturity, some insecurity and anxiety, and insecurity in social relationships. 2>3 1946*47. The average number o f problems involving home adjust* neat checked by males and females In 1946*47 varied little from the average number in 194445 . Pemalea in 194445 checked an average o f twe problems as compared to 1*8 In 19464?* Males in 194445 cheeked an average of 1.4 problems as compared to 1*1 ia 19464?. Range in number of problems for individual females ia 194445 wae from 0 to la am compared to a range from 0 to 9 In 1946-47. Corresponding range# far males vara 0 to 6 and 0 to 8, Tram a group standpoint the problem of most significance to women in the 1946-4? group was "parents sacrificing too much for me," This was indicated as being significant for 17*2 per cent of the group of 87 women. Other problems indicated by more than tan par cent of the women included the following! being criticized by my parents„ sickness in the family# family quarrels* parents expecting too much of me, and being treated like a child at home. The problem of concern to more men in 1946*4? than any other was parents sacrificing tee much for me* The next three problems in order of numerical consequence were family quarrels, not telling parents every* thing,and being treated like a child at horns. In order to give a more general picture of the various cases, the following short excerpts are presented: Case 54 states* ttI'm not too happy at home because my mother and I don't get along too well* Wo like the opposite things, and she expects me to like and want the things she d o e s,0 3M Casa ISB states; "X can1t get close enough to my mother* I would like to he* tut X feel like X just can't talk to her ’[email protected] X don't think she really under stands me* It would help me if X could*" It is of significance to note that both of her parents had Just com pleted grammar school* Furthermore they are Russian Jews. She also indicated that she wished for a better family background* She** factors undoubtedly play »® small part in an explanation of the social distance between the g irl and the mother* Case 163 s ta te s t When Z was about 6 years old s$r mother had her appendlcs out and on the way home from the hospital in a cab, was in an accident which made her go insane, low she Is in Jackson* X haven't seen her since then, and might never see her again* ill the time X worry over her, but can do nothing about it* Case 167 rela tesj X am am only child and this is the first time I have been on my own. I came to college because my parents ex* pee ted it of me, and they expect me to do good, and I'm a fra id I won't* Xfcey are my step-parents and have given me so much that I feel as though X owe them everything X can do. X would bo happy in doing some kind of work like teaching, etc., but to please them X would like to succeed in something more glamorous such as speech* X have always been conscious of doing as they wished * X was going steady and because they thought It was best I gave the boy hie ring back* I'm not particularly sorxy now, but X was then* S till another case with poor home adjustment stated that her parents had forbidden her to date boys, but that she was doing it on the sly* v* $ Thar© wore sev eral oases where there was some in d ic a tio n o f an overly protective attitad© os the part of the fam ily. Most o f th ©so individuals did mot fool that they had home adjustment problems. The reader may maks his own judgment on the basis of the following evidence, Case 180 stated her problems as followsi X an afraid of the dark—some times in my room at night X just imagine things and have to eall Mother. X want to get married in about three or four years. My father has always told me X did not have to work and when X graduate from college X want to rest a year. After that X don* t knew what X want to do the two years before X marry i f X fin d someone X want to m arry,. . . A study of the 1946-4? men with a higher than average number of home adjustment problems revealed very similar findings to those of the women. Case 1823 gave the following explanation for his failure to do college work commensurate with his ability. He states: X suppose I have a tendency to feel sorry for myself and ay situation. My father and mother separated and di vorced when X was nine years o ld . Dad has m arried again and has two children. His wife is selfish and overbearing and has deprived my sister and me of many things which we would have received otherwise. My sister and X lived with my father's aether until X went into the service. At that lias my sister vent to St. Louis, Missouri, to live with Mother until X was discharged. She is now having to stay with my father's second wife which X don't think Is prac tical, Of course, I'm welcome at my Dad's and also at Mother's place. But X want to feel independent of them. I'm just sort of mixed up in general. yew individuals could perform at their highest level of ability while struggling with personal problems of this type. One can readily understand why this student, unable to erase thia problem from his mind or solve the issue in an acceptable manner, resigned from school after one semester. 146 One student stated that he was not ready to settle down to college Ilfs and would like to leave homo for a few months or t m y ears. 51s family did not pexait Mm to leave town, hat a year later he was dropped frost the rolls of the University for poor scholarship, Cass 114 did not indicate an excessive number of problems In the area of hone adjustment, but there were other strong Indications that he had troubles which were serious and which fall to a great extent within this area, When asked his mother* a present occupation he scrawled "keeping agr father happy,** He also indisated that he wanted to study law, b at his father wanted him to enter the family business as an optometrist, Zn h is summary of M s c h ie f problems he gave the follow ing rambl ing account: The fact that I'm in love with a girl and want to marry her in the near future - I know this seems like puppy love, bat only the one in love can tell if he is really in love - I know I'm in love and can't do without this girl, bat my parents think I'm too young and that it's just infatuation, and I know I couldn't get their consent. We are engaged and say we will be married June 27# 1948, but I am always worried, and think about it more and more &s the time gets closer because 1 knew I can't get my parents consent* The girl lives with her grandmother (her mother died and her father re married) and she is her legal guardian and gives her consent because she was In the same situation, They married young and it turned out very happily, X know that marrying this girl will help settle me and help me get down to studying because X have seen that through the time I have been going with her that X have slowly corrected my evils because she wanted me to. In ay opinion if this problem was cleared up, it would open the door to clearing up the rest of them. It is evident that the problem of marriage was of serious con- cera to his, hat a more serious problem was the thought of taldng on the responsibility of marriage without the continued, support of hi® par ou ts. Case lh 6 , a Catholic student of 19 years of age, was the so a of a pipefitter. He was the youngest of a family of nine and was the only child to go beyond the n in th grade in school. Hi a mother had eomple tad the second crude and his father the third grade. He graduated from Warren 3&aton High School with the rank of 20th in a c lass o f 110. He was very anxious to become a teacher and asp ired to continue his education until he received a doctorate. He attended the University for one year prior to entering service and then returned is September, 1946, Although he received the G.I. bill and did net require help from his family he received little sym pathy and encouragement from them. He indicated that he was bothered by family quarrels, his home life was unhappy, he had differences of opinions with hie parents and he was treated like a clillcl at home, Furthermore, he wished that he had a better family background, This latter problem concerned him especially because he felt inhibited in relations with other people, particularly girls. Ho said that he had no dates and had trouble initiating friendships in class, There was a definite tendency to relate his troubles in this area to his family background. The desire to attain his goal apparently dominated because this student graduated with a 2.1 average. However, it is of interest to 148 note that his average for tile sem ester during which he reported for guidance was only 1*3, His average In a l l othor semesters was con siderably above this mark. Problems involving home and family wore not as prevalent among the total group as were problems in o th er areas. However# the previous citations reveal the effect that these problems may have on the total adjustment of the individual. Purthermore, the reader will recall that evidence was given earlier of a relationship between certain family characteristics and the academic adjustment of the individual. The Influence of the family on the individuals adjustment may also be noted.In the areas of social, personal-psychological, and vocational adjustment. CHAPTER VIII PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT Ability to get along with people is a factor of groat signifi* canco in tho life of any individual. Everyone wants to he liked, to Become a men ter of sons group, and to Be selected for positions of leadership. With the adult world eager to have students socially ad justed and with the students themselves striving to Be accepted, it would seem that little difficulty should occur, hut the evidence is otherwise. Worries ahout not Being liked or not Being popular are among those frequently mentioned By college students. Although a person must adjust to many types of groups, the adjust ment that presents the most serious problem at the time of entrance to college is acceptance By fellow students. This Includes Being a member of some congenial group, having a few close friends* and Being liked the opposite sen. If a student feels secure in his social relation ships, he feels free to devote a greater portion of his energy to his studios. If not, he Is apt to Be distracted from hie studies. Although much has Been written concerning the concepts “consciousness of kind,* Hve feeling*' or “esprit do corps,11 their true significance in the proper or improper adjustment of an Individual to his community has hardly Been recognised By educational authorities in g e n eral. 1^9 Difficulty In adjusting to a group may be due to the incompati- b ility between the behavior one hae acquired in Mo development and the behavior and attitudes emphasised by the new group. If this con flic t is the major fee tor and if the individual wants to become a part o f the group and i s secure and stab le em otionally, the change i s net difficult. In time the individual with average Intelligence acquires the social etiquette, the participation skills, and the appearance and manner which are required for conformity to the standards of a particu la r group. Newcomb's study a t Bennington College revealed that a significant change occurred in social attitudes of students between the freshman and senior years in college. 3he change may be described as being from more to le s s conservatism . One student explained her actions as fallows: BIt*s very single. I was se anxious to be accepted that X accepted the political complexion of the community here. X just couldn't stand out 1 against the crowd unless X had many friends and strong support.*' On the other hand Newcomb found groups where the reference groups for public attitudes remained almost exclusively those related to home and fam ily. Sample statem ents such as the following reveal the attitudes of this greupi I t isn't that I 'v e been resisting any pressure to become lib e r a l. The influences here didn't matter enough to resist, I guess. All that's really important that has happened to me occurred outside of college, and so I never became susceptible to college influence s. ^ *T. M. Hswcomb, ££. clfc. « p. 132. 2I'b ld. p. 126. 151 Beweesfc found a number o f cases, however, whore the adjustment waft not as clear eat as in the two cases presented above. Some students had great difficulty in resolving the conflicting situations which faced them* particularly those between standards of the family and the etan~ dardft of school. She off set of this type of conflict may he gleaned from the follow ing comments i Hr conflicts arise from leading two lives just now, one with my family and one at college where people are judged not by the standards of society hut for their "true” worth* where a r t if ic ia lit y la at a minimum. When the two lives create friction, 1 am tense and upset. I cannot argue against a rooted faith of Mother's or Daddy's. I simply hold my tongue and behave In accordance with their wishes if and when a crisis occurs. It's simpler now; 1 don't feel so much like a hypocrite. 1 am merely fol lowing the only course open to me rather than needlessly rebelling. It makes me despondent to have the family unjustly annoyed with me or lose faith In me, through mi sunders landing. I'd give a great deal if within the family there were more complete understanding of aims and difficulties, if we were closer. The world thinks of me aa civic minded, somewhat socially conscious, and as w illin g to do a lo t of d irty work. Z don't object to these as long as they don't obstruct valuable friendships. But at times I'm afraid they do. Personal relationships are absolutely necessary for me,3 fhe evidence at Bennington seems to indicate that attitude chan^ at Bennington depended chiefly upon rather full community participation. This participation in torn depends upon skills which make it possible k as well as upon motives which make it subjectively desirable. m . ? . 103. 4 n it., p. 105. The Bennington study deals with a highly selected group but in some degro© the findings can he related to any so cia l group* Any social group no m&tter bow largo or snail has an organisation defining the roles of the individual member, his attitudes toward persons in the in-group and out-groups* and requires certain conformities in action fron those who belong* All this is determined or regulated by a set of standards or norms of the group* The Individual who strives to maintain more than one reference group msy experience frustration through facin g co n flic tin g norms, The e ffe c t of fru stration w ill depend upon the particular personality structure of the individual, The present study tends to point toward the view that the in d i vidual with a well integrated personality recognises the necessary steps to take in solving hie problems in whatever area they might he, learns the techniques to he used in executing the s teps * and then executes the corrective measures. These viewpoints are correct up to a certain point* hat they have their limitations. How these limitations work is clearly shown by Sherlf who states: Thus it seems that with the functional interre latedness or integration with central ego values the whole person manifests greater consistency in behavior, reveals not specificity in conduct hut generality and and congruence. Perhaps it will not he stretching the the Idea to a breaking point to say that If a ll the values and items (central and peripheral) that go into the psychological makeup of the Individual were posi tively Interrelated to or Integrated with the major ego-attitudes, then we would have a harmoniously inte grated person at peace with himself and consistent In various situations. But as we have seen before* this is not a feat that the individual can achieve by himself even though some exceptional persons com© close to achieving it, at the cost of patting themselves at great odds with their environment* ?©r major ego values are necessarily derived from the reference groups to vfcieh the individual is related in so many capacities. The Identity of our person consists of our being a member of an ethnic group, & social class, a church, a profession, a family, a club, etc. If the values derived from these groups conflict among them selves* we w ill he in conflict within our own ego and In the situations we face in actual life.5 Ia short the personality structure of the individual is of great signifi cance, hut the demands made by the group must also be reckoned with if one is to view problems of individuals in their proper perspective• With reference to social adjustment the Bell Adjustment foyveny torr gives a range of scores from aggressiveness in social contacts to suhaiesiveness. Table XXI Indicates the number and per cent of students falling tinder each category. This test classifies overly aggressive students as those possessing excellent adjustment. Xt must be pointed out that various researchers studying this point have arrived at varied conclusions. Some studies have concluded that underachievers In college gave better adjusted or more extroverted responses to items dealing with so c ia l adjustment than did normal or ©verachievers.^ Other studies fowad that although overachievefe are generally not social extroverts, they are generally described as socially adequate Sherif, op. clt.. pp. 46V465. / W. A. Owens and V. C. Johnston, op,, c ^ t., pp. 41-46. 1 5 4 table xxi SOCIAL A T O M I ! K xcelleat Good Average Unsatisfactory Very Unsatisfactory Halo Humber 9 17 27 13 6 P er s e a t 12,5 23.6 37.5 18.1 8,3 la»3& Bomber 6 13 23 5 1 P er eent 12.5 27.1 4?, 9 10.4 2,1 ISM Humber 15 30 50 18 7 For cen t 12.5 25.0 41.7 15.0 5.8 or socially effective, A general conclusion was that the insecure individual devotee a larger proportion of his time trying to achieve a sense o f belongingness in the groups in which he participates. He also 7 tends to he overly a ssertiv e v i thin the group framework. Table XXI indicates that higher percentages of the males fall In the unsatisfactory and very unsatisfactory categories than do females. After combining the two categories one finds that 26.4 per cent of the males fall in the submissive area as against only 12,5 PQr cent of the fem ales. 7 V, D, Jackson, jjg. c it, , pp. 4 2 2 ~ 4 ? 4 . 155 In testing 69 successful students and 52 failing students, Heaton and Wooden found that 27*5 per coat of the successful students and only 17.3 per cent of the failing students fell in th© average category. Only 2h*6 per cent o f the successful group placed in the categories indicating above average aggression, hut 42.3 per cent of the fa lling group placed in these groups. They concluded that among the failing group were some who had compensated for their feelings of inadequacy and inferiority by becoming aggressive ia social situations.