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Differentiation of Self and Effortful Control: Predictors of Non-Traditional Students' Adjustment to Community College

Cleland, Nicole Rae, Cleland
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1509913708613883

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy.
The community college (CCcc) setting has become increasingly important in education; yet, graduation rates are low (20%) compared 4-year colleges (69%). Researchers have focused on factors that predict college students’ retention and graduation. Measures of students’ academic, social, and personal-emotional adjustment to colleges have been found to better predictors of college success than entrance characteristics (Crede & Niehorster, 2012). This study builds on previous research by Skowron and Dendy (2004) that focused on relations between Bowen’s concept of differentiation-of-self, and effortful control, in a sample of adults; and by Skowron, Wester, and Azen (2004) that investigated relations between stress, differentiation-of-self, and personal adjustment to college. This study tested whether differentiation-of-self added incremental variance above the variance explained by effortful control to the prediction of students’ academic, social, and personal-emotional adjustment to CC in a sample of 119 non-traditional students at a CC in the Midwest section of the United States. The sample was 17.6% male, 79% female, and ages ranged from 18 to 63 years. Most participants were White (75.6%), with 15.1% identifying as Black or African American. Participants completed the Differentiation-of-Self-Short Form (DIS-SF; Drake, 2011), the Effortful Control Scale (ATQ-S-EC; Rothbart, Evans, & Ahadi, 2000), and the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ; Baker & Siryk, 1989). Participants’ ATQ-S-EC scores significantly predicted SACQ social adjustment. Students’ DSI-SF (IP) scores significantly predicted SACQ personal-emotional adjustment scores. Suggestions for future research are given and implications for interventions by Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT’s) are also provided.
Linda Perosa, PhD (Committee Chair)
Rikki Patton, PhD (Committee Member)
Ingrid Weigold, PhD (Committee Member)
Heather Katafiasz, PhD (Committee Member)
Rene Mudrey-Camino , PhD (Committee Member)
156 p.
Academic Guidance Counseling; Adult Education; Community College Education; Community Colleges; Counseling Education; Developmental Psychology; Education; Educational Psychology; Families and Family Life; Mental Health; Psychology; Therapy
differentiation; effortful control; college adjustment; non-traditional students; Bowens Family Systems Theory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cleland, Cleland, N. R. (2017). Differentiation of Self and Effortful Control: Predictors of Non-Traditional Students' Adjustment to Community College [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1509913708613883

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cleland, Cleland, Nicole. Differentiation of Self and Effortful Control: Predictors of Non-Traditional Students' Adjustment to Community College . 2017. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1509913708613883.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cleland, Cleland, Nicole. "Differentiation of Self and Effortful Control: Predictors of Non-Traditional Students' Adjustment to Community College ." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1509913708613883

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1509913708613883
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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.