Wellness Factors Decrease the Odds of Drinking and Driving Among College Students

The authors examined holistic wellness factors and drinking and driving behaviors among undergraduate students. Two factors of the Indivisible Self Wellness Model, the Coping Self and the Physical Self, decreased the odds of engaging in drinking and driving behavior.     

Parental Alienation Among College Students

A sample of 50 college students responded to a questionnaire measuring perceptions of alienating behaviors on the part of their parents and their current relationship with each parent. Data revealed a higher degree of alienating behavior by divorced parents when compared to non-divorced parents. Mothers and fathers were rated about equally likely to engage in such behaviors. A higher incidence of alienated parent-child relationships in divorced homes approached, but did not reach, statistical significance. Students who were alienated from one parent report higher levels of alienating behaviors on the part of their parents. The results suggest that parental alienating behaviors, and the phenomenon of a child becoming alienated from a parent after divorce, are departures from the norm and worthy of attention and concern.     

The Relation Between Perceived Risk and Preventive Action: A Within-Subject Analysis of Perceived Driving Risk and Intentions to Wear Seatbelts

Intentions to wear seatbelts in 12 different driving situations were predicted from attitudes toward wearing seatbelts, subjective norms concerning seatbelt uses, and perceived driving risk. In a given driving situation, appropriate measures of attitudes and subjective norms both had significant effects on intentions to wear a seatbelt, whereas there was little relation between risk and intentions. Intentions across the 12 driving situations were significantly related to perceived driving risk, both for aggregate data and for a substantial portion of individual subjects. However, further analyses indicated that risk seemed to affect intentions indirectly through subjective norms and attitudes associated with seat-belt use. The results suggest that attempts to increase seatbelt use should target all relevant beliefs important in determining people's attitudes toward and subjective norms concerning seatbelt use, rather than just focusing upon making people aware of the risks associated with driving.     

Exploring Behavioral Activation and Inhibition Sensitivities Among College Students at Risk for Bipolar Spectrum Symptomatology

We explored cross-sectionally the roles in bipolar spectrum symptomatology of two broad motivational systems that are thought to control levels of responsiveness to cues of threat and reward, the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Activation System (BAS). Undergraduate students (n = 357) completed questionnaires regarding (a) bipolar spectrum disorders [the General Behavior Inventory (GBI), a well-established clinical screening measure], (b) current depression and mania symptoms (the Internal State Scale; ISS), and (c) BIS/BAS sensitivities (the BIS/BAS scales). Validated cutoff scores on the GBI were used to identify individuals at risk for a mood disorder. It was hypothesized that, among at-risk respondents, high BAS and low BIS levels would be associated with high current mania ratings, whereas low BAS and high BIS would be associated with high current depression ratings. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, among at-risk individuals (n = 63), BAS accounted for 27% of current mania symptoms but BIS did not contribute. For these individuals, BAS and BIS were both significant and together accounted for 44% of current depressive symptoms.     

Perceived Rewards of Nursing Among Christian Nursing Students in Bangalore,India

Nurses in India face significant challenges and often migrate to practice nursing abroad. Few studies have focused on the rewards of nursing in India. The aim of this study was to illuminate perceived rewards of nursing among Christian student nurses in Bangalore, India. Photovoice, a participatory action methodology was used, and 14 Christian student nurses participated in the study. Thematic interpretation of photographs, journals, critical group dialog sessions, and observational field notes resulted in the identification of two main themes. These themes included intrinsic rewards and lifelong benefits of nursing in India.     

Metacognitive Ability and Test Performance Among College Students

We studied college students' metacognitive ability to see whether or to what extent it would be correlated with actual test grades. We hypothesized that higher metacognitive ability would correlate with higher exam marks and that lower metacognitive ability would correlate with lower exam marks. College students (N = 109) were asked to guess the grade they expected to receive at the completion of a regular classroom exam. We found a significant negative correlation between the actual grade received, a measure of cognitive ability, and the difference between the actual grade and the expected grade, a measure of metacognitive ability.     

