Date of Award
2012
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Utilizing a sample of first semester first year college students, this study examined the relation between multiple dimensions of college organized activity (OA) involvement (i.e., intensity, breadth, identity relevance, and continuity) and measures of adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms, optimism, positive affect, and negative affect). This study also explored whether the degree of association between the OA dimensions and the adjustment variables was moderated by gender and residential status. Additionally, this study examined whether adjustment at the start of college was associated with patterns of OA involvement in college. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, optimism, positive affect, negative affect, and organized activity involvement at the beginning and end of their first semester of college. Results showed that OA intensity was positively associated with optimism and OA continuity discrepancy was positively associated with positive affect. Additionally, residential status moderated the relation between continuity discrepancy and optimism as well as the relation between intensity and positive affect. Gender also moderated the relation between breadth and positive affect. These findings have important implications for those working with first year college students making the transition to college and for the larger organized activity literature.
Recommended Citation
Arola, Nicole, "Organized Activity Involvement Across the Transition to College: Multiple Dimensions Predicting Adjustment" (2012). Master's Theses. 843.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/843
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2012 Nicole Arola