^ fable XXII indicates that 71*4- per cent of those students who seored very unsatisfactory in the area of social adjustment graduated from the University* The group having the smallest per cent of students to graduate was the unsatisfactory group followed closely by the excel len t group* TA3&H XXII m GMST OF STUDENTS BEPORTIHG FOE GUIDANCE Of 19*0*41 WHO GKADUATBD fboh ms u n iv m sity bt akea of social a jo t s m o t H xeelleat Good Average TJnsati sfactory Veay Unsatisfactory f e ta l 1 5 30 50 18 7 Humber graduating 8 21 30 9 5 Per cent graduating 53.3 70*0 60*0 50.0 71*4 Mean psycholo gical score 70.5 5 M 57.0 51.3 67.5 Q Heaton and Weedon, clt.. p. 167, 156 An analysis of point-hour ratios revealed that the group who rated excellent nodal adjustment made the lowest average of any group* Their average of 1*15 does not compare favorably with the averages of 1*50 and 1*63 made by the unsatisfactory and very uaeatis- factory groups, Table XXIII. The groups scoring in the areas of good adjustment and overage adjustment made averages of 1*60 and 1.62, respectively. If one considers the mean psychological scores made by the various groups these latter two groups - good and average ad justment - made the best shoving both from the standpoint of graduation and point-hour ratios, nevertheless* it is evident that Individuals rated as very submissive made a better academic record than those rated as very aggressive. 2m s xxxu POIKT - KKJB fiATIOS OF SOUDMTS WHO MPGEM5 FOE GUIJMOE IE lpiw-hi by a s m of social AartrswET E xcellent Good Average Unsati sf ac tory Very Unsatisfactory Point-hour ratio 1*15 1.60 1.62 1.50 1.63 Mean psycho logical score 70.5 5 M 57.0 51.3 67.5 While the Mooney Problem Check Li at does not give a d e fin ite score it gives one more insight into actual problems of social adjustment than does a test of ascendance-submlssion. 157 45 men who secured counseling service during 1944*45 indi cated 2?1 problems under the area of social adjustment. A total of 778 problems were indicated by the 106 women who reported. The respeo- tire averages for men end women are 6.0 and 7.3 problems. She average for the 115 men who took the test in 1946-47 Is considerably lower being 4.3. For the 87 women the corresponding average is 6.9. It thus appears th at both postwar men and women had less problems than the war time men and women. However* the decrease in problems among the men la considerably greater than the decrease among the women. Sable XXIV reveals that a significant proportion of men and women students In both 1944-45 and 1946-47 were bothered by either a lack of knowledge of social techniques or a lack of facility In using techniques. 39>e greatest Change in problem areas occurred among the men. In 1944-45, 31.1 per cent of the men felt unskilled in conversation* 26.7 per cent felt inferior, 24.4 per cent felt that they were slow in making friends* and 20*0 per cent felt they were bothered by wanting to learn to dance. For these same areas in 1946-4? the corresponding percent ages ares 20.0, 18.3, 10.4, and 10.4. There are strong indications that the men students reporting for guidance during 1944-45 were not adjusted as well socially as were the men reporting for guidance in 1946-47, nevertheless, the point-hour ratio earned by the 1944-45 group of men was 1.70 as compared to 0.98 for the 1946-4? group. Apparently, the 1944-45 group, being more highly motivated toward etudy did not allow their problems to occupy as much of their time, thought, and energy as the 1946-47 group. VAHLX XXIV PROBLEMS 07 SOCIAL AJOTSSMEBT ITOIGATO3 21 15 PER GOT OB MOB38 07 THIS MALE OB007, 19*4-4$ lQh&_k<*/ ¥ 7 1,1 ly » 1946-4? Total Problem Male Female Total Male Fenale f e t a l f Ho. $ Ho* £ Bo* $ Bel 5 Be* Unskilled in conversation 14 31.1 30 28.3 44 29.1 23 20.0 a 24.1 44 21.8 88 24.9 Feeling inferior 12 26.7 32 30.2 44 29*1 21 1S.3 29 33*3 50 24.8 94 26.6 Being slow in ask ing friends 11 24.4 12 11.3 23 15.2 12 10.4 14 16.1 26 12.9 49 13*9 Hot enough tia s for recreation 10 22.2 14 13.2 24 15.9 IS 15-7 2$ 26.4 41 20.3 65 18.4 Being ill at ease at social affairs 10 22.2 31 29.2 41 27.2 24 20.9 20 23*0 44 21.8 85 24.1 In too few student a c tiv itie s 9 20*0 24 22.6 33 21.9 24 20.9 17 19*5 41 20.3 74 21.0 Shyness 9 20.0 23 21.7 32 21.2 21 18.3 21 24.1 42 20.8 74 21.0 Slow in getting ac quainted with people 9 20.0 11 10.4 20 13.2 9 7.8 15 17.2 24 11.9 44 12*5 Wanting to learn how to dance 9 20.0 7 6 .6 16 10.6 12 10.4 8 9 .2 20 9 .9 36 10.2 Awkward in meeting people 8 17.8 13 12.3 21 13*9 14 12.2 6 6 .9 20 9*9 41 11.6 Too l i t t l e chance to i i what I want to do 8 17.8 12 11.3 20 13.2 10 8 .7 14 16.1 2k 11.9 44 12*5 Awkward in making 7 15.8 3 2.8 10 6 .6 16 13*9 6 6 .9 22 10.9 32 9*1 Lacking leadership a b ility 7 15*6 19 17.9 26 17.2 14 12.2 12 13.8 2S 12.9 52 14.7 1 5 9 Since Table X3CIT is bas<&d upon problem® indicated V fifteen per cent or more of the mem ia 194445* there were other problems not shewn which were of eeneern to a significant acuaber of women* The problems end percentage of women bothered by then la 1944*45 and 1946*4? are as follows* -infctt. re»^l«aa r«a»le» Wanting a more pleasing personality 39.6 <(0.2 Feelings too easily hart 35.8 I6.5 See little chance to read what X lihe 32.1 26.4 Disliking certain people 23.6 31.0 fee little social life 19,8 12.6 foe little chance to listen to radio 19.8 18.4 foe little chance to enjoy art or music 17.9 16,5 Being Jealous 17.9 19.5 Boo easily led by other people 17.9 26.4 Tee little tine for sports 16.0 29.9 Dnsur© of my social etiquette 16.0 6.9 getting into arguments 15.1 8.0 Most of these problems are of the type which would affect greater natters of women than sea* for example few men would worry unduly about not h a tin g tin e to listen to the radio or enjoy art or mclc. On the other hand a larger number of women feel that such things add to & well rounded personality. These problems indicate a tendency for females to place nore emphasis upon certain cultural values than do men* Pew that one has a general idea as to the statistical significance of particular problems in the area of social adjustment, the next step is one of studying the case history of Individuals who indicated more than an average number of problems in an effort to determine if there ace X6g indications within the individual's life Met o t y to Show the effect of the problem# upon the individual. Case 1686 eater©d the University in rebraary* 19h6, at the age of 22* Bo tli parent# were living at Gefc&ale, Louisiana ia Alloa Parish* Mo father was unemployed while Me mother was employed as a flBm< The fattier had finished high school add the mother nursing school. Bo had ah older brother who had completed the 9 th grade in school asd was employed as & fireman* Bis younger slater had attended college for one year following which she enrolled in a business college. Hie rank ia Me graduating class was unknown* following gradua tion he took a business course for four months, After finishing the coarse he worked in a clerical position under federal civil service for eight months, Then he entered the U, 8 . Navy where he served for three years. Upon Ms release from service he went to work under state civil service for a short period* His salary was only $125 P©* month. Be decided that Ms best course was to enroll in the University with Pre law as a major. Ms placement test scores were as follows * Psychological Test - 58 th percentiles English - 93 1 Beading - 71* Be stated that Ms primary reason for coming to the University was to prepare for a vocation* When asked what he would litas to be doing 10 o r 15 years from the present date he stated! “settled in a well-paying profession. X don't know which one, u x X* describing M s general makeup he need the following terms* bashful, reserved, submissive, nervous, easily exhausted, frequent periods ef glee* or depression* Prior to coming to the Bureau his scholastic average was 0*75* She JMifiS BjggEseSBSI indicated high interests in the musical fUM aad U taw y field. Bw ffJamg TmfoW fl .M S In d icated high interests in m sie and amther^jettrsallst* H is sta ted preference was Jsnxnslisn because of an interest in literature. He had decided against law shortly after enrolling in the University* Sis seers on the Stady-HaMta Inventory was a minus 27. The Problem Check List revealed more significant results, He underlined Mas problem* in the area of social-psychological relations and nine ia the area of personal-psychological relations, tinder hath these smbb he also circled ssrtain problem* indicating that they were of speelal significance. These problems were as follows* (l) being ill a t ease at serial affairs, ( 2) awkward in meeting people, ( 3) unskilled la conversation, (4 ) shyness, (5) too self-centered, ( 6) sometime wishing 1*4 never bees bora and ( 7) can't make up ay mind about things, la summarising h is ch ief problems he statsdt Z am ouch too timid to mix with social groups* X would litas to be a good conversationalist, bat am hindered by net having a rounded knowledge of subjects more dis cussed in groups at social gatherings, My self centered- ness has kept ms from having a good personality. When I was in grammar and high school I had few outside interests, m y chief interest being In music. X began taking piano in high school, but studied only three years, and now can play only slightly, by ear, X feel that if X had one ta le n t in which X was w ell s k ille d X would be a much more interesting personality. This individual had decided to attend th© University five years after graduating from hi$i school. His brother had only completed the ^th grade and his sister had abandoned college training after one year. His salary of $125 psr month in the inflationary period during 19^6 undoubtedly played & prominent role in his final decision to enroll i n school* Ones he had entered the University he experienced feelings of doubt as to his ability* These doubts were confirmed when he failed to make a C average his first two semesters* Following this period he came to the Bureau for help* His description of his general makeup coupled with the problems that were causing him trouble indicated that his basic problem was a matter of social adjustment. Ho failed to make friends readily and consequently experleneed periods of depression and unhappiness* This feeling of insecurity in social relationships undoubtedly affected his school work. As previously stated most individuals want to be liked* to become a member of some group* and to be selected for positions of leadership* While a student must adjust to many types of groups* the adjustment that presents the most problems at the time of entering college is acceptance by fellow students* Undoubtedly Case 1686 lacked this feeling of acceptance by the group* He stressed the fact that if he possessed skill in one area he might enjoy group participation* This strong feeling certainly must have pervaded the academic side of his life as well as the social* 1 6 3 Hi9 basic difficulties wi*« painted ant to bln. Following the discussion with the counselor the student decided to take courses in which he was particularly interested in Arts and Sciences. Hie grades reae from a 0*75 to a 1*5 average the following semester. His over a ll average upon graduation was a 1*5* Hot only did he apparently solve his problems in the area of social adjustment* he also developed a stronger interest in education* following his re c e ip t of a B.A. degree in Arte and Sciences in August, 19**9, he enrolled in the graduate seheel to work toward a higher degree. Case 1680 entered L.S.U. in September, 19^. His home was in lake Charles, Louisiana. He graduated from high school at the age of 16 ranking 5 2 ad in a c la s s of 9^. He placed in the 86th percentile •* Oa A&St Purchaloglcal T„$. 4 9 th on the Purdue Placement Teat jyg and 85th on the Iowa Silent Reading Test. He hod two younger brothers who were attending elementary school. His mother and father were both living, end his father was employed as a chief clerk for Shell O il Company. Hie mother had com pleted high school while the father had attended business college for one year* Prior to coming to the Bureau this student had maintained a 1*7 average for three qoarters of school, following the three quarters of work his schooling had been Interrupted for one year during which time he served in the United States Havy. Upon reentering school he came d ire c tly to the Bureau fo r a id . The clue as to why ho came was given by him la answer to a question concerning what else he might tell 4 14 © 8 £ U s © 1 a I & $ t © © © «H§ t t art 5 « +> * ** © 4» % «$ fe 3 * 43 5 f § r4 I 0 g I M § * 2 I © I M I i 4> 4» * I *4 r~i « «*< % 44 4> 4 -g •H3 £ 0 0 i 43 g 0 m 0 M *■4 S I I 8 e s $ * I f f l * g 1 1 8 5 i * © i I 5 . 1 b* * i - S •© 8 If & <♦» 4* Vf r45 ft S 1© 8 m ! \ M £ 44§ i 4 H 4» ! * i 4» J “ 4 ** e w fa +3 I I © « | i t a if ter attending L.S.U. for one semester he joined the Navy for m m year, bat upon M e return he found the situation basically un changed. following the counseling period this student maintained a 1.6 average for the reaalader of his college career and received a B.S. degree in Cheadoal Engineering in August, 19*$, Case 3 indicated 1 3 problems of social adjustment which wore of concern to her. All of the® dealt with her inability to make friend* and to function properly In a group relationship. She summed her position up by saylngt "My chief problem is in making true friends and being liked and respected by them. X am also sometimes ill at ease at social affairs and have trouble making conversation." In some eases it i s quite difficult to separate problems of social adjustment from emotional problems, A problem involving social adjustment may become an emotional one as a consequence of the mental s ta te of the in d iv id u al. Case 1279 graduated from Baton Rouge High School with the rank of 25th i* & class of 3^9 graduates, She was a talented writer and singer. Her high school career was literally filled with so cia l activities. 166 Hear test scores upon entrance at X**S*tT* were high. She placed la the 70th percentile ea the Psychological Tgst and in the Slat percentile on the Purdue English Teat. During her first two quarters of school she maintained a 3 average* Xnepite of these favorable indications of adjustment M.K. was handicapped by & b asic lack o f self-confidence which tended to cheek motivational factors* sake social adjustment In college difficult* and produced undue vocational indecision* In characterising her general makeup she used th© following descriptive terasi friendly* stubborn, capable* impetuous* pessimistic, reserved* talented, quick- tapered, conical, conscientious, excited, irritable, anxious, unhappy, and frequent periods of gloom or depression. She also made the fol lowing statement! HZ sees to fear competition, and don't want to go into anything that I cannot excel ln«H 9ho indicated sixteen problems involving social adjustment and fifteen emotional problems on the Mooney Problem Chock Xiat. She gnwnwd up her troubles as follows: first of all* X'a not interested in any particular thing. I go to college because I vent a general educa tion, but Z feel as if I'm being cheated out a full •eollsge life 9 by the war. In other words, Z think it's hoB-drum* dull and uninteresting. I still want my degree, however. My love-life particularly disturbs me because I have created an 'ideal husband* in my mind, and X fear Z sh a ll never find him, Then, too* Z have had a big upset with a boy whom 2 thought to be just like me, and in wham X pictured my ideal. We broke up over a very unimportant detail. U7 l*n unhappy at college because X fe e l I do not have «aou^ mousy to keep up with my girl friends, Tot th is reason, 1 fool as if X am ignored toy a social class with whom I bat« always wanted to associate* Someone should try to knock some practical sense into my head, X think - or to shatter some of my craay ideas* X might add that X have no ambition toward any thing now, t a t that X have possessed a great amount of it in the p a s t, in additional statement toy this individual is given to indicate hew a particular test serves as an emotional catharsis to some extent for the individual* Vhen asked if she enjoyed taking the test this student answered yes* She also stated that she considered it very worthwhile. In explaining why she considered It worthwhile she stated! "X f e e l as i f 1 have dropped a great deal o ff my mind in w riting sty problems - X hope to a person who w ill straighten me out vocationally sad mentally. I t has aided even me in determining my various troubles and shortcomings* X am eoavlmeed X need mere thought on the subject,H tts ils V comments were made by a considerable number of oases. There is evidence that this student had achieved better than average social adjustment, but insplts of this apparent adjustment, the student s t i l l folt relatively unadjusted* Sherif gives an explanation for such thinking and behavior. He sta tes! Our success or failure In a given task or situation I s n et attainment as measured objectively, but attainment relative to the goal set by us at the time; and it is ex perienced as gratification or frustration of our sense of 168 personal worth* Hie Involvement of the ego level con sequently Influences the goals of performance set by ourselves In concrete situations* If we do not wish to hurt ourselves by falling below our set goals, or aspirations, one way to protect ourselves is to play safe and set then low*™ Sis explanation i s a lso o f significance la an understanding of variation he tween heh&vier of individual* she face problem situations* Bio indi vidual who has built up strong expectations exhibits a different reac tion to frustration than does the individual who has no ego involvement* Shore is seemingly a tendency on the part of many individuals to t ssono extremely ego involved in problems dealing with social adjust- Sherif, jg* clt. , p* 279* 1 0 On Hay 11, 1950, a 25 year old blonde woman calmly ignored the P leas of hundreds of people and jumped to her death from the seventh fleer of the Grant building in Pittsburg* An attorney who was nearest her when She jtenped quoted her as repeatedly saying that she didn’t have shy friends* When the people near her shouted that they were her fr ie n d s, she stated that She didn 1 t want any friends* Probably many individuals would doubt that the reason she gave was the underlying sense of her actions. Many individuals feel that anyone can make frie n d s i f he will just get in the yight group* She rl^ht group in a ssy eases would be the wrong one for the individual* Undoubtedly, this young lady could have developed friendship through a number of channels* Tot the channels available to her may net have satisfied her expectations* 3ach individual desires particular friends from particular groups* Perhaps sense social Incident which might seem tytvial to an outside observer, after brooding and worrying on her part, grew in magnitude until it resulted in a state of anomie*11' « "Crowds See Cirl in Death Plunge," Tlmeg-^icavune. Louisiana Edition, Ho* 110, Hew Orleans, Louisiana, May 1*K 1950, p* 16, 169 A person has suffered humiliation or experienced an unsatis factory social relationship may become so ego involved as to allow emotional feelings built up &e a consequence to dominate not only actions in that immediate area tat in all areas* It may be compared to an ea^sye* who experiences an unpleasant episode with his employer. The eapleyee may gradually come to interpret every act of the employer as being directed against him. He may actually resign hie job as a con sequence of this type of thought* The main point is that any action* as matter hew small it may appear to others, stay through strong emotional involvements within the individual come to dominate his behavior* A point Which appeared to be significant to the writer concerns a contradiction in the students* descriptions of their problems and their actions, for example, a significant number of students Indicated th a t they su ffe re d from fe e lin g s o f in f e r io r ity , were awkward in meeting people, were Shy, and were ill at ease in conversations and in social affairs, la spite of these and many other indications of social malad- jastmeat the students were overly expressive In their interviews, and la their statements shore they were asked to write answers to specific questions they gave leag detailed answers. Furthermore, their state ments sad the interview had grave significance for the student* Some of the comments are as follows! "I think that it will prove to be helpful in solving some of my problems. This Is the first tisie I have expressed my feelings fully aad it seems wonderful to get it off my mind." m "It helped me to p it down in writing or to tell someone prob* leme which I»d never been able to express before - no matter how t r i v i a l t h e y are*" "I fe e l th a t I w ill fin d someone who w ill h elp me solve my problems. It make# me feel secure." "Maybe new my problems might be helped to be solved fo r me, v h ie h I certainly hope." "Gave me & certain satisfaction * feeling; as if l*d just gotten a lead eff my chest. I’d like to talk ever things 1116s this with older persons, but doubt if 1 would fe e l fre e to do so u n le ss I knew the person or unless be (or she) was extremely tactful and understanding," *2 was very much surprised that so many questions were asked which ‘h it the nail on the head.