Time-Series Analysis of Dogmatism Norms Among College Students

Research has shown that values of student activists in the late 1960s differed considerably from student values in the 1950s, and that activists were noticeably low in either dogmatism or authoritarianism. The hypothesis that dogmatism among students in general in the late 1960s was lower than among students in the 1950s was tested by a time-series analysis of secondary data. Dogmatism norms available for the period 1958–1968 showed a significant negative trend over time, and this trend persisted when norms were controlled for education level, geographic region, and college selectivity.     

Attachment-Related Predictors of Constructive Thinking Among College Students

This study explored the extent to which (a) retrospective reports of childhood emotional bonds with parents and (b) current adult attachment orientations predicted the capacity for constructive thinking within a college sample. A total of 145 undergraduates completed measures of global constructive thinking, parent-child emotional bonds, and adult attachment orientations. When gender and ethnic differences in constructive thinking within this sample were controlled for, both parent-child emotional bonds and current adult attachment orientations significantly predicted constructive thinking scores. In addition, students' adult attachment orientations effectively mediated the influence of early emotional bonds on constructive thinking.     

The Importance of Contraceptive Attributes Among College Students

This study assessed how ratings of the importance of contraceptive attributes varied with gender, age, relationship status, and contraceptive method usually used. In a classroom setting, 210 male and 217 female university students completed the 55-item Contraceptive Attribute Questionnaire (CAQ). Significant differences on importance ratings were found between women and men, age groups, women using barrier methods and women using the pill, and by relationship status. The underlying dimensions of the CAQ were investigated through factor analysis, and somewhat different factors emerged for men and women. Implications for the provision of family planning services to college students are discussed.     

Gender Differences in Sado-Masochistic Arousal Among College Students

This paper tests three competing explanationsfor male-female differences in sado-masochistic sexualarousal. The male arousal hypothesis posits that becauseof socialization that emphasizes sexual aggression and experimentation (and thus higher levels ofsexual arousal and activity in all areas), men will bemore aroused by both sadism and masochism than women.The female masochism hypothesis argues that because females are socialized to be passive, they willbe more aroused by masochistic (but not sadistic)activities than males. The convergence hypothesis notesthat male female socialization (and differences in most sexual attitudes and behavior) haveconverged in recent years, and hypothesizes that thesame convergence has taken place in arousal caused bysado-masochistic behavior and fantasy. Using a sample comprised of 320 undergraduate students (69%white, 27% African American, 4% other) from a largeurban university in the Southeast, we found no evidencefor the female masochism hypothesis and only weak evidence for the convergence hypothesis. Thestrongest evidence was for the male arousal hypotheses,with males scoring significantly higher than females onseven of the twelve measures of sado-masochistic arousal, and no differently from females on theremaining five.     

Supplementary Study of Superstitious Belief Among College Students

A brief, reliable measure of sexual knowledge would be of obvious value in studies of family planning, population, and related issues. A 49-item test of sexual information was created by Miller and Fisk in 1969. Analysis of this device on a sample of 104 Ss suggested that a shorter and more convenient version could be developed. Deletion of 25 questions with weak or unacceptable statistical properties left 24 items for retention in a revised questionnaire. This 24-item version was then administered to new samples including 287 males and 246 females, permitting specification of provisional normative and interpretational data.     

Correlates of Marijuana Use Among College Students1

Students who have smoked marijuana are compared with non-users on a variety of attitudinal and demographic characteristics. Approximately 36% of the sample of over 5,000 college students from a national survey report usage of the drug. The major demographic characteristics that separate users from non-users are religious affiliation, region of the country, and sex. With respect to collegiate institutions, the selectivity of the institution, the students' academic aspirations, and grade-point average all prove to play a significant role. Anti-war activities and sentiments also prove highly significant. A Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA), which compares the relative contribution of each variable to drug usage, shows that anti-war protest, religious affiliation, and sex are the most significant predictors of marijuana usage. A variety of mechanisms playing a possible role in fostering drug use are discussed.     

