Psychological Repozts, 1976, 38,675-678.
@ Psychological Reports 1976
NINE-YEAR CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF CHANGE I N SELF-CONCEPTS OF COLLEGE FRESHMEN1 DENNIS 0.VIDONIZ University oof Wisconsin, Oshkosh Summary.-Entering freshman classes at a midwest Catholic university were administered Gough's Adjective Check List (1965) each year from 1965 to 1973. Random samples from each class were drawn and compared on five constructed scales of self-concept. The N for each of the years was 75. Significant year-to-year differences were found on 2 of the 5 scales. In addition, a significant "wave-like" trend in the yearly means of one scale was observed. These differences indicated a change for groups in sociability and contemplative independence areas of self-concept.
Some assume that there were essential personality changes id college students during the sixties and early seventies. However, there is little empirical evidence to substantiate such assumptions. Studies which have examined change over these years predominantly involve comparisons of attitudes. Miner ( 1971) found that college students of the late sixties as contrasted with those of the early sixties had a more negative attitude toward authority figures. Lewin and Black (1970) found changes in dress associated with changes in social attitude. Stout ( 1972) noted the marked changes in the values of students. Other studies examined like attitude change (Grafton, 1968; Hadden, 1969; Jones, 1970). Despite the predominance of attitudinal studies, few personality studies have been published. Southern and Plant (1974) compared five scales of the California Psychological Inventory of college freshmen of 1958 to those similarly obtained from these institutions for 1970-71. Their results indicated both men and women of 1971 scored significantly differently on scales of Sociability, Responsibility, Intellectual Efficiency, and Self-control. Wrightsman and Baker ( 1969), in a 10-yr.-1958 to 1968--cross-sectional study of college freshmen using the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, found a significant trend toward increasing anxiety scale scores.each year over the preceding one. Studies of change in self-concept duting the period are non-existent. This lack of data on change in self-concept is surprising in light of the weight given to this personality construct by psychologists and educators. This research determined whether there were significant changes in certain aspects of the self-concepts of college freshmen between 1965 and 1973. METHOD The subjects are from the 1965 to 1973 freshman classes at Marquette University. Generally, over 80% of each entering class was routinely given the Adjective Check List 'Supported by grant from Marquerte University, School of Education. This paper is based on a Ph.D. thesis (1975) conducted under che su~ervisionof Dr. Mark Kiofmuellet, Dr. John Ivanoff, ~ r ~ li t a . ~ c ~ o n aDr. l d ,Robert ~ o r d b e r and ~ , Dr. Nick ~ b ~ e n e s . 'Request for reprints should be sent to Dennis 0. Vidoni, University Counseling Center, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901.
676
D. O. VIDONI
as part of orientation-week activities. Random samples of 75 students from each year were drawn to constitute the sample populations. A check was made on certain background variables, e.g., SAT mean scores and geographic origin, to determine if there were drastic changes in makeup of the various classes which might lead to spurious results o n the check list. N o such changes were found. T h e Adjective Check List of 300 adjectives was the measure of self-concept used in this study. The subjects are asked to choose those adjectives thac meet the direction of the administrator, in this case, "as you see yourself." The scales used in measuring selfconcept were derived from factor analysis. Parker and Veldman's (1969) study and Vidoni's (1975) work with factor analysis of the Adjective Check List were used for the derivation of self-concept scales used. Five scales which measured five different areas of self-concept were developed: Social Facilitation, Introversion, Anxiety, Contemplative Independence, and Social Attractiveness. T h e Social Facilitation scale included adjectives such as "helpful," "reliable," and "pleasant." Students who scored high on this scale presumably view themselves as "easy to get along with" and "well-liked." The Introversion scale was a measure of social inhibition. Typical adjectives o n this scale included "shy" and "quiet." The Anxiety scale included items such as "worrying," "nervous," and "tense." Contemplative Independence was a bidimensional scale. Students who scored high o n this scale were assumed to view themselves as independent individuals who were thoughtful and deliberate. Typical items included "unconventional," "individualistic," "reflective," and "insightful." The Social Attractiveness scale measured the physical selfconcept of the various classes. Items such as "attractive" and "good-looking" were included. I n attempting to examine change in self-concept over 9 yr. of freshman classes, two principal statistical techniques were used. The first was a one-way analysis of variance, using a 1 X 9 design with the dependent variable being the scale and the independent variable being the year of the freshman class. This analysis was done to all five scales for each of the nine years. In addition, a Cochran's (1941) test of homogeneity of variance was conducted. A trend analysis technique was also employed. W h e n significance was found i n the 1 X 9 analysis of variance, a post hoc trend analysis for orthogonal polynomials (Ferguson, 1971) was used to determine if there was a significant trend.
RESULTSAND DISCUSSION The results of the five one-way analyses of variance may be found in Table 1. The F ratios of Scale 1, Social Facilitation, and Scale 4, Contemplative Inde.05 (Scale 1, p .01). This indicated thac pendence, proved significant at p the collective self-concepts in these areas differed for the years 1965 to 1975. Cochran's test for homogeneity of variance did not yield significant differences in any of the years.