* Would like help very much." "I think I just enjoyed getting an honest opinion off ray chest," "1 f e e l lik e someone understands my problems now*" The primary question remains: "Why did students who were ordinarily shy and who found it difficult to make friends become so o p e n ly overt in their counseling sessions?" The answer gradually came forth with intensive study of the cases* Among the cases were students who found it difficult to font strong friendships, particularly to the point whore friends might discuss their serious problems with one another* Consequently, many o f them had a tendency to k eep th e ir p er * sonal problems to themselves* Ihelr inability to resolve the issues coupled with introspective thinking loft them with continual worries. m 11 Bence they arrived at a state of anxiety or anomie* 2fc© opportunity to talk over their problems with an adult person who seemed friendly and whom they dereloped respect for after a few Interviews resulted in their netting themselves go.H Oetrogorski gives a partial explanation of this phenomenon. Be stalest She American liv e s morally in the vagueness of space; he i s , as i t were, sdspended In air, he has no fixed groom.** Be creates mechanical grooves, therefore, in the form of associations, as numerous and varied as they are superficial, hat a ll revealing the uneasiness of the, American mind assailed by a sort of fear of solitude ,* 2 Marquis Childs In a recent article stated that P&r cent of the total care given hospitalized veterans was for mental breakdown. Be stated that many weald he discharged and would possess normal mental faculties if they were helped hy families or friends. Be states! "They are indeed the forgotten men who wait month in and month out for some evidence that those whom they once knew and loved have not com-* pletely abandoned t h e m . 11 Be Grazia defines simple anomie as the psychological result of a conflict between systems of belief* Characteristics of anomie aret (1) competing directives or lack of consistent directives* ( 2) feeling of separation or isolation from the group* ( 3) uncertainty of goals* 12 Sebastian Be Or&zla, an. c it. » p* 151* as quoted from M* Ostrogorski, and the Party System. New York! Macmillian Co., 1910, p* toO. 1 3 M ar<*iil* Childs, "Washington Calling," State Times. Vol. 108, Bo. 129. «ay 30. 1930. P* *. 1 ?2 Th© words of Lombard© sound appropriate as one roads the pre ceding accounts* He states: "That were to set an Anomy, and to bring disorder, doubt, and ineertantle over all."1^ With 65 per cent of all sickness in hospitals, clinics, and pri vate nodical practice being diagnosed as mental and emotional illness, the term anomie assumes great importance in American life .*5 Thus there are Indications that this phenomenon which exists among students in a simple state exists among the adult population of our nation to a greater extent. There is a grave need for research in both areas. Ik Sebastian De Grasia, on. c lt. . p. Ill, as quoted from Lombardo, Archslon. 1635. 15 Marquis Childs, jgg. clt. . p. km om p m c ix FERSONAI-PSYCHOLOGIGAL PROBIiSMS The relationship between a childem otional pattern and hie reset lone la the learning situation is being studied with inarea sing frequency by psychologists. Sherman states! In many instances a given emotional pattern may be a distinct hindrance to learning a specific task or skill* whereas in others the emotionality of an individual my he a motivating force to greater effort. Thus the emo tions oust he taken into account in evaluating success and failure.1 The effects of the emotions on learning and retention have not been studied extensively enough, nor have the effects of failure to learn on the emotions been adequately considered. Sherman adds! The emotionality of an individual at the time he i s learning a task has a definite Influence upon his efficiency in the learning situation. His emotional balance or imbalance also has a definite effect upon h is retention of the material th at he has learned and upon h is ability to recall and put into use that which he may have learned veil previously. ^ Carter selected words that were classified by children as pleasant*, indifferent, or unpleasant and showed them with corresponding pictures to children, Uhen pictures were shown to th© children at a later period, it was found that pleasant words were better learned than unpleasant or in different words. Unpleasant words tended to be better learned than indif ferent ones. He concluded that pleasantness of association of words may 1Maude1 Sherman, "Staotional Disturbances and Heading D isability,N in W. s. Gray, Hecent Trends ig, Heading , Supplementary Educational Monograph Ho. **9, Chicago! University of Chicago Press, 1939. p. 126. 2m a . . p. 129. 173 m to directly associated with the rate of learning of worded The failure oa the part of a student to learn what is expected of Mb may lead to frustration or anxiety to such a degree that th® material to to studied at a later period may produce a disorganised emotional response. As a consequence the student1® attitude toward study and the particular m aterial may result In poorer habit® of con centration* Pupils who experience failure and who are ashamed of the fact may develop defensive reactions* A student may conclude in hi® mind that his failure Is a result of vocational misplacement. This defensive reaction may become so strong th a t he w ill re p o rt to a gui dance bureau and ask for vocational counseling. Another common reac tion of many students is to attribute failure to the fact that parents forced them to major in a certain field* He search on reading disability has dealt seriously with the e ffe c ts of frustrating experiences in learning. Dolch state®} Prob ably more deficiency in reading can be traced to discouragement through failure* and the consequent attitude of antagonism toward reading than to any other cause* Many children hate the reading lesson simply be cause i t compels them to exhibit before their companions their ignorance or lack of skill. A child caught In this situation is very frequently- scolded or held up to ridicule. If this condition i s allowed to a ris e , a c h ild may go on from year to year with scarcely any improvement be cause to never looks at a book unless he has to and then with a distinct ^Harold C arter, "Bmotional Correlate® of Errors in Learning,H journal of Sduca.tl.PflPl Iis3rcholo&7 . Vol. 2?, January, 1936, u p . 5 5 -6 ? . 175 aversion. When he is supposed to he reading, his attention wanders, so that very little reading is really done, and consequently no improve-* Bent of skill results.” ^ By the time a student reaches collage a strong negative emotional attitude towards study is well developed. Witty and Kopel reported that at least 50 per cent of their eases of subject matter disabilities at the Northwestern Psycho**educational Clinic had fears and anxieties sufficiently serious to require therapeu* tie measures. In their corrective program they stressed success rather than failure, home oooperation in the development of such character traits as initiative and self direct ion, more effective social relation** ship8, and a sense of security.^ The preceding discussion gives one some indication as to th© effects of emoVonal di sturbanoes. Some individuals as a consequence of conflicts between strong motives or as a result of the thwarting of a strong motive may experience emotional depressions. Motives remain unsatisfied? consequently, a student is tense and unh&opy. The ln&ivi** dual may actually know the source of his conflict and he so overwrought because bf his believed failure or guilt that he cannot face his problem analytically. S^warA Dolch, 2fa£ P-W-Otolojy BM. Teaching fi£ Jks&lM. Bostons Ginn and Co., 193^# P• 24l, ^aul Witty and C. E. Skinner, Ifontal Hygiene in Modern Hew York* Parrar and Hinehart, Inc., 1939, p. *K)9* When the w riter was a student at Columbia U niversity he wee awakened in the early morning hours by M s roommate who appeared to he hawing a ch ill, She dispensary duty doctor was summoned* After diagnosis he administered a sedative and told the student to remain in hod for twenty-four hours, The doctor asked the writer to come to his o ffic e . The doctor stated that there was no physiological basis for the stu d e n t1* tremors. He stated that he would talk at length with the patient lata?, hut that he would like for the roommate to talk casually w ith the patient in an effort to determine If he had any particularly 'burdensome worries. The reasons for the student*s illness were easily obtained* As a oollege student he had always excelled, not so much as a result of exceptional ability hut as a result of excessive motivation and e ffo r t, ¥ben the war came on the student sought a commission* Sbr one reason or another each time he applied for a commission he was turned down. He then entered the service as an en listed man and was given an opportunity after one year of service to enter the U,M ,E. Midshipmen16 school a t Columbia University* During the first few days which consisted of orientation he was unduly Impressed with the fact that each student was allowed to study only three hours per day. In that period he was expected to prepare himself for an examination the following day on an average of 60 page# Iff of material drawn from five subject matter fields* He was also told that only two-thirds of the students would receive commissions* On his first day of testing the student was thoroughly shocked to discover liow much detail he was.expected to recall from the lengthy assignments- He "began to hrood that afternoon and had no desire for food at the evening meal* By the time for study he had "become so apprehensive and nervous that when he tried to study his head "began to pound* He could not sleep and Ms head continued to "bother him. He lay awake until 3100 A* M. at which time he "began to undergo the v io len t tremors* The doctor and two close friends of tlie patient talked casually with the student g r a d u a lly "bringing out the trouble confronting him. The stu dent was helped to see that his situation was not unlike that of the other 1100 students* hat that he had allowed his personal concern to grow to too great a magnitude* Within fo rty -eig h t hours the student was attending classes again. After a period of two weeks he appeared to he as well ad justed as any other student. His friends were afraid that he would he dropped on the groups of improper m ilitary aptitude! however, no action of this type was indicated at any time. The patient graduated along with approximately 800 out of the original class of 1100 and ranked within, the top 100 in scholarship# His anxiety occurred because he saw the situation as one which made almost negligible Ms chances for reaching a highly desirable goal. When he was shown in a forceful manner that his definition of the situa tion was in errort he reevaluated the factors and found that the situation was one within which he might a tta in h is goal* 1 7 8 S*c*r in th# youth or adult i i a coTriplex phenomenon associated with general anxie^r, in secu rity , g u ilt, and Impending punishment* I t i s rarely the result of a simple, single, intense, disturbing situation, M individual tarings his background into new fear situations and makes them more disturbing than they would be otherwise, Thus one can see that almost any problem confronting the emotion** ally unstable individual may produce mental conflict. On the other h&ndi the student who is emotionally stable has a minimum of mental conflicts# He knows where he stands on issu es that are v ita l to him. He usually strives for goals which he can reach. He has a good conception o f the " s e lf *9 He has a background of experience cut of which he has built valu ab le habits and attitudes* He is orepared to meet the situations which confront Mm and does n o t find it necessary either to Ignore the situation or escape into emotional depressions, Table XIV shows that there i s l i t t l e difference between the sexes with reference to scores made on emotional adjustment. In the cate gory of average adjustment there is some variation between sexes with 50.0 p e r cent of the women falling in this area as compared with k0*2 per cent of the men* However, the situ ation i s ju st reversed in the area of good adjustment* Only 8*3 per cent of the women soored in th is area as com* pared with 15*3 per cent of the men. I f the categories of excellent, good, and average adjustment are treated as one a re a , and unsatisfactory and very unsatisfactory emotional adjustment are handled in lik e manner, the difference between sexes is negligible. Under this type of classification 59*7 P©r cent of th© men fell in the satisfactory category as compared with 62*5 per cent of th© m women. On the other sid e of the picture on© finds 40,3 per cent of the m m end 37.3 per ©eat of the women falling; in the area of poor emotional adjustment. TABLE OT SSMOTIOHAL SCORE Excel Unsatis Very Un sa le n t Good Average factory tisfa cto ry Total Male Fumfeer 3 11 29 18 11 72 P er cen t A, 2 15.3 40.2 25.0 15*3 100.0 fem ale ftamher 2 4 24 10 8 48 P er cen t A. 2 8,3 50*0 20.8 16.7 100,0 Total Humber 5 15 53 28 19 120 Per cent A. 2 12.5 44.2 23.3 15.8 100.0 From an overall viewpoint it is significant to note that more than one-third of the students who reported for counseling in 1940-41 scored in the area of poor emotional adjustment. All of the females falling in the area of unsatisfactory emotional adjustment answered the following questions In th© affirmative* (1) Bo you daydream frequently? (2) Do you frequently have spells of the “blues? (3) Bo you often feel lonesome, even when you are with people? (4) Are you troubled with feelings of inferiority? (5) Bo you worry over possible misfortunes? and (6) Bo you worry too long over humiliating experiences? From 75 to 88 per cent of the females who scored very unsatisfac torily on emotional adjustment gave affirmative answers on the following questions* (l) Have you ever felt that someone was hypnotising you and ma’cing you act Against your ■will? (2) Are you easily moved to tears? Have you frequently been depressed because of low marks in school? (A) Do you sometimes envy the happiness which others seem to enjoy? (5) Are you often sorry for the things you do? (6) Do you often feel just miser* •hie? (?) Are you ever bothered by the feeling that things are not real? and (8) Are your feelin g s e a sily hurt? Three questions which seemed to d istin gu ish between the sexes werei (1) you get discouraged easily? (2) Have you ever been afraid that you might jump off when you were on a high place? and (3) Bo you often feel self-conscious beoause of your personal experience? Among the females who made very unsatisfactory emotional scores 62*5 P©v cent answered question no. 1 in the affirmative as compared with 100 per cent of the sales. Only 30 per cent of th® females answered question no. 2 in the affirmative while 81.8 per cent of the males gave affirmative replies. The third question was also answered in the affirmative by $0 per cent of the females as opposed to 90*9 P©r cent of the men. There was evidence that some students with emotional difficulties and other problems tended to return to older modes of thought, feeling* end behavior which were of service at an earlier tints and which they hoped would prove to be equally serviceable in the present. This type of action is known as regression. Maturity implies a greater degree of realism, but in regression one loses contact with immediate problems and responds mo .