Gender Role Egalitarian Attitudes Among Chinese College Students

This study was designed to examine the relationships between gender role egalitarian attitudes and gender, age, parents’ education and occupations, anticipated age of marriage and child bearing, desired family size, career choices, and preference for sex of the children among 470 Chinese college students. Statistically significant relationships were observed between gender role egalitarian attitudes and gender, age, and anticipated age of marriage and childbearing. There were no relationships between gender role egalitarian attitudes and preference for sex of the children, desired family size, parents’ education and occupation, and Chinese students’ career choices.     

Note on the Perceived Occupational Future of Physically Disabled College Students

How do physically disabled college students perceive their occupational future? The findings indicate that although the vast majority of students held high career aspirations, many sensed that their career goals may be unattainable. The findings also show that nearly three out of four respondents preferred a career that involved working with people. At the same time, most wanted to work for either a large or small business rather than an educational institution or state or federal governmental agency.     

Gender,Disability and Career Maturity Among College Students

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between gender, disability and career maturity among 180 college students enrolled in a university in northwestern Pennsylvania. A multivariate analysis of variance yielded a significant main effect for gender, no significant effect for disability, and no significant interaction effect. As compared with males, females demonstrated higher overall levels of career maturity, as well as higher levels of career development knowledge, including knowledge about decision making and the world of work.     

Victim-Blaming Tendency Toward People With AIDS Among College Students

Abstract

The victim-blaming tendency toward people with AIDS was examined in relation to gender, fraternity–sorority affiliation, classification (freshmen vs. others), religion (Catholic vs. others), and academic major (business college vs. others) in a survey of 818 students at a midwestern state university in the United States. Desired social distance from gay men and lesbians, the intervening variable in these relations, significantly mediated the indirect effect of fraternity–sorority affiliation, classification, and gender on the victim-blaming tendency. Gender and desired social distance were found to be significant direct determinants of the victim-blaming tendency toward people with AIDS. The study suggests that attitudes toward gay men and lesbians must change if attitudes toward people with AIDS are to change.     

Kinship Support and Academic Efficacy Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Examination

The study examined whether relationships with extended kin were related to higher levels of mental health and academic functioning among college students. Specifically, the study tested whether perceived emotional support from extended (non-nuclear) family was related to self-esteem, psychological distress, and academic efficacy and dedication above and beyond relationships with one’s primary caregivers, and whether these associations varied by class year in college. The sample consisted of 530 students (average age = 20.82), at a public, four-year university. The results revealed that freshmen and seniors who reported high levels of positive relationships with their extended kin also reported higher levels of academic-efficacy and dedication, as well as lower levels of psychological distress. However, the relation between kin emotional support and these outcomes were not significant for sophomores and juniors. There was also a significant association between kinship support and self-esteem for participants in all four class levels. The study underscores the need to examine extended social support systems among college students, above and beyond those maintained with primary caregivers, as well as the dynamic nature of family support during young adulthood.     

Gender Differences in Gender-Role Perceptions Among Japanese College Students

This study investigated gender differences ingender role perceptions among contemporary Japanesecollege students. Originally, a total of 309 students(111 men and 198 women) rated the desirability of 60 items of the Japanese version of Bem SexRole Inventory for both men and women. One hundredfifty-nine students' desirability ratings for men and150 students' desirability ratings for women wererandomly selected. A significant gender difference wasfound only on the desirability ratings of feminine itemsfor men with the males having a higher mean score thanthe females (p < .001). There was no gender difference in the desirability ratings offeminine items for women and masculine items for men andfor women. Several possible explanations for the presentresults were discussed. A comparison of the present findings to the results of the previous study(Kashiwagi, 1974) was also discussed.