Running Head: BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 1

Why Continue in College:

A Look at Belongingness Development Within the First Semester of College

Barrett Houska

Westminster College

Author Note

Barrett Houska, Department of Psychology, Westminster College

Address Correspondence: Campus Box 511, 501 Westminster Avenue, Fulton, MO 65251

E-mail: BHouska.20@westminster-mo.edu

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Why Continue in College? A look at Belongingness within the First Semester of College

Have you ever experienced change? At some point in your years, you have most likely

experienced some sort of change in your life. Thus, you are aware that one little thing can alter

your entire perception, in turn changing the way you think, forever. Some of the most

challenging times in a person’s life are at those points in which something is changing rapidly.

Change is never easy. However, change always brings about new lessons, ideas, hopes, dreams,

etc. As humans, we experience a lot of change throughout our lives creating these experiences

that challenge us and mold our decisions. Transitional periods are known to create new thoughts,

ideas, and/or behaviors that may lead to changes in how we respond in the future. The demands

from society do not make these transition periods any easier they can be a cause for an entire

personality change to occur during these challenging times. A transition is defined as "the

process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another" (Google Dictionary).

Thus, the transition process is a complete metamorphosis into some new life-form. These

processes may last years, days, hours, even minutes but they still have a huge impact on who we

are as people. These changes are what shape us into the people that we become.

When looking at the transition from high school to college everything about the before,

during, and after the transition is challenging and overwhelming. These compulsory periods

create many challenging and life-altering decisions that society expects young adults to make.

The college experience is crucial for retention experts to observe and focus on because these

experiences are what will make or break one's overall experience with their institution. The

transitionary period, when the parents are giving their child more opportunity to become

independent and allow for more individual decisions to be made, marks the beginning of the

largest transformational periods of one's life. During the transition from high school to college is

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when one becomes an adult or marks the societal perception of when one “grows up” and turns

into an independent person.

History and Background

The current area of retention studies is that of needed growth and development. As

generations change, new entities become priorities to students. New schemas develop about

college life and social change to expect that we respond to certain stimuli in new ways. These

changes create stereotypes that box us into certain characteristics and actions that fit into these

social norms. Due to this, generation changes the perception of what college life is has changed

dramatically. For example, current college students' parents were more focused on the types of

educational programs that were offered and now college students are more intrigued by the social

and networking opportunities that can be provided by institutions (Tinto, 2006). This change in

"needs" has allowed for a transition for institutions as to how to market and portray themselves

to potential students. Prior retention studies conducted during the 1970-80s by Astin, Endo &

Harpel, Pascarella, etc. showed that