*e in a spirit of ’play or fantasy with less regard to the realistic conditions imposed by such problems. ^P. M. Symonda, flit. . p. 20b*. $he following ess* history reveals how regressive 'behavior say ©ome to he regarded by the individual actor as behavior possessing great significance for him* Case 22h graduated from Ponchafcoula High School with the rank o f 20th in a class of 63 students* Upon entrance to the University he placed in the 56th percentile on the psychological test, in the 77th percentile on the %glish test, and in the 50th percentile on the Jtoa S ile n t Heading feat* Prior to entering college he had worked for several summers as a service station attendant* He stated that he lik ed the work "because i t gave him an opportunity to meet more people and to operate and repair automobiles. He had two younger brothers, one of whom was attending college while the other was attending high school* His father had completed the seventh grade in school and worked as manager of a small ice company. His mother had co mole ted high school. As w ill be seen in some of M s la te r statements h is grandmother undoubtedly played an important role lu lls emotional development* She told him numerous stories about the exceptional things he did as a young child. Gradually, the individual ease to view the unusual activities in hie life as the most significant of all Ms activities* Under hobbies he indicated that he liked fishing, hunting, swim** ming, dating, movies, reading, and auto mechanical work. Magaaines read most frequently were Popular Science and Outdoor Ljfft* His vocational motivation appeared to be strong. He stated that he had decided on chemistry as a vocation when he was in t o seventh grade after reading hooks, hearing some lectures, and talking to his professor in chemistry. He maintained this decision thyon^hoat h i# school. His ambition was to go eventually to West Point and take chemical warfare. Tinder reasons for interest in occupation he stated "desire to know th© unknown. M He stated that i f he were free of a ll restrictions ten years from the present period, he would like to he helping humanity hy making some great chemical discovery to he used In saving lif e , This represented, to some extent, a contradiction to his chemical warfare ideas* la describing his general makeup he used the following terms* friendly, patient, stubborn, capable, pessimistic, reserved, bashful, Jealous, submissive, anxious , unhappy, and frequent periods of gloom or depression* The latter terms indicated serious problems, but Ms final statement on the personal history blank gave an even stronger indication# Re wrote* "Why can*t I concentrate of late?11 The preceding information was obtained when the student reported to the Bureau for an appointment on October 10, 1940. A study of his scholastic record revealed that he was beginning his third year of school. During his first two years of school lie had earned 38 hour® and 45 quality cred its. His most immediate problem seemed to bo that in order to stay in school, he had to earn 3 8 credit hours and 43 q u a l i t y credits* In sp ite of a good high school record and above average en trance test scores, the indications on October 10, 1940 were that he would do no better work that year than he hod done in previous years. The conclusion reached by the counselor wne that although the student was 19 years of age and had capabilities beyond his level of achievement, his emotional isar.atur 1 ty and apparent inability to cope with problems made his chances for success in college almost negli g ib le . Hie sindent was asked to report again on October 13, 19^0. Upon returning to the office he was asked, to ©numerate any problems or worries that he thought might be preventing him from studying effec tively. The student wrote the following statement! During the year of 193*>, I cam© to the conclusion that I would tab* chemistry as ray life work* A© any other person would do, I began to study th© foundation of the subject. After talking with the principal, the chemistry teacher, etc., I found that X had an even deeper interest in chemistry. All this was well and good until the spring of I936* At this time ay interest turned to a girl. A stranger in school, she looked different and 1 think that I immediately fell in love with her. Being bash ful and rather afraid of women, I never went any far ther than a speaking acquaintance. I watched over her and at every foul word said against her, I took her side. She seemed to ignore me or rather just see me as any boy that might walk past. This hurt me very deeply and I began an. extended search for the cause. This was ay first step In dis covering myself, ay weak points as well as my strong p oints. I read books on manners to better myself. 1 played basketball to show ay skill always with the hope of some day proving myself worthy of her attention. This led to psycholo y . I read a text book my aunt had used in college ca lled the Psychology of Teach ing. " yrom this I developed a psychology of my own. X never lad proved my theory and was afraid to try, until I began grieving for a love that I had never had# 1 was introduced to intoxicants through my friends and this gave me the strength to overthrow my baahfitll- ness. Vfhen under the influeno© of this stimulus I mad© a fool of myself in front of Catherine. I wasn't drunk by fa r, but I had overcome my bashfullness. 3Mb Thie incident turned to th® had* I dnmk more to forget the embarrassment. This happened a t the age o f 16 yrs. When I entered L.S.U. I was 1? and still* bash ful. I avoided Catherine when possible and in every way I could* I shirked ray social contact® with other girl®. At the end of jay first year (1939) I had had but two dates at school. I lived for the day when 1 could call her iay own. ^he last day of school that first year 1 had my 3rd date. At the Frat house 1 drank enough again to free myself of bashfullnes® and then it happened* I tried ay psychology* I made this girl fall in love vlth me. She had seen me only twice before and had never dated me until that night. She was desperately in love and X didnH know what to do, 1 was afraid, X had never tried this before aad didn't know how to stop i t . She was not a "fast" girl but rather a very highly respected person. After that I ignored her and now she is to be married, to a boy ah® has tried to love* $hyb© 1 should say that X did th is as an experimentt only and not that I loved her. I never tried this experiment any more until a month ago* In tiio meantime Catherine had entered L.S.U* as a transfer student (This semester), I dated her twice In the first two weeks of school. She vras rather cool and acted as though I was supposed to date her as an obli gation* I have never touched the girl, held her hand, or kissed her, but when I see her I ©aaft help but feel a thrill at her presence. She broke the third date with me. One month ago today, I had been to town and the boys and I had a few drinks of encouragement just before a dance* On the way beck from town, the boys on the bus were teasingly ask ing a girl to go to the dance with all seven of us* I tried my experiment again and not even knowing her or giving her a chance to change to an evening gown, 1 took her to the dance* Me l e f t a t 10*50 for she had to bo in at H s l5« For k5 minutes she returned my kts^ee tod slowly without know ing it she fell in love with me# She stayed under tty power for two weeks and then X broke the s p e ll, She can not explain her action® and won't admit that she loves me. 1 0 5 taking this time I haven' t seen Catherine, The two girls are typed just the opposite, X don't know who I love now, ay thoughts are divided between the two. % do know that Catherine doe an* t love me, so th is develops one problem. At home, lay fa th er19 parents and sis te r liv e with us. There are three hoys, no girls in ay family. We are all happy and ambitions. Bad works for the Southern United Ice Co. drawing enough salary to furnish a peaceful living fo r us all. I don't see any problems that may originate here, 1 have worked the past two com ers in a service station , the year before I drove for a minister of th© Baptist church of which I am a member. He tried to make a minister of me but was unsuccessful in that I was set on chemistry. Here a conflict might occur. My father wanted me to take a commercial course in college but didn’t stop me from taking chemistry or even discourage me in my choice. Other than the minister's wishes that I follow him, X can see no e o n fllo t in sy choice of chemistry. 1 hope you may see something that links the two for X am sure X don't* When the student cswoe in for another interview on October 20, 19^0, he expressed the desire to continue his essay* He wrote) During my childhood I acted and did the thin s one would expect & normal child to do. I was rather sick ly at birth and wasn't expected to live* being the first child X had to live to keep any parents h&-ipy. This started a vital fight which has come all through these 19 years# When very young, I am told by ay grandmother, I had high powers of observation, ^hen only h yrs. old, I was riding with the family in our classy Model T. Tord. It stopped on th© road and Bad couldn't start it. I got out and did something that I had seen ay uncle do and the car started. (This is from my Grandmother1s sto ry )• I started to school a t 6, th© same school from which I gra** duated in 193$ • At that age I worked during the summer as of fice boy, at $2*00 a week, for Bad. This started me 0 1 1 my work ing cycle. And until the spring of 1939# X had missed only one summer's work. X earned ay own spending money and managed fo r my own clothes on some seasons. This might look to you just the good side o f ay l i f e but T never had any trouble and gained respect from a l l the old folk s in town. HoiMug really itappe&ed in school other than *just a normal l i f e w ith vsy friends. But here i« & point - a l l my friends li&vo Been fro® 2 to 10 years older 1. I loved outdoor life hut never participated in sports Because of ay skinnay frame. }$y,parents Both thought that I might he hurt even though 1 wanted to play football in high school. Until my Junior year I had never tried any sport other than tennis and swimming. During this year the coach came to me and asked me to come out for Basketball. 1 did and made the strin g. (15 men). I made good that year and earned a letter. The Principal told me that X was to he the star ay following year hut that wasn't to he. I went out for football my following year and was hurt—hip and shoulder. I didn't play much hut I tried hard to make the team. In Basketball, the coach wanted me to fail school so I could play B a ll. Mother forbad© me to do so and there went my chance to play* The coach wouldn't let me even get in a scrap gajae with the scrubs. I never played my senior year at all. I have told you of my love affair that inspired my Ball playing so will skip this phase of it. lb go hack a little, when I was 10 years old I got a 22 rifle for Christmas. I learned to shoot very well. Dad had a pistol in the house that I would sneak out and practice in the woods until I could shoot as well as any one in town. I still have this pm as ray own now. When dad found that I was shooting it h© taught ra© to he very careful with it, then he gave it to me. Back again. As a ll Boys have clubs, X had one. lre were a sort of a military unit. at© a ll wanted to b© de tectives of which I was chief. Dad was a detective before he was married But gave it up and promised himself that liis children would never learn of it because he didn't want us to be policemen. (I found th is from Grandmother- later confirmed by Mother). Dad doesn't know that X know this. In our careers as detectives, X was the first to solve a case. A petty thief was raising havoc in school and I caught him red-handed a fter st\idying h is methods carefully. Ho one Isaev who really solved it because the Principal thought that it might cause trouble for me. Bad did not hear of this because he had been so against me doing anything of this sort. After that I never tried 1 6 ? again for his sake. I tried to forget- all X team about th is kind of work Taut i t forever comes up in ©ometMng. or other* Br. Sisson told me of my ability in polio© work and I mad© no mention of agr past experience. I had a good reason, my Bad’s desire for me not to do it. This could he ay problem that X have not admitted to anyone before? Th© student’s statement may seem humorous to some, but the conse quences ©f the type of thought and action which it represents were di rectly related to the individual's achievement in college# Although the counselor talked over the student’s problems and pointed out th© possibilities that might lead to their solution, no Intensive followup was carried out. During tiie semester In which he sought counseling aid, Case 22k earned 3-1/2 credit hours and 5 quality credit®. He resigned from the University on January 25, 19^1. Xt seems that this student developed at a very early age a con ception of "self” which read© adjustment increasingly more difficult as he grew older. Hie experiences which seemed ®1 n ific a n t to th© student wear© those which might be characterised as unusual, extraordinary, or in one sense abnormal* Some of the unusual incident® are a® follows* (1) He selected a vocational objectives six years urior to entering college. (2) He began the study of psychology while in the eighth grad© of school. (3 ) He f e l t that he had a secret power to make g ir ls whom he bad ju st met f a ll in love w ith him. (k) He began work as h is daddy’® o ffic e boy at the age of 6 at a salary of two dollars nor week. (5) All hie friend® were from 2 to 10 years older than he. (6) He solved what be termed a criminal case in h is high school* m The reasons for the formation of a particular "selfw in the mind of an individual are difficult to determine. Ia the case of this ®tu- dent, there was one incident recorded which appeared significant. The student stated, that his father1 a parents a,d sister lived with hi® parents. He related that his grandmother had told him how at the age of four he started the faudly car when his daddy could not start it* He also referred in other olaces to unusual th in g a t h a t M s grandmo ther to ld him and which as he stated Kv/ere later confirmed by Mother. w Whatever the reason® for his particular conception of Hs©lfH there was cleareut evidence that the experiences which offered satisfaction to the individual were those which seemed unusual to him. The student stated that he expected to complete the necessary work for a Ph.D. degree In Chemistry. However, when he encountered the rou tin e o f co lleg e work he allowed him self to become ©go-involved in other areas of life rather than academic life. This student had a younger brother who entered the University three years later than ho did. Their high school background was approxl- raately comparable. The elder brother scored in the $6th percentile on the psychological test, 77th percentile in the Sngllsh placement test, and 60th nercentile on the reading test. Th® younger “brother scored in the 85th oercentile on the psychological and. 76 th on the Hrpp ii~h place ment test, ho reading score vas availcfola fo:' the younger brother* The scores on the quant! ti*.te amotion of thn isychMogicnl tect v/ore 73 for the older brother and 79 for tlie younger. f cor os on the linguistic sec tions were W'f and 66* These two students had an ■■roximn.tel;/ the crae home environment, the same school* mad© approximately the same records in high rehool, and 189 scored nearly the same on the quantitative section of the psychological test sad on the English placement test* Nevertheless* their ad jus fcmen t to co lle g e was to ta lly d issim ilar. Case 224 took 74 hours of work and earned 50 quality credits in two and one-half years of work. Hie over all college average was *67. On the other hand his younger ‘brother had an overall average of 1.88 upon graduation from the University. H© then entered Lav School, graduating in law with a 2.39 average# It is evident that the findings on these two students are by no means exhausted# However, enough information has been presented to in dicate how the problem of adjustment may affect academic success. In the normal person the forces In personality find a more satis factory balance than In the abnormal, Certain characteristics tend to be either exceptionally strong or exceptionally weak in the abnormal. This domination of the personality by certain traits results in an indi vidual who may be termed unusual by others# The abnormal individual falls to find the balance between the demands of society and the wishes of the individual as does the normal person. Thus# if one sees the dif ference between the normal individual and the pathological individual as being mainly quantitative and not qualitative, it seems evident that the elder brother represented a pathological case whereas the younger brother was a normal person.? Men who reported for guidance during 1944*45 indicated an average of 3.8 emotional problems as compsseft with an average of 5*9 problems 7n»id.. p. 566. 190 indicated by the women. Moodiness or ’’having the blues” was & serious problem for 48,1 per cent of the females as compared with 31*1 per cent of the males* A significantly higher percentage of women than men In dicated the following problemst lacking self-confidence, worrying about unimportant things* taking things too seriously, afraid of making mis takes, can't make up my mind about things, and nervousness. A comparison of the percentages of 1944-45 students who had emo tional problems with the percentages of 1946-47 students reporting the same problems revealed that smaller percentages reported 17 of these problems in 1946-47 than in 1944-45* The two problems indicated by higher percentages of students In 1946-4? were daydreaming and nervous n ess. Among the 1944-45 group 3^*4 per cent indicated daydreaming as a serious problem and 24.5 per cent nervousness. The corresponding per centages for the 1946-4? group were 39*6 and 32, 2* In 1946-4? the average number of emotional problems indicated by men was 3*9 end for women 5*4. These findings vary considerably from those of Bnth Hunter who made a study of the problems of 100 men and 100 women at Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1946. Huth Hunter found that the women in her group mentioned emotional difficul ties ca aa average of five and one-half times more frequently than the Table XXVI lists problems reported by 15 per cent or more of the male or female group in 1944-45 and gives a comparison between the 1944-45 %utti Hon ter, g*BSla« Si. J&£ 3tvflaat» M. Colorado Agricultural, Agricultural m & College. Unpublished M. A, Thesis* 3fort C ollin s, 1946* p. 153* TABL® XXVI PERSONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS REPORTED BY 15 PER CERT OH MORE OP THE MALE OH FEMALE GROUP 1944-45 19*6-47 Total Problem M ala__ T o ta l _ Made__ Female f e t a l Per Hum Per Hum Per Hum Per Hum- Per Hum- Per Hum- P er ber cent b e r ber .cent b e r _ cen t . her jcent -bey c en t —her cent Moodiness, Having the nblu ssM 14 31.1 51 **8.1 65 **3.0 35 30.4 32 36.8 67 33-2 132 3? .* Lacking self confidence 10 22.2 45 **2.5 55 36.** 26 22.6 33 37*9 59 29-2 114 32.3 Daydreaming 17 37-8 4 i 38.7 58 38.* 35 30.1* 45 51.7 80 39-6 13B 39*1 Worrying about unimpor tant things 5 11.1 39 36.8 kb 29.I 16 13.9 23 26,k 39 19-3 83 23-5 Taking things too serio u sly 8 17-8 38 35-8 46 30.5 30 26.1 31 35-6 61 30.2 107 30.3 Afraid of making mistakes 8 17-8 33 31-1 41 27.2 15 13.0 22 25-3 37 18. 3 78 22.1 Can’t make up agr mind about things 4 8*9 33 31*1 37 2k. 5 19 16.5 28 32.2 47 23-7 84 23.8 Nervousness 7 15-6 30 28.3 37 24.5 38 33 = 0 27 31.O 65 32.2 102. 28.9 Per got ting things 11 24.4 28 26.** 39 25.8 20 1?.4 17 19*5 3? I8 .3 76 21.5 Too easily discouraged 8 1?.8 26 24.5 3k 22.5 25 21. 7 18 20.7 43 21-3 77 21.6 Laziness 9 20.0 24 22.6 33 21.9 2k 20.9 22 25-3 46 22.8 79 22.4 Sometimes wishing I ’d never bee: born 5 11.1 23 21.? 28 18.5 13 U -3 15 17-2 28 13-9 56 15-9 Stubbornness 4 8.9 20 I 8.9 2k 15*9 11 9*6 20 23.O 31 15.3 55 15*6 Carelessness k 8.9 20 18.9 2k 15*9 16 13.9 1** 16.1 30 14.9 54 15-3 Hot doing anything well 6 13*3 19 17-9 25 16.6 18 15*7 15 17.2 33 I 6 .3 58 16.4 Too self centered 8 17-8 14 13.2 22 I**. 6 7 6.1 12 13.8 19 9 .4 41 11.6 Failing to get ahead 6 13*3 18 17.0 2k 15-9 10 8 .7 13 14.9 23 11.4 47 13-3 Losing my temper 8 17.8 18 17-0 26 17-2 9 7-8 13 14.9 22 10.9 48 13*6 Getting too excited 6 13-3 18 17.0 2k 15*9 12 10. k 1** 16,1 26 12.9 50 14.2 lot taking things seri ously enough 7 15-6 15 14.2 22 Ik. 6 Ik 12.2 13 14.9 27 13.4 49 13-9 19% and the 1946-4? groups* On the whole* students in 194&*4? seemed to experience fever ©motional problems than did students in 194*J~45« Case 1386 was a graduate student of 2b years of age who was attending school under the 6*1* B ill. He had graduated from Bolton High with the rank of 4th in a graduating class of 245* Hie father had completed one year of high school hut was a suc c e ssfu l r e ta il auto dealer and a gravel contractor* His mother had completed high school. He had a younger sister who was in her second year of hi^i school* In high school and as an undergraduate in college this student had p articipated in numerous a c tiv itie s* His undergraduate average was a 2.5* He placed in the 87th per- entile on the OUa Sasi* ®»® goraehach laa.t revealed that the student was extroversive and possessed above average in telli gence. However* it also indicated the following tendenciesi (1) con flict or sublimation, (2) impulsiveness in social relationships, and (3) neurotieisa and depression. His vocational choice was that of teacher with the following reason for his choice being given 1 "Realisation of effect teacher can have on person's life. Prefer to teach in field of psychology." This interest was confirmed by both the Kuder and the Strop# Vocational lasts. Thf. Moonev Test revealed that the student's problems fell in two areas which were social adjustment and emotional* The interviews and the Enrahhach both led the counselor to conclude that there was some conflict present which impeded the social adjustment of the student* i n $he smotianal problems which the student i n d ic a t e d ares follow si (1) toe ©elf-centered, (2) taking thing® too seriously, ( 3) unhappy too wish of the tlas, (k) worrying about unimportant things, (3) lacking self** confidence, and (6) lost—no sense of direction in my life* Although the student had indicated & strong interest in the minis try ha Indicated four problems that were of concern to him in the area of morals and religion* These were* (1) confused on some moral questions, (2) moral code weakening, (3) trying to break off a had habit, sad (4) drinking* There were numerous indications that the student was experiencing a continual period of anxiety and unhappiness* His statement concerning his problems is as fellows) It seems strange that a person who was at one time self-confident, hap ay, and apparently well adjusted could find himself in a state of utter confusion. The ability to gat along with people has been lost to a certain extent and the ability to make new friends has practically become non-existent. Frankly, my re-entranee Into eollege life has been somewhat disappointing—for 1 had pictured it as a time of study and preparation for future life, yes—but also a time of forming new friendships and of some pleasurable living. Instead—it has been a period of incessant study- some necessary and ether unnecessary X am sure—yet-— there seems to be no way in which I am able to elim inate any part of it. Only one course bothers me to any great extent, but the worry and concern over that one keeps me from doing ray best work in the other classes. All of the classes are most in terestin g and w ell taught. Too the doubt of ray ability to enter into a particular professional field has never entered into my mind. Wen so, at this time I actually doubt the wisdom of ray choice of a lif e * s work. How th is unrest and confusion can be overcome i s the most important aspect of ray difficulties. Many veterans while undergoing the rigors and deprivations encoun tered in service attempted to keep emotionally well balanced by viewing 1 9 ^ their present situation as A temporary one. One consequence of this type of thing was the idealisation of activities which they hoped to participate in at a later period. College life became in the eyes of many service men a place of eternal happiness where social life and gayety never ceased. To some extent this idealization of Ms return to college by Case 1386 made hi9 readjustment all the more difficult. There was no tangible evi dence, but it appeared that one or two unhappy occasions after Ms return to school began a chain reaction of events. As a consequence of brooding over these incidents he became more nervous and apprehensive in his social contacts. These characteristics in turn made his social adjustment more difficult. There v&s evidence that almost any personal problem which con fronted this student became an emotional problem. Two freshman students who were more typical of students experien cing emotional problems may be cited to show more fully some of the charac teristics of the emotionally maladjusted individual. Case 55 stated! Z should study more, but I can’t get my mind on I t. I am very nervous and am still a little afraid of being left alone, imagination is ridiculous, but when I sit down and start thinking, it Just runs away with me. Z think that Is the main reason why I can’t study. I also daydream a lo t. Z want to make a success in what ever vocation X choose, but at present 1 have no ambi tion. I don’t know how to study and never have. I would like very mach to learn, and Moo to learn how to develop interest in subjects I am not interested in. This 17 year old student Is an only child whose parents had di vorced and remarried. Another 17 year old girl states* 195 I would aey to t V n too nervoxxs* That I'm afraid of ’being hart* That 1 often worry 'unnecessarily about ay classes and health. And let ray imagination run away with me imagining all kinds of horrible situations (for instance, if someone is the least hit late, X imagine they've been killed.) 1 imagine people notice the least little mistake I do or the least little mistake in my dress and build it up until it's something horrible* I ’m always afraid of what people w ill think and say about what I do* I haven't enough confidence in myself* I*rom an educational standpoint ©motional problems would seem to he of greater concern than any other type. Hie student who tends to daydream rather constantly or the person who is preoccupied to an Intense degree with personal problems cannot achieve the degree of concentration which is necessary for excellence in college achievement* As previously indicated, Sebastian Be Brassla in h is recent book, 1t» P o litic a l Cammunlta. sheds new in sigh t into the term anomie which was earlier popularized In the writings of Durkheim. Be Orazla studied sepa*- ration - anxiety which he found to clo se ly resemble Burkheim’s description of anomie. Separation-anxiety occurs upon the disintegration of a child's 9 ideologies* Be Grazia found that simple anomie occurs when the youth faces con flic t in direetives* Rules of conduct may be laid down in childhood and deposited in the depths of conscience, but stronger and more powerful di rectives of a more immediate nature may cause the individual to break the earlier directives. Simple anomie is then the intermittent apprehension in the individual or the psychological result of a conflict between sys tems of b elief* ^ 0 ^Sebastian Be Gr&zia, q q , c i t , , p. ty, 1Qlbld* * p. 71* 19& The individual may try to reusura himself that the direction he take* is the correct way* To he sure of Mr?self and to lessen the c o n flic t he may seek approval ©r a ffectio n from some member of the group who may have faced similar conflicts. Should the individual experien cing intense conflict fail to have son* person to turn to, the anxiety may become more Intense as a consequence of brooding and worry. The following ease history reveals the effect that a deteriora tion of systems of belief may have on the Individual# Case 1676 entered L.S.U. in February, 19^5. after attending S.L,I. for one semester. Her home was in Walker, Louisiana, in Livingston Par ish, She graduated from St. Mary of the Pines, a Catholic school, in May, 1944 at the head of a class of 31, She was a member of a family of seven children. Her father was a farm er and her mother was dead. She indicated that she d islik ed her family background. She was the youngest member of the family and was undoubtedly affected most o f all by her mother's death* Of all her b ro th e rs only one had not attended college. He had gone into business very early in l i f e , being the eld est child. Two had graduated from L.S.U. and two were attending along with her. During her high school dayr, Miss X led a rather active life, playing on the basketball team, entering dramatic contests, and serving as leader of many school affairs. In college she served as Editor of the Hewaangcona and took part in plays. Her employment experience consisted of one month's work in a bank and a summer * s work as a stenographer for the Illinois Central Rail way, She stated that she liked the latter job best because "I liked ray b o s s .H 197 la or Aar of preference she listed the following occupations with reasons given for her interest* 1. Beautician - like to examine peopled hair and Interested in improving py owe, mostly the latter. 2. Stenographer - not much work. 3« Journalist - high school oper interested me, hut I worry over my capabilities. A. Psychologist - in terested In Psychology 51 enough to make an A - only one so fax in co lleg e. 5* Iforae - makes a woman feo l heroic. Miss X had as her present vocational objective journalism. Wliea asked what she would lik e to he doing 10 or 15 years from the date of her interview if she were free of all restrictions she stated* '’Married and have about five children - and engaging in some sort of club work or Wok work." Vhen asked what else she could t e ll us that would he helpful in understanding her problem, Miss X stated* I would lik e to know whether you. should liave a care free happy b lith e sp ir it about your choice of vocation or whether a feeling of doubt, but nevertheless a determined feeling that work is the only solution that Is right. Jour nalism professors ©ay there is no special way of determin ing whether one will make a good journalist. On the Xu&er Preference Record her highest scores were In persua sive and literary fields. On the Strom-: Vocational £&&£ she mad© an A as author. The Inv.ento,ry gave her a score of plus 33* Her low est score was raade on time distribution. Mist X underlined 27 problems on the Moppey Problem Check lis t, fit# were underlined in each of the following areas: (l) Health and Physical Development, (2) finances* living Conditinns, and Employment, 3 ( ) Morale and Religion* 1 When asked to summarise her chief problems in her own words, Miss stated as follows: y*»B a feeling gathered while reading St& roantalnhead. my character, that of a somewhat parasitic over-rated Idea of popularity - created in the idea of Peter ^eating who wa® the villain of the hook - past time anyhow, I got the rude awakening to the fact that I was not half so clever as I thought I was, and consequently have tried to find out my faults in the hope that I can correct them, Perhaps 1 should work on just one at a time, Before coming to college I was extremely religious* and since seeing my precious prejudices blasted away, I am at somewhat of a loss to discover exactly what a person does to be ha^py and busy. When asked whether she enjoyed taking the test* Miss X stated: "Tee, because the test is so vast in detail, the problem of thinking Is made so much, easier, and my faith in the accuracy of the test is partly responsible also for the pleasure I have derived in taking it,” In spite of this statement. Miss X indicated that she did not wish to confer with anyone concerning her problems* Prior to her appearance at the Bureau to secure aid, Cass l 6?6 had maintained a 1,2 average Following her interview she remained In Journalism, but her average for her remaining years of school was only a 1*3- There were definite indications that she had more ability than her grades indicated. As the youngest member of the family upon her m other’s death, she developed feelings of insecurity and uncertainty. The loss which she encountered was gradually overcome by a growing depend&nee upon 199 a religious faith* Her feelings of insecurity were overcome while at tending a Catholic school to the extent that she participated in numer ous activities and led her class scholastically* A change of environment from one where she had close supervision and intimate friendships to that of a large college campus caused old feelings to emerge anew. As she stated it, her precious prejudices” were b la ste d away and she d id n 11 know what a person does to he happy and busy. Sphere is little doubt in the raind of the writer that if this young lady could have had either a mother or an intimate associate to encourage her and help her reorient her mind, she would have made a much better record in college and would liave secured more from the experience* In every instance where she attempted to analyze her problems she Indicated her inability to find a frame of reference for her thinking* nevertheless, she did receive a B.A. in Journalism from Louisiana State University on May 29, 19^9* University life led this student to believe that few other student® valued religion and religious ideals as highly a® she did. This caused extreme anxiety in her case because her religious beliefs and practices had filled a niche left vacant through the loss of her mother. As anxi ety progressed, her problem became accentuated. The very fact that her associates had a different attitude toward religion made It impossible for her to share her problem with others. Thus the basic conflict con tinued over a lengthy period of time and resulted in a very poor social adjustment for iVie individual. This problem undoubtedly reduced the student's ability to concentrate on her studies effectively. 200 The evidence is rather conclusive that anxiety and emotional worries may crowd the consciousness of the disturbed Individual to the exclusion of effective thinking* GHAPTSSR X VOCATIONAL ADJUSTMENT Vocational adjustment Involves the achievement by the student of some understanding of Ms aptitudes for acquiring various skills, his adaptability to varying types of situations, and his interest in a great number of activities* Self-under standing is just as important an objec tive in education as It Is in everyday life. Vocational guidance plays a dual role In that It strives to help the individual to gain an under standing of himself and of the innumerable vocational opportunities con fronting hlan Assistance in vocational selection should be provided college students as early as possible in their college career for two reasons: (1) Vocational indecision and worry may serve a® a handicap in maintain ing a h i& i level of concentration on studies. (2) A definite vocational choice may serve as a motivational factor for study* Some student® feel that if one changes his vocational choice it is a reflection on his ability. This is by no mean® the case. There is considerable evidence which indicates that many students mad© an original selection because of parental pressure, inadequate Ten owl edge of a voca tion, or even as a consequence of a remark by a close friend* Studies of several thousand high school students show that over half of them change their vocational elm ice sometime during their four years In high school* A study at the University of Minnesota showed that about 2k per 201 202 cent of the freshsaen felt ^uncertain" or 'Very uncertain* about their vocational choice.*’ A very early study of persons listed in m h iflBL in Aaerloa indicated that 16 per cent had changed their vocations at least tvice* Jferny evidences of vocational indecision were noted among the stu dents In each grove? studied* The mean number of vocational problems in dicated by men in 1944-45 was 3 .5 compared with 5*2 fo r the women. In 1946-4? the averages for men and women were 4 .3 and 4.2, respectively* The mean number of vocational problems indicated by 168 men in a large ad &western university was 2 . 20* Tor 112 women from the earn® institution the comparable figure was 2. 13*3 In 1944-45 the future appeared rather uncertain to a great number of the male students* Military service was indicated as a serious prob lem by 28.9 per cent of the men in 1944-45* Consequently, vocational problems were not viewed as serio u sly by men in 1944-45 as they were by men in 1946-47. Table XXVII indicates that on every problem except mili tary service which was of concern to men in 1944-45, that ranch higher per centages of men in 1946—47 indicated these same problems* In both years higher percentages of women indicated specific indi vidual problems than did man* Atsong the 1944-45 men, 48*9 par cent *■£. 3. Williamson, How to Counsel Students. Hew York* f.softraw K ill, 1939* ?* 409* P. Kitson and. L. Culbertson, "Vocati nal Changes of On© Thousand Eminent Americans,” Vocational Q u i n c e Bulletin, Vol. I, 19?3* PP* 126-130. 3Ho s s L* Mooney and Kary Price, hmu%I &£ Problem MM* Colum bus? Bureau. o f Educational Research, 1943, p* B. 203 m m ra rx x VOCATIOHAL PROBLEMS DIXJICAM) BY ©VigOT-ITO PER GHST OR MORI Of THE MALI OR FEMALE STUDENTS FOR 1944*45 MB 1946-4? ?s,a>Xm ^ j a a a d g ...... ,.....l a a s - * ? ______Mai© le m le Mai© Feweld Heeding to Enow My Voca tional Abilities 46,9 55-7 49.6 55*2 Doubting Wisdom of % Vocational Choice 40.0 58.5 55*7 4 ? .l Wondering i f I ’11 be Suc cessful in Life 28.9 43.4 35.7 37*9 Concerned About M ilitary Service 28,9 1.9 12,2 0.0 Treading to Decide on an Occupation 24.4 38*7 34.8 50,6 Kot Knowing What 1 R eally Want 24.4 49 .I 36-5 52.9 Choosing Course to Take Hext Term 8,9 25.0 l$ .5 2 7 .6 Restless at Delay In Start ing Life Work 20,0 20,8 32. 2 16.1 indicated that they needed to know their vocational abilities as compared with 55*7 for the women. Doubting the wisdom of my vocational choice was a problem for 40.0 per cent of the men and 58-5 per cent of the women. Hot knowing what I really want was indicated as a problem by only 24.4 per cent of the men as compared with 49*1 per cent of the women. One wonld generally assume that vocational problems are of greater concern to men than to women since men hove no other alternative to some vocational pursuit. However, the data reveal that this la not tho case. 2Qk Throughout the analysis, it was evident that women Indicated more prob lems and gave a great dead more information concerning the problems than sen- nevertheless, there was evidence of a serious conflict in the minds of the women with respect to vocations* The problem may b© noted In the following quotations RMother wants ta© to go into some vocation In col lege Cnd I would rather take a course in Rome Be* that would help me in keeping house and. raising a family* Mother still, think® of me as a child and doesn't believe I have thoughts of getting married any time soon.M As a result of this conflict, the daughter came in for guidance* She stated that she expected to get married upon graduation if not before. After careful consideration of all the available evidence the counselor reeo^en&ed that she take Borne Economics. This student changed her major to Home Beonoa&ce but remained in school for only one additional year at the end of which she married* This case and other similar ones aroused the interest of the writer in a particular vocational conflict which seemed prevalent among women students. It was found that among the 117 women who reported for counsel ing in 19 46-^7, only 1 1 .1 p er cent of them e ith e r planned to or were major ing In Home Economics. However, when asked what they would like to be doing 10 years from the counseling date If they were free from all restric tions, 5*f.7 per cent wrote that they would like to be keeping house. More half of those who Indicated "keeping house” also indicated that they would like to have children* It appears that many female students are torn between the d e s ir e to prepare for marriage and family Ilf© and a feeling of th e necessity for preparing for a vocation as a security m easu re. 205 In some eases parental pressure resulted In student® ©electing curricula for v/hieh they were un suited ‘because of interest* intelligence» training, ©to* There were several cases where the probabilities for suc cess in ire field Were high, hut for various reasons the student's achieve ment was poor* I t appear© that undue pressure on a student toward a specific vocational objective, whether It be parental pressure or other wise, tend© to make motivational factors inoperative and in corn's case® brings forth a negative reaction* When a student feels strongly that h© is in the wrong vocational field, it appear® that failure is not seen in its proper perspective because failure bolster© the student's rxgutnent. The following case history reveals the results which may occur when a student does not make his own decisions In important areas of his life * John Blank graduated from Warren Saston High School with the rank of 10 in a graduating cla ss of 120. Hi© employment expericnco included the following* baker's assistant, messenger for Higgins Industry, and member of an orchestra. In one place he stated that lie liked to play music because i t was the only thing he could do w ell. His hobble© in cluded collecting records, attending ooncerts, and reading. In litting occupations which he would like to follow, he gave the following listed by preference: swing musician, arranger for orchestra, chemist, chemical engineer, and office clerk. The reason© given for the positions involv ing music Involved his success and enjoyment with the use of musical In struments* The reason given for chemical engineer --.■&©< "pays good*" When asked what he would lik e to L© doing ten year© fror. that date i f he were free of a ll r e str ic tio n s, he answereds "playing music. fl 206 However* when asked about h ie vocational choice h© gave chemical, engineer** lag* At that time he had completed three years of college work leading to a degree in chemical engineering.. His reasons for this choice were# (1) family suggestion and (2) it is most profitable financially# When asked what else he could add that would he helpful in understanding his prob lem he stated; **I feel $ulte sure that ay future lie® in must© as that is where all of sty talents lie* Yet* I hat© to disappoint my people (as I have done) by not succeeding in their choice of chemical engineering,w Further conversation revealed that the father was a railway clerk who had Completed two years of college, hut who had always repented his fail ure to finish college with a degree In chemical engineering* A® was previously stated, Blank1® rank in his graduating class was tenth out o f 120* He scored in the 95th p ercen tile on the American Coup o n on Education Psychological fe a t and on the 97th p ercen tile on the Iowa Silent Heading Teat* Despite these very high indications of scho lastic ability* Mr. Blank* s grades were too lew for him to he accepted by the College of Engineering a fter three years of study* But Kudar Prafarena* Record gave the following results* 2. computational 9*$ 7 * mu® i cal— «— — 9 3* scientific— — - ^ 8 , social service— — 65/^ persuasive—— 9- clerical-— -— — 97$ 5* artistic— 85$ The Strong Inventory yielded the following result®t 1# Musician-— — — 2* Mathematician- 3 * Chemi Chemi st— — — — - k* Engineer— — 5* Accountant— B minus— 20? The study B^blts Inventory revealed that he had peer study habits said lacked Interest in his work. $h© following wore listed among the habits which hothered him constantly! (1) "I find it hard t© keep n?y mind on what I am studying «*• don’t know what I have been reading about when I get through,*' (2) "X have a tendency to 'daydream* when trying to study," and (3) "Dislike of certain courses and professor® interferes with my school success*H On the Mooney Problem Cheek L ist he cheeked 28 problems dealing with adjustment to college work and 12 dealing with the future! voca tional and educational. His final summary in his own wor ds 1® as fol lows! My parent® insisted on ny enrolling In chemical engineering despite the fact that I am very gifted and interested in music. Since I was only 15 years of age when I graduated from high school, 1 listened to the advice they gave me. As a result, I am rest** lee® and d iss a tis fie d . Whereas I was an "A” student in high school, X am a failure in college. This 1® all due, In ay opinion, to the fact that X do not like the course in which X am (or was) enrolled. Mr. Blank was dropped from school, hut the counselor mad© an appoint- w nt with Ms parent to go over the results of the interviews. Th© mutual decision was that if Mr. Blank wished to enroll in the University, the fol lowing September, he would be allowed to do so with music as a vocational ob jective. Mr. Blank graduated from the University after having maintained better than a "B* average in all his courses following his recntrance to the University. After reentering he mad® no grades below "0"* further more, he made eleven HA*0H in music courses. 208 Frequently the resets of the counseling are not m tangible as in the previous ease* However, a cage of th is type reveal® how the various hits of evidence eome together to weave a pattern or picture* All students who reported for guidance were asked to indicate their present major and whether they regarded their choice as very Certain, uncertain, or very questionable. Of the total group of students who rated themselves, 24*6 per cent indicated that they were very certain about their vocational choice. Uncertain and very ques- ti cable were indicated by 53.7 and 21.? per cents, respectively. Thus, 75*^ pel* cent were not certain that they hud chosen the right vocational field* Evidence has already been cited indicating that a majority of the cases were bothered by indecision and anxiety. Their indecision concern ing vocations is merely a part of the total picture# Table XXTtXX Indicates that significant differences existed between the per eeat of students who graduated from each group according to the degree of certainty which existed in connection with vocational choice. Among the males 51*7 per cent of those who classified themselves as very certain of vocational choice graduated* For the uncertain group the per cent of graduates is 51*3* However, for the group classed as very ques tionable, only 36.7 per cent graduated* Approximately this same trend was true for the females with the per cent of each group graduating be'ng 53*8, 52.3* ®hd 1*6.0, respectively. For both males and females the point-hour ratio earned by those characterized as very certain of vocational choice was 1*47* Table XXIX* For the uncertain gro rp the average was 1*18. However, the average f o t the very questionable group was 1.29 * Thug the evidence i s by no moans 209 BUSL3B XXYXXX ' PSSt CENT 0? S O T T S REPORTING FOE OUIMCH WHO OMD^SD MOM THiH T J K i m s m ACCORDING TO BJB0R5® OF CERTAINTY OOEfCBRSriHO THEIR VOOATTOm OHO I OS Very ■Uncer Very Ques Certain tain tionable Kales Humber 60 115 49 Humber ^a&uating 31 59 18 Par cent 51*7 5 1 0 36.7 Kean Psychological Score 62,8 61.9 5*. 6 Jennies Humber 52 130 50 Humber graduating 28 68 23 Per cent 53*8 52-3 *6 .0 Mean Psychological Score 5 * .l 56.9 59*0 Humher 112 245 99 Humber graduating 59 12? Per cent 52.7 51.8 to** Mean Psychological Score 59.2 59.2 56.8 TABLE XXIX P0I5T-H0UR RATIOS OF STUDENTS REPORTING FOE GUIDANCE ACCORDING TO DEGREE OF CERTAINTY COUC jMIUG THEIR VOCATIONAL CHOICE Point-Ho nr Ratio Very Uncer Very Ques Certain tain tionable Males 1.35 1.22 1.19 Females 1.59 1.15 l .t o Total 1,*7 1.18 1.29 conclusive that achievement varies according to the degree of certainty of vocational choice, Nevertheless* th© evideuce does indicate a small positive relationship 'between the vocational factor and achievement a® measured from the standpoint of graduation and the point-hour r a tio . CHAPTER XI SOT)T HABITS ABB OTHER ACADEMIC PROBLEMS Contrary to the Opinion held by a great many students, the way to achieve effective study is not to study longer but to change the quality of study methods and habits of concentration* Williamson found that • good students usually study slightly less than poor students but they use their time more effectively.^* Some investigators have found that the individuals who develop efficient techniques of study in college tend to be more efficient In th© particular areas of life which they enter following college. Jordan pro** sents the following information* President Lowell of Harvard University found that 60 per cent of those who were graduated from college with the highest honors also graduated from the Law School with d istinction* But of those who had been graduated from the college without honors, only six per c e n t finished Law School with distinction. In Medical School the figures were nearly the same for here 92 P©? cent o f th o se who had graduated from the college with highest honors also finished the Medical School with distinction? while of th o se gradua ting without honors 36 per cent graduated with distinction. This efficiency continues on into life* Some years ago a study was made of the graduates of Wesleyan Univer sity. Sixty per cent of those graduated with highest honors were included in Vhe!s Who (a boolt which contains a lis t of persons whose success is much above the average) while only 10 tier cent of tfc se grad untie.'? without bnnors were Included* G, Williamson» MThe Relationship of Humber of Hours of Study to Scholarship,R toCTftl g£ fMSfo8l£>JZL* 1935, PP* 632-683. 211 212 At Thle, 50 per oenfc of th© valedictorians were included in KM* a %ho,. while only 2 per cent of the other graduates were Included. In Oxford tin Ivor si ty, In gland, i t was found that 46 per cent of the first class honor men had attained distinction in Law while among those without honors only 16 per cent had attained distinction.^ Some conscientious students try rereading their lesson® In order to raise their level of comprehension. Rereading several times in on© 3 sitting does not help comprehension too nrooh.^ A study of th© organist** tioa of a chapter with emphasis on major headings, subheadings, topic sentences! transitional sentences, and summary sentence® followed by one reading is generally more effective from the standpoint of speed and com prehension than merely to read the chapter twice. She various problems of students which have been presented in th® preceding seoti ne serve to Indicate that the great bulk of students who sought eoxmseling had improper study habits, There i s l i t t l e doubt but that the extreme ©go involvement which existed with respect to other per sonal problems would have made effective concentration on the part of th© student virtually impossible. Furthermore, there is evidence that th© students did not spend sufficient time in study even if they possessed good study habits. For the 1940-41 gro p the mean number of hours spent i;? study per week: was 15.4. The corresponding averages for the 1944-45 and 1946-47 groups were I3.7 and 14.9. The mean averages for the student® in all three year® 2A, H. Jordan, How to Study. Boston* Christopher Publishing Co,t 1936, p p . 14-15* 3j?. B. Snglish, B. L, Wei born, and 0, B. Killian., "Studies in Sub stance Memorisation,H &£ (ten©tic Pjlyc MIo^ ., Yol. 11, 1934, pp. 233~?59. 213 was 14.6 hours per week which was 23*3 how s short of the number of how s of study recommended for an average student carrying an average work load* Each student was asked to make a s e lf rating of M s study habit®* The three possible ratings were efficient# average# or inefficient* Of the total group of students who reported for guidance# 468 Indicated a rating. Only 52 students rated themselvee as efficient in their study habits as compared with 26l who rated themselves average and 155 Ineffi cient. The three groups made up 11.1, 55«$» and 33.1 per cent of the to ta l group* Table XXX indicates that significantly higher percentages of those students graduated who rated themselves as efficient with reference to study habits than did those who rated themselves average or inefficient* From the standpoint of the total group studied 82.7 per cent of those who rated efficient graduated. The comparable percentages for the average and inefficient groups are 48,0 and 38.7* 3from the standpoint of gradua tion, it appears that the student's ovm rating of hi® study baMts was a rather accurate one. Prom the standpoint of sex# Table XXX Indicates that the ratings were approximately a® valid for men as for women. In only one group was there any deviation from the trend with respect to graduation. Among the taen# 50.0 per cent of those rating as efficient graduated while 55*0 per cent of those who rated average grad.uated. However# only 44.0 per cent of those rating a® inef icient graduated. A® was previously pointed out# it appear® that the 1944-45 men were more highly motivated toward study than the men in the other two year®. This may have resulted In more c r itic a l judgment of their study h a b i t s # placing some who may have 2lA 'HAULS m PER CENT Of STUDENTS WHO REPORTED POR eOUNSDLIHO WHO GRADUATED ACCORDING TO STUDY HABITS HATING- E ffic ie n t Average Inefficient X9i*0-Al MLS. Total number 12 36 20 Number graduating 9 19 10 Per cent 75*0 52.8 50*0 Female Total number 6 30 10 Number graduating 6 19 3 Per cent 100,0 63,3 30*0 Total Total number 18 66 30 Number graduating 15 38 13 Per cent S3.3 57.6 A3.3 la te rfe i M f t Total number A 20 25 Humber graduating 2 11 11 Per cent 5 o .o 55.0 AA*0 Total number 6 70 3© Number graduating 8 16 Per cent 100*0 AS,6 A2.1 Total Total number 12 90 03 Number graduating 10 A5 27 Per eent 83*3 50.0 A2.9 IS M r-itt Wale, T otal.number 13 56 35 Humber graduating 11 22 6 Per eent 8 A.6 39*3 17 *1 Z ffiO ft Total number 9 A9 27 Number graduating 7 20 1A Per cent 77*8 A0.8 51*9 Total T otal number 22 105 bZ Humber graduating 13 A2 20 Per cent 81.8 A0*0 32*3 Grand Total Total number 52 261 155 Number graduating A3 125 60 Per cent 82.7 AS.O 38*7 2X5 "been efficient in the average group. It la also to b© noted that for a ll thro© years only 38*7 per cant of those rated as inefficient gra&u** a ted whereas In ^*0 per cent of the males designated as inef ficient graduated. The point-hour ratios earned by the various groups are presented In Table XXXI* In 19h0*-4l the males fa llin g under the e ffic ie n t category earned a 2.00 average while females in the same group earned a 2.22 aver age. The comparable ratios for male® and females classified a® average are 1*A2 and 1.62, respectively* The trend is consistent throughout with males and females in the inefficient rating making averages of 1.01 and *95* res pectively* Among the males and females in the 19^~*t5 and 1946*^7 groups this same general trend is diaceraable. Considerable evidence ha® been cited in previous chapter® indica ting that students recognised quit© well many of the factors which consti tuted the web which encircled them, S’urtherroore* there 1 ® evidence th a t a goodly number of them recognized the danger® and possible consequences of being thus ensnared. However, there was also evidence that the stu dents felt unable to deal with their troubles in an effective manner thereby resolving them in order that they might be free to do effective study. As a matter of fact they sought vainly for ©accuse® to account for their present state. The following statement® relating to study h ab its give some evidence concerning how the student felt about his situation* ”1 donft understand what I read, and because of the excessively large classes, the teachers don*t car© whether the students pass or fa il.w nI find it hard to make myself realize the necessity of studying and doing homework on time* I keep p u ttin g o ff thing® and when I've 2X6 TAKL1S yXXX POXK9^HO03l RATIOS OF STUD23?!'?. MW) WORTFC FOE COlJHmTO ACCORDIKO TO STURT HABITS BATIM E ffic ie n t Average Inefficient l & B r & l ^alea Point-hour ratio 2.00 1.42 1*01 Mean Psychological score 75-9 50.3 58.1 Jeaalas Point-hour ratio 2.22 1.62 *95 Mean Psychological score 91-0 65-5 47-9 Males Point-hour ratio 1.41 1-30 1*04 Mean Psychological score 77*5 74* 4 54.4 SemsOea Point-hour ratio 1.91 1.52 1.02 Mean Psychological score 56 *6 56-7 46.7 Male. Point-hour ratio 1.71 I .07 .68 Mean Psychological score 79.2 59-1 50.6 Point-hour ratio 2*35 1 , 2? 1 21 Mean Psychological score ao.5 51.0 57-8 finally waited too long, I promise ryselx I *11 study and Be prompt and then the same thing happens again. I don’t seem to care about a course I’m taking and failing it does not eeem to bother me. I’m not sure what I want to d o.” HI just don’t know how to study. I have too many things on ny mind and I can’t concentrate. tt "I worry about sty clause5, but d-u*’t seen to study any harder or put any extra time on the liar&er subject6. X am too self-ooneeious about just everything - class* out of doors, hoys, etc, X get ho red with some of ay classes for no reason at all* X have had habits of eat ing all the time and biting my nails. n "Hr chief problems are not wanting to go to college, and net taking what I want to take if I have to go* The others ar© not having enough time to ay self so that I am able to get more outside exercise. Also X have some nervous habits which distract me 1 when studying.11 wAs I never really had to stuSy in high school, X do not know how to study for college. % grades are not what they should be, and X would like to bring them up as much as possible. X tvish I could learn to con trol ry temper. I get mad too quickly end easily.” chief problem is worrying about making my grades not only for my sorority but also to be able to enter ay college*n "I csnft seem t get my mind on ny work and concentrate on it* All I can t";iink of doing is to get out of school in a hurry, get married and live on ?. farm. All year I have been worried about this certain boy and wanting things to work out because he is the one X vrant to m-rry. He has a farm and is going to raise livestock, everything 1 could ever want in a husband I’ve ftr.ind in him. If that could straighten out I don’t think X would have any w o rrie s .n "I sal always tired. I have plenty of time in which to do things, but X never feel quit© up to it. I should study more, but X can’t get ay mind on It. X am very nervous and am still a little afraid of being left alone- hly imagination is ridiculous, but when I sit down and start 218 thinking it jUBt runs away with m . 1 think th is i s th© main reason why I ca n 't st nay. I a lso daydream a lo t. I want to make a success In whatever vocation 1 choose, hut at present I have no ambition. 1 don't know how to study and never have* I would lik e very much to learn, and also to learn how to develop interest In subject® 1 am not interested in. * *1 rea lise that in my grades that I try to put the hi am© on others* 3y looking at the things I checked on this paper I can realise this. All of ray life I have had everything I wanted. In high school I never had to study because I ju st happened to belong to the "right crowd. * Wow that I'm in college I don’t know how.to study, Just in the past few years I have become ill at ease among people I doaft know. This is worrying me because I have always been so carefree and perfectly at ease among any people.w Table XXXII indicates that a high percentage of the students in and 19^6-h^ had problems relating to adjustment to college work. Among the 19Wi~45 males per cent Indicated that they didn't know how to study. The per cent of the 19*K—^7 males indicating this same problem was considerably higher, being 5^.8* The widest discrepancy In responses between the men in 19**4-ty5 and those in 19^6-^7 occurred on the problems: "not fundamentally in terested in books" and "not g ettin g studies done on tim e.M Among the 19MM*5 males 28.9 per cent Indicated that both these problems were of serious concern to them* In the 19^6-^? group only lb*. 8 per cent indi cated the former problem and only 13*9* the la tte r one. With reference to females the situation was reversed. In 19¥^ty5 only 7*5 per cent indicated "not fundamentally interested In books11 as a problem. However* 219 mm xxxii p e r g e n t m stusrhts reporting foe gu im ci nr 19*44*45 ms 1946-47 WHO INDICATED SPECIFIC fROKHSMS IK O T A B M O f A&TUSflW? TO COIJJS0K WORK - 33&M* ...... Hsle,.. .female M&l® . female ___ IS3Ls m l ^ , Don’t know how to study effectively 44.4 44.3 54.8 51*7 Getting low grades 42.2 30.2 36.5 3 3 0 fearing failure in college 35*6 26.4 34.8 29.9 Unable to concentrate well 35*6 40,6 35.7 33*3 Slow in mathematics 33*3 28*3 25.2 31*0 Set fundamentally interested in hooks 28,9 7*5 14.8 16*1 Hot g ettin g studies done on time 28.9 18,9 13*9 18,4 Vocabulary too limited 28,9 31*1 25,2 27*6 Slow In reading 26.? 20,8 20,0 24.1 Unable to eatress myself in words 24.4 27*4 20*9 28.7 Worrying about examinations 24.4 37*7 16-5 36,8 In. 1946-47 16.1 par eent of the females indicated this problem, The higher percentage of 194*4-45 male students indicating they were not inter ested in hooks may have occurred because men were tremendously concerned with the war in that year. The percentages of students indicating particular problem® were high for each year studied. A study of students at Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1945 revealed that 26.0 per cent of the men felt that they did not know how to study effectively*** This Is considerably smaller than the percentages of loul si ana State University student® re porting this problem in 1944-45 and 1946*4?, As previously stated the percentages are 44.4 and 54.8* respectively* Only 10 per cent of the Colorado males were concerned about getting low grade9 as contrasted to 42.2 per cent of the Louisiana State University men in 1944-45* Likewise only 8 per cent of the Colorado male® were wor ried about being unable to concentrate well while 35*6 per cent of the 1944-45 sales in the present study considered this a serious problem*^ Thus it appears that the students in the present study were defi nitely handicapped by inferior study habits and other problems relating to their adjustment to college work* Many factor® which prevented them from studying effectively have been indicated in the preceding chapters* \a th Hunter, gg. clt* , pp. 52-53• 5ibia. . p. 53* XII GOSCIAJ SIGHS Ehis study represents an attempt to analyze certain character-* is tics of a ll students who reported to the Bureau of Tee ting and Guidance for vocational or educational guidance of any type during the school years 1 9 4 0 -4 1 , 1944-45, and 1946-47. Since students vho came for counseling did so voluntarily it was assumed that the bulk of the cases involved Individuals who felt that they had some type of problem which was troubling them* 33*1 s assumption proved to be a very valid one. Many Individuals w ill probably be surprised at the amount of personality disorganisation among undergraduates that this study re veals* She general public usually thinks of college years as being carefree ones - a time of few responsibilities and no serious problems* ©sis type of thinking is prevalent because the most obvious features of undergraduate life are festive occasions like football games, special p a rtie s, and graduation exercises* There i s l i t t l e appreciation o f the genuine hardships experienced by many students* Students are regarded by the general public as being uniformly happy and content* College eiminietratore and teachers are not so naive in their views, but few of them fully realise the consequences that may stem from a students personal problems* 221 Finding® 4seated to he eignif leant for the study are as follow®} 1* ®t© male group of 2^3 students represented 1*8 per cent of total male enrollment for the three year period studied. !2he 250 women students whs reported for guidance constituted ^.0 per cent of the total female student population* It appear® that women student® seek eerunseliag aid to a greater extent than men students# 2# Students who came to the Bureau for guidance wore concen trated la the younger age groups# She average age for the males was 19*2 years a® compared to 17*8 year® for the women# Women students sought gaidanee at an earlier age and also at an earlier period in their college career than men students# For the total male group 56*2 per cent were in their first year of college work as compared to 65*3 per cent of the women# Of a l l students who reported for counseling 82*5 per cent were in their first two years of college work# Evidence indicated that th is concentration of cases occurred because the first two years and mere particularly tile first year represents the crucial period in the adjustment of a student to the college community* 3* Although there were large groups of students reporting for eetmseling from among the total groups from Hew Orleans, Baton Houge, and ether large urban centers over the State# they did not constitute an unduly high percentage of the total population from their particular area# Counsels®* made up 1.5 per cent of the to ta l enrollment from the five farming areas of the State# Khls figure compares favorably with the figure for counseled oomlmg from large urban centers, These urban eeumselees comprised 1,8 per eent of the total enrollment from their areas. 4. Students were divided into three groups according to their score on the jmg&sm Ssm kl MM m h MM tM O U kM tflft -MS* &**** scoring from 0 through 33 wero classified as below average, those scoring from j4 through 66 as average, and 67 through 99 as ahove average* She above average group comprised 44,0 per cent of the total group while the average and below average groups constituted 32,4 per een t and 23.6 per cent respectively of the total group* Students who placed in the helow average category made an average of 0*9* Shoes who placed in the average classification made an average o f 1* 3, while the superior group made a 1.? average* Shore was evidence of a relationship between intelligence and the per coat of students who failed to register for additional college work following the semester in which they sought counseling aid. In IflKMtl, 29*0 per eent of the students In the below average group failed to register for additional school work. In the average and above average groups, only 14,8 per cent and ?-5 per cent respectively f a ile d to take a d d itio n a l school work* The percentage of drop ou ts declined ra d ic a lly among the men in the 1944-45 group, Only 12*5 per cent of the below average group failed to take additional college work as compared to only 7.1 per cent for the average group and 0.0 p er cent for the above average group, The loss of male oounselees In 1944-45 was approximately one-third less than losses in either 1940-41 or zzk 1946-47* fhere was evldense ^iieh indicated that men students were •ere highly motivated toward study since a student in good standing •anally received a deferment from military service* Since graduation is the ultimate goal of most students, tabula- Hens were made on the percentage of students who reached their goal* from the 1940-41 group* 37*5 per cent of those students In the below average group graduated from the University as compared to 63*0 p er cent of the average group and 73*6 per cent of the above average group* i&proxiBately this same divergence occurred between the various groups in 1944-45 and 1946 -4 7 . 5* Since the adjustment of an individual In a new situation depends on certain situational factors and the past experience of the Individual, an analysis of the relationship of selected family back ground factors to academic adjustment was undertaken* Among those students who were only children and who planed in the below average category (0 through 33 percentile)* only 19*2 per cent graduated from the University. Per those students who came from fami lies having two children and who placed in the below average group* the per eent of students who graduated is 27*3* the final group - those students who came from families with three or more children and who placed in the below average group -4 1 .7 per cent graduated from the University* This trend was net discernible in the above average group of students* The per eent of students graduating was approximately the T-A CM ■g 9 o fa9 M *H f© * H* 1 J>a 9 « fa O « 1 ® 2a at I ft fa£ 4» ^ © •fa •*»5 S 4* fao *a «S S ► 53 fa 9 ■S © © fa 3 Vt O 1 3 : § *4* ! fa i 8 % % 5 5 *CJ 1 ? I « • 9 % I ■B 9 % 3 *S 4>s fa I 3 1 3 I - fa I 1 : a 3• §t I i 3 I S r 1 For the total group etn&enta whose mothers were working outside the home made aft overage of 1*2? while these students whose mothers v8r® ftot.oo employed made an average of 1 . 3 6 * She per cent of students graduat&grwoo almost the seme for both groups, being 48,8 for the firs t group flBtft 48,9 for the second, bitfc respect to the academic adjustment o f students coming from broken aftd unbroken homos, mo difference was found to exist between tho point-hour ra tio s earned by the two groups. However, there was a significant difference between the two groups in the per cent of stu dents who graduated, Xa the male group from unbroken families, 49,? per M il graduated while only 3?.7 per cent graduated la the male ©(roup sowing from broken hemes. For females coming from unbroken homes the p er eeat who graduated was 5^*5 w hile the comparable per eent fo r fe males from broken homes was 41,5. 6 . The analysis of the oases revealed that the hulk of the stu dents who eame for counseling had aft excessive number of problems which troubled them. There was considerable evidence which indicated that the problems Indicated a point o f imbalance leading toward excessive frus tration, Regardless of What area the problems fell in - health, home, or so c ia l r emotional attachment made the student incapable of studying effectively, Ms failure to keep up with hie school work in turn accentuated his problems, A summary of the various types of problems and their effect on the student's adjustment would be misleading and Inadequate, Instead the tr *(A G y * f t y I S ! 5 9 & ** *r a ‘ I i I I I tS» I 3. % ill ? I* r i 9«*> M H* ** E M © i 5 s H* SJ I * & 9 » I * * 5 « ff r— 3 I ST a i p> n I i *-* * i I •d* >4 ? © 2. y *i y I* ►v O I o 1 s g «#> H, *d p » 3 ** H o l M O* Hj o S. © © ~ 3 g § I © cf ta o H © *1 & ** ►* s r fL t t d © H* * X I « H* I r I £ © t t ^ I £< *% a 3 © © £ €*• © 0 s> § tturgftSA aatiBBT 6* £$txT4*B? egpng no mxo?8 In the stu d en t *1 keeping their problems within the recesses of their own minds* Student* eeened unable to gain the proper perspective when th in k in g alene shout tt«if problem*, An extreme degree of self concern left to breeding end isolation* Other mere normal individuals belong to group* and tlMgh they me? suffer occasional feelings of inferiority they gain strength through identifying themselves with the strength and the successes e f the group* The individual is fortunate who find* a eearee ef activity outside himself and becomes concerned with problems other them his own physique* drees, behavior, and background* Finally, the traits of responsibility, relative toughness to the problems ef the world, and ability to meet disagreeable life problems had net been developed by the great m ajority of the students studied* To seme extent, the students seamed to be caught in a maelstrom of change which swept away all things formerly valued by them - inetitu~ tieas, faith, customs, etc. As a consequence they sought for an &n~ ehorage and finding no fixed principle, rule of life, or value that replaced old values satisfactorily, they became confused and snmloue, Pence, any area of life which offered some personal satisfaction to the individual was guarded jealously lest it be swept away. Their anxious pursuit of a sense of permanency and a feelin g of belottginess rendered their powers of concentration sterile. In a similar manner their anxiety made normal social adjustment Increasingly difficult. In view o f the above fin d in g s, the w rite r would recommend! (I) that assistance of a personal and friendly type bo offered all students early la their college career to assist thein not only in formulating goals in college hat also for later life * ( 2) th a t careful attention he given the college orientation program with the aim of developing intimate friendships among small groups of students and to acquaint them with sympathetic upperclassmen and faculty* Ihe student she la literally terrified by a problem usually feels quite r© 11 eyed to learn that the particular problem i s quite common to most students* Shis awareness that other students have faced the same problem and solved it dispels his feeling that the situation Is hopeless, ( 3) th a t all possible steps be taken to develop in the University community a social s true tore which permits the optimum development of a socialised personality through the satisfaction of basic motives and the prevention of irreconcilable conflicts* Careful study and planning in these areas will do much to dispel the state of anomie which was found to exist among University students* SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY S3USCTKD BIBLXOfflAPHY A ld rich , M. 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E,, “Solving Individual Problems of Adjustment,** Journal of "mt1 Sfffi^BAawr. xix (1995). Marsolis, Benjamin, “The Problem of Facade In the Counseling of Low Scholar- ship Studente," Journal o f Oonaultlm? Pgyohology. IX (March. 1995). Maslov, A, E*, Hirsh, E lisa , Stein, Marcella, and Roaigmann, Irma, “A Clinically Derived Test For Measuring Psychological Security,n J n w w t T of Qanernl PareholOCT. XXXIII (1995). Mead, 0. H., Wind. S e lf, and S ociety. Chicago i U niversity of Chicago P ress, 193^* Meehl, P. R» and Hathaway, S. P., “The K Factor as a Suppressor Far!able in the Minnesota Multlphasic Personality Inventory ,H Journal, of. AraUmft Ktntttltwir* xxx (1996). v M iller, A. J., «I« the Exceptionally Able College Student Socially Malad justed?** School and Society* XLV (1937)* Miller, N. 2* and Lollard,, John, Social. Learning apd Imitation. Mew Haven* Yale University Press, 1941. 