@ Psychological Reports 1976
NINE-YEAR CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF CHANGE I N SELF-CONCEPTS OF COLLEGE FRESHMEN1 DENNIS 0.VIDONIZ University oof Wisconsin, Oshkosh Summary.-Entering freshman classes at a midwest Catholic university were administered Gough's Adjective Check List (1965) each year from 1965 to 1973. Random samples from each class were drawn and compared on five constructed scales of self-concept. The N for each of the years was 75. Significant year-to-year differences were found on 2 of the 5 scales. In addition, a significant "wave-like" trend in the yearly means of one scale was observed. These differences indicated a change for groups in sociability and contemplative independence areas of self-concept.
Some assume that there were essential personality changes id college students during the sixties and early seventies. However, there is little empirical evidence to substantiate such assumptions. Studies which have examined change over these years predominantly involve comparisons of attitudes. Miner ( 1971) found that college students of the late sixties as contrasted with those of the early sixties had a more negative attitude toward authority figures. Lewin and Black (1970) found changes in dress associated with changes in social attitude. Stout ( 1972) noted the marked changes in the values of students. Other studies examined like attitude change (Grafton, 1968; Hadden, 1969; Jones, 1970). Despite the predominance of attitudinal studies, few personality studies have been published. Southern and Plant (1974) compared five scales of the California Psychological Inventory of college freshmen of 1958 to those similarly obtained from these institutions for 1970-71. Their results indicated both men and women of 1971 scored significantly differently on scales of Sociability, Responsibility, Intellectual Efficiency, and Self-control. Wrightsman and Baker ( 1969), in a 10-yr.-1958 to 1968--cross-sectional study of college freshmen using the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, found a significant trend toward increasing anxiety scale scores.each year over the preceding one. Studies of change in self-concept duting the period are non-existent. This lack of data on change in self-concept is surprising in light of the weight given to this personality construct by psychologists and educators. This research determined whether there were significant changes in certain aspects of the self-concepts of college freshmen between 1965 and 1973. METHOD The subjects are from the 1965 to 1973 freshman classes at Marquette University. Generally, over 80% of each entering class was routinely given the Adjective Check List 'Supported by grant from Marquerte University, School of Education. This paper is based on a Ph.D. thesis (1975) conducted under che su~ervisionof Dr. Mark Kiofmuellet, Dr. John Ivanoff, ~ r ~ li t a . ~ c ~ o n aDr. l d ,Robert ~ o r d b e r and ~ , Dr. Nick ~ b ~ e n e s . 'Request for reprints should be sent to Dennis 0. Vidoni, University Counseling Center, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901.
676
D. O. VIDONI
as part of orientation-week activities. Random samples of 75 students from each year were drawn to constitute the sample populations. A check was made on certain background variables, e.g., SAT mean scores and geographic origin, to determine if there were drastic changes in makeup of the various classes which might lead to spurious results o n the check list. N o such changes were found. T h e Adjective Check List of 300 adjectives was the measure of self-concept used in this study. The subjects are asked to choose those adjectives thac meet the direction of the administrator, in this case, "as you see yourself." The scales used in measuring selfconcept were derived from factor analysis. Parker and Veldman's (1969) study and Vidoni's (1975) work with factor analysis of the Adjective Check List were used for the derivation of self-concept scales used. Five scales which measured five different areas of self-concept were developed: Social Facilitation, Introversion, Anxiety, Contemplative Independence, and Social Attractiveness. T h e Social Facilitation scale included adjectives such as "helpful," "reliable," and "pleasant." Students who scored high on this scale presumably view themselves as "easy to get along with" and "well-liked." The Introversion scale was a measure of social inhibition. Typical adjectives o n this scale included "shy" and "quiet." The Anxiety scale included items such as "worrying," "nervous," and "tense." Contemplative Independence was a bidimensional scale. Students who scored high o n this scale were assumed to view themselves as independent individuals who were thoughtful and deliberate. Typical items included "unconventional," "individualistic," "reflective," and "insightful." The Social Attractiveness scale measured the physical selfconcept of the various classes. Items such as "attractive" and "good-looking" were included. I n attempting to examine change in self-concept over 9 yr. of freshman classes, two principal statistical techniques were used. The first was a one-way analysis of variance, using a 1 X 9 design with the dependent variable being the scale and the independent variable being the year of the freshman class. This analysis was done to all five scales for each of the nine years. In addition, a Cochran's (1941) test of homogeneity of variance was conducted. A trend analysis technique was also employed. W h e n significance was found i n the 1 X 9 analysis of variance, a post hoc trend analysis for orthogonal polynomials (Ferguson, 1971) was used to determine if there was a significant trend.
RESULTSAND DISCUSSION The results of the five one-way analyses of variance may be found in Table 1. The F ratios of Scale 1, Social Facilitation, and Scale 4, Contemplative Inde.05 (Scale 1, p .01). This indicated thac pendence, proved significant at p the collective self-concepts in these areas differed for the years 1965 to 1975. Cochran's test for homogeneity of variance did not yield significant differences in any of the years.