233 M ills, H. C*, "Adjusting the Veteran to Civilian College L ife,M m m gr O utline. XIX (19MV)* t Ko»e I»* » *%q>loratory He search on Students* Problem s, H Journal o f Bdpcjntigtsft SStilfifiSfik* XXXVH , "Personal Problem® o f Preshmen G irls," Th? Journal of KLghjer Kduqation. XIV ( 1 9 ^3 ) — ------1 toBsa t e l U& i» M M la m , Columbus * Bureau of Bdue&tional Research, Ohio State University, 19^1, » "Surveying Hl^h School Students* Problems by Means ©f * Problm Cheek L ist,» Baafl.te«tJh, Sesem-cA Bulletin, XXI (W 2>. > 2- i» • F,ratao,UffB a t Mm MtowttoRBA aak i a a t o t a g. Murphy, L. B., "Personality Development at the College Level," Joiyn&l o f g&uaatloiu LXYI (19**6). Kelson, S. H*, "Handicaooed Child Meet® His Hew Surroundings," Train* in g School B u lletin . XLI (19*1*5)* Kelson, 2*, father *s location and Certain Student Attitudes," Jmiraal S& Abnormal and Social Psychology. XXXXV (1939)* Hemzek, C, L., "The Value of the Bemreuter Personality Inventory for S treet and D ifferen tia l Prediction of Academic Success as Meae* ured by Teachers’ Marks, ** t o a a &l d£ te3Afi& **31 (1938)* Hevaan* 8. C. and Mooney, H. L., "Effect® of Student Self-Help," Journal of Hj/duer Education* II (19^0)# Hewcomb, T. M., Personality sM 10SM SbfiW8 MmMgil 3& & ■ gtudm t {faammlty. Hen York* Dryden, 19^3* 01 sen, W# 0 ., "Improvement of Human delations in the Classroom," Jf3ffin&L of Children*a Education. XXII (19^)« Ovens, V. A. and Johnson, Wilma C. t "Some Measured Personality Traits of Collegiate Underachievers," J^ im L &£ Mpcatlonai £mM&SX» rJx (I9h8). P atrick , James 0 ., Rolp Intimate. Gruma J& .ftfaft, SffiggXgBr meat of Selected College Ken. Dos Angelest University of Southern C alifornia Pr e s a, 1935, Paty, Y., "Preshmn Guidance North Texas S.T.C. Style," g&ps&fr Q&tllnfe, XXVIII (19 ^ ) , 239 -P h illip s, B. , "Rmnfcal Bsagftrs Among Oollogm Students t" o# A^ormL gESJffiisgz;, XXV (1930 ). Pcpentxs, H. * ., Raw Tou’r* In College. Stanford! Stanford TJhlvwslter P r o .s, 19**?. Pr*s«ey, S. I ., "Background Xduoational Faators Conditioning Collage soeeaaar* .SaMaa n StssAx&t a£ M i a m iM ttteft S i fflaasMai. xvi ( 1928 )* Holya, L. I*., "Changes in Conceptions and Beliefs Slgaifleant to the field of Mental Hygiene and Social Welfare of Senior Pre-Ke&ical Student* Boring a Tear of Psychology." JgfiiftL AaeoalAttoa. Quarterly. X <19**6). Hose, A* A*, "Effect of War on the Social and Emotional Adjustment of College Cirls," Journal of Social Psychology. XXIV (1»H). Sehaaldler, G. G. and Be r die, R. P ., ^Repr© sen t&tlve.n© s s of College Student* Who Receive Counseling Services," jtmml S£ %VMtil>mX, Pareholaaac. XXXIII (19»*2). Segal. B. and Proffitt, m. M., t o n ImatoM. i & i M MMaMmJl, si M X m . Students. TT, s* O ffice of Education B u lletin Bo* 12, Washington* 1937. Shaffer, M* L*f "Maladjuetraent of College Preeiaaen,1’ School of Education Bulletin* XXIV (19^). Shaffer, R. H*, "Effect of English Deficiency TJpon a Student’s Adjust*** aient in C ollege,* Indiana Un.iver^.ijflr S^opJL, H a a M to 3£Ufi£k&» xxiv ( 19 ** 8 )* Sharif, Musafer, Q*Hlao s i flMfrft RmM flBE* Iew *«*« Harper and Bro 3, , 19 ^ a Sisson, X. B ., "An Analysis of the Occupational Alias of College Students," Occupations* XVII (1938)* . »fhe Predictive Value of Vocational Choice® of College Students," School and Society* XLVI1 (1938)* "Vocational Choices of College Students," gflaftffll m & S ociety. XLVI (1937)< S m elt2e r , C, H., WA ?4ethod Xor Determining What College Students Consider Their Own D ifficulties, " School end Cocjefty. XXXII (1930)* Smith, C* M., "Academic Adjustment Problems,H Jopmal of. Higher &£&» X (1939)* ZkQ Sperle, B* Henrye tta , "Some B iff le n it ie s Rxperiencsd by f ir s t Year btJe- d«it» in S«wh»»-Tjralniiis Inatitutions," S&ftoligr.’a S flU m SSQS£&. s a x ( 1928 ). Stagner, R ,, "The R elation of Personality to Academic Aptitude and Achieve- nant," So v x m SL s i Mttgftttoaal Hegeareh. X 0 1 (1933). Stanrona, Q. D., "Help r»r the Haladjusted," m iaoie School Baaaq.utlma, iorv (1945). Strang, Ruth, Behavior apfl Bacfoar.ouiid of Student s in College and Secondary S^fiQle Hew Yorks Harper and Brea., 1937* - -■-■» P ersonal Problem* o f Students," I&Ijpfl&k B l Daaqa o f Women Yearbook. XVI ( 1929 ), Stratton, Dorothy 0*, Problems of Students In & Qr&duatft School of Mnea* te rn S t a d i a Jm&tem M> M* 15&* ®©w Yorks Teachers College, Columbia University* 193^# Stratton, Dorothy 0. and Schleraan, H. B ,, "Problem® in Social Usage Which Puzzle College Students," Harvard Educational Review. VIII (193®)* Symonds, P. M,, "Happiness as Related to Problems and In te r e sts," Journal S i Sgucatlonal PmMftgE* XXVIII (1937)* 1M Bzaafflto s£ Esmil WsdsmSk* *«* Yorks Appleton- Century, 1946. "Syracuse U niversity Conference of Mental Hygiene and Problems of Sxeep- tion al C hildren," School and Society. XJY (19**7), Thom, V. I,, and Znaniecki, 7. M lfik ESSSml lA ITOM m & AjtttaRt Bostons Richard C* Badger, 1918-20, 5 vole, Thompson, A ., "Expectation in Relation to Achievement and Happiness, " Journal of Abnormal and Social. f m s M i a w . * X X m n (19 ** 3 ). Threlkeld, H., "Guidance in College," Rational ideational 4sjsOJ5i.at.iQE JflnrnAl. XYXTIII (19*»9)* Todd, John B#. so c ia l Forms and thq letevlpr, o£ College, Stu4ejtLt&, lew Yorks ^ Bureau of Publications, CoItmMa.University, 19^1* Tolman, E. G*, "motivation, Learning, and Adjustment," PyQpee.ding.ja. of tfoa MftYJUa&, PMlQ.§9A>.hjj3A ^ocleAx> m cciy ( 19 ** 1 ). Walters, A,, "The Psychology of Personality," Jppffml of .Coaml idMflftftiflfl* XXIX (19 A5 ). 2kl Warren, Roland I»*« "A Sociological Analysis of Student Activities*" Educational Sforusu V (May, 1 ^ 1 )• Washburne, J* H*, "factors Related to the Social Adjustment of College G iris," i w m A &£ JteaML x l n (19 ^1 ). West, R. M*, HStudent Mortality, Student Survival, and Student Account** ins." in *• Unde Ison (Bd.), a t Pallet* MraftMm, Min- neapolls: University of Minnesota Press, 1928. West, Richard G*, Youth fi£ Ashtabula County Their Story* UnpuV 11 shed M. A* Thesis, Ohio State University, IfAo, Wiksell# W. A,t "Relationship Between Reading D ifficulties snd Psyoho** logical Adjustment." Journal ol_ Muoatlonal Be search. 30»I (19^8). Williamson, R* 0 ,, "Report on Young*-®stahrooks Studiousness Scale for Use With Strong U.I.B.," Journal of Mucatlonal Psychology. XCTIII (I 93 ?). * "Scholastic Motivation and the Choice of a Vocation#" School and Society* XLVI (1937)* ■ "The Relationship of Humber of Hours of Study to scholarship. * faarmX a t Msmbiwl UbbMjubu 30(71 (1935). Woolf, M. D., "A Study of Some Relationship Between Home Adjustment and The Behavior of Junior College Students," Journal of Social Psy chology. XVII (19^3)* Toung, Zlohall, Personality && Problena g£ M.tuatmeat, Mew Tories S’. S. Crofts and Co*, 19**9* Young, E ., DrougM, H ., and Bergstresser, J . , "Social and $Smotional Ad* justments of Freshmen at the University of Wisconsin#" Am^yi.ean Sociological Reyigw. II (1937). APPMBIX ZkZ 2^3 INDIVIDUAL RECORD FORM DATE To the Student; The purpose of this blank is to bring together all essential information about you, so that our interview with you can be given over completely to discussion of your problem. The information that we ask you to give in the following pages is a very necessary addition to whatever tests you take, and will allow us to inter pret your test results in terms of your specific needs. These forms are for our confidential use only, so please answer the questions as frankly and completely as possible. name SEX COLLEGE (Last!) (First) (kiddie)1* Present Address Phone Class Home Address Religious Pref. Age______Date of Birth Place of Birth When did you first enter L.S.U, Father Living Yes Check any of the following which are applicable: No ] Parents still married Parents Divorced Mother Living Yes Parents separated Father re-narried No * Mother re-married If Father not living, Name of Guardian Father's name and initials Father's age^ Father's address (residence) Mother's age Father's business or occupation: Name of firm. Employer Father's title, position, or nature of w o rk ______ Mother's occupaiion Mother's present occupation before marriage Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace Father and liiother's Education: A, Indicate below the highest grude reached B, Indicate any special training in school. If they finished the 6 th grade, they may have had in the spaces but no more, indicate grade 6 , I f they provided. fin ish e d 2 years of high school, indicate High School 2. Use a cross for Father's education and a circle for Mother's. Grade School 12 3 45678 College 12 3 4 Nursing School 12 3 4 High School 12 3 4 Graduate work 1 2 3 4 Business College 12 3 4 Teacher's College 12 3 4 Musio School 12 3 4 Other 12 3 4 2 W BROTHERS1 AMD SISTERS1 Ag® Sex Education Married Occupation (if unemployed (Im ghest Grade (tes,No) give‘usual occupation or Reached) tra in in g ) . X, 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Nome of High School Date of Graduation Type of course taken ^ Age at Graduation ______ Size of Senior Class Your rank in class ______ Do you think you have been handicapped in any of your past school work because you were a slow reader? Specify type of extra-curricular activities and offices: In High School In College A th letics Dramuti c s 1 ‘ 7 1 ' ''' 1 Debate ______Journalism ** Student Government r ' ^ZZZZZIIIZZZZIZZZIIZ Other Colleges or special schools attended (including present attendance) and also including special training in art, music, stenogruphy, etc,) NAME OF SCHOOL OR C )LLEGE D a TE ATTENDED COURSES MIEN If you aro not already attending Louisiana State University, do you expect to 245 enter? When? litfhut course or college? L ist in chronological order, a ll your work or employment experiences to date (including part-time or summer jobs)* Finn From To Nature o f Work Monthly Salary T?hich of these jobs did you like best? Place a check mark before the item appearing in tho list below which best describes your living arrangements while at the University: I am living at home with my family, I am liv in g in a Univorsity Dormitory or on-campus U niversity room. I am living at the home of a relative or friend. I am living in a fraternity house, I am liv in g in a rooming house* I am liv in g in ray own homo or apartment* Answer the rest of this page only if you have attendod or are attending a University Uhat is (or was) your major? ______Uliut year are you in? ______How many hours do you study per week (on an average)? ______Do you consider taht your study habits are (efficient, average, or inefficient) for college competition? (Underline the best phrase). Aro you engaged in any outside work while attending the University? If so, what is the nature of the work and how much time do you spencT on it (Per week)?______ In v/hat hobbies or leisu re timo a c tiv itie s do you engage? (For example, sports, movios, "dates’*, reading, concerts, clubs, collections, etc.) TVhat types of books or articles interest you? (Fiction, biography, scientific, etc.) TThat magaiinos do you read most frequently? xsfc* 246 TO BE ANSY5ERED BY EVERY STUDENT Why (did you decide ) to come to the University? (Chock as many as necessary or (are you deciding) explain below). JTo get a liberal oducation. JTo please parents, or friends, prepare for a vocation. "family, tradition. * * 1 For the prestige of a college degree, JTo learn more of c e rta in su b jec ts, 'To be with old school friends. " it was the "th in g to do". For social enjoyment* "Collogo Life". ^Foregone conclusion, I never Without a collego degree (or training), "questioned why. there is less chance of getting a job, W ill enable me to make more money* To make friends and helpful connections To get a general education# Explanation How does your family feel about college work? (Check one): Very anxious for you to get a degree. ^Interested in your success in a Feels that a college education is "special field. - especially desirable. Opposed to your going to college. Insists on your going to college. Plans for your financial support in college (Check one) Entirely supported by family. Part-time work will be necessary, Tot^l self-support will be necessary '(about how many hours per week) (how many hours per week?) List, in order of preference, five occupations in which you would like to earn your own living. Ijb not consider your abilities or job opportunities in making this lis t. Just consider whether or not you would be"happydoing ' theTworlc7' TT~n OCCUPriTIOU REASONS FOR INTEREST IN THESE OCCUPATIONS I . ______- ______* 2 # ______ 3. ______ 4. ______ 5. ' ' ______ Lhat is your present vocational choice? ______ "When did you make this choice? (Give the year), ______XBC 247 Trtihy did you make this choice? (Check reason or reasons): Family suggestion or tradition. A long personal interest in the work# "Friend's or teacher*s advice* [it is most profitable financially. The vocation of someone I admire or It is best suited to my abilities. re sp e c t. Chosen as being most interesting Suggested by study in school. intellectually. Suggested by study in college# Choice made on my own responsibility. Eow certain are you that this occupation you have specified is the one you really want to prepare for: Very certain and satisfied Uncertain Very questionable How much information have you about the requirements of the vocation you are choosing? None Some Extensive uhere did you got this information (Specify books, talks with men in that work, lectures, etc.) ______ If you were free of all restrictions (if you could do as cu wish) what would you want to be doing 1 0 or 15 years from now? It is possible to make a rough classification of occupations in terms of general interest and abilities. In the following list, indicate in order of preference (1, 2, 3) the three groups in which you believe you would best f it. Occupations involving business contacts with people, such as the various fields of selling, promotional work, politics, etc. Occupations involving social activities, such as i.ifl.C.A, worker, Boy Scout Executive, personnel worker, social case worker, teacher, welfare worker, etc# Occupations involving business detail work, such as accountancy, business statistician, cashier, banker, stenographer, and office clerical work. Occupations requiring special artistic abilities, such as musician, actor, artist, interior decorator, designer, etc. Occupations involving technical or scientific work, wuch as engineer, chemist, surgeon, architect, research worker, inventor, physicist, toolmaker, etc. Occupations involving verbal or linguistic work, such as lawyer, newspaper man, author, advertising man, professor, librarian, etc. Occupations involving executive responsibilities, such as director, office manager, foreman, etc* Underline any of the following words which describe your general make-up: Persevering, friendly, patient, stubborn, capable, tolerant, calm, impetuous, bashful, pessimistic, reserved, self-oonfident, jealous, talented, quick tempered, cynical, tactful, conscientious, cheerful, submissive* excited, irritable, anxious, poor health, nervous, easily exhausted, unhappy, frequent periods of gloom or depression. rte would like to know specifically what your reasons were for coming to the Testing and Guidance Bureau. If it is listed below, please make the appropriate checks? if not, will you state your problem in the space provided. From what source did you loarn about the Bureau of Testing and Guidance? I would like the services of the Bureau of Testing and Guidance because: (Check here - one or more) I am undecided as to my vocational choice* I am not making satisfactory progress in my course. I was referred here by my advisor, I would like help in making out my program, I have decided on ______as my vocation, but I would like a check-up made- as to my aptitudes for' this choice, I cannot decide between the following vocations I would like to know if I should attend the University* Tihat else can you tell us that would be helpful in understanding your problem? 2*1-9 CASE NO. DATE INTERVIEWER* FINAL INTERVIEW NAME C OLLEGE______C LAS S______ Entered L.S.U. 19 ____ . T ra n sfe r ______Semester Hours ______Quality Credits ______ FRESHMAN EXAMINATIONS; Aj C. E. Psychological Examination: Placement Examinations: Q - Score ' /oile E n g lis h foile L - S co re ______/S ile Math ema tic s % i 1 e Total Score %±le C h e m istry ______% ile Iowa Silent Reading Examination: Median Score ______P e r c e n tile High School Q uartile SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT: First Semester Second Semester Course Grade Course Grade To Date: Total Semester Hours Total Quality Credits^ VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE TESTS: Kuder Preference Record: 0. O utdoor % ile 5. A rtistic %ile 1. M ech an ical % ile 6. L i te r a r y %ile 2. Computational %±le 7 . M u sical %ile 3. S c i e n t i f i c % lle 8 . Social Service 7°ile 4. Persuas ive % ile 9. Clerical %ile Final Interview BT&G Strong Vocational Interest Inventory: 250 Occupation Rating Occupation Rating 1. Accountant 23. Life Insurance Slsm. 2. A dvertising Manager 24* Mathematician 3, A rch itect 25. Math.-Science Teacher 4. A rtis t 26. Minister 5* Author-Jo uma lis t 27, ]!/Ius ician 6* A viator 28. Nurse 7. Buyer 29, Occupational Therapist 8* Carpenter 30. O ffice Worker 9. Chemist 31. Personnel Manager 10. D entist 32. Production Manager 11. D ie titia n 33. Physical Education Teacher 12. Elementary School Teacher 34. Phys ic ian 13. Engineer 35. Psychologist 14. English Teacher 36. Public Administrator 15. Farmer 37. Purchasing Agent 16. F emin in i ty-Ma s c ul in i ty 38. Real Estate Slsm. 17. Forest Service Man 39, Sales Manager 18. Home Economics Teacher 40. Social Science Teacher 19. Housewife 41, Social Worker 20. Laboratory Technician 42. Stenographe r-Sec retary 21. Lawyer 43. Y.M.C.A. Physical D irector 22. L ib rarian 44. Y.M.C.A. S ecretary Other Tests: Summary: 251 BIOG&APHY Bardin I* Nelson was born at Oakland, Louisiana, on August 25, 1921. He attended both elementary and high school at Marlon, Louisiana. He graduated in 1938 receiving the valedictory award from Marion High School. In the fall of 193® he enrolled at Louisiana State University* In the sumaer of 1939 he attended the American Youth foundation Encamp* ntent at Shelby, Michigan, having received a fellowship as the out stand** lag freshman in agriculture for the 1938-39 session. He continued his education at Louisiana State University, graduating in June, 1942. Upon graduation he received a Julius ^osenvald fellowship and a fellowship in the Department of Bur&l Sociology. He received the K. A, degree in sociology in June, 19^3* Upon receipt of this degree he accepted a position as research associate In the Department of Rural Sociology. He resigned from this position on January 1, 1944 to ‘become General Secretary of the L.S.U. Y.M.C.A, He entered the U, S. Navy in September, 19**4, receiving M b basic training at San Diego, California. After attending the U.S.N.B, Midship man* s School at Columbia University he received a commission as Insign, Daring the remainder of his naval career, he served as a line officer aboard the U.S.s. Durik (U.K. 666) and as Transportation officer and Assistant Ammunition officer at the Dort Mifflin Ammunition Depot, Phila delphia, Pennsylvania. During this latter tour of duty he was allowed to take one oouree in sociology per semestor at Temple University. Upon receipt of his discharge from the U. S. Navy in June, 1946* he returned to hi# p osition a# General Secretary of the L.S.U. Y.M.C.A. 252 K© also accepted a part-time instruetorsliip in sociology sad taught r- courses in rural sociology for two years. In August, 1948, he accepted the position of Director of the Burton of Testing and Outdance a t Louisiana State University and has continued to work in that capacity to date. At present he is a can* didate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology. On August 12, 19*K># he married the former Barbara Cejnpbell of Hassaond, Louisiana. They now have two children, Bardin, Jr. and Howard* EXAMINATION AND THESIS REPORT Candidate: Bardin Hubert Nelson Major Field: Sociology Title of Thesis: Some Social-Psychological Problems Involved In the Adjustment o f Students to th e U n iv ersity Community Approved: Major Professor and Chairman fean of the Graduate School EXAMINING COMMITTEE: Date of Examination: July 31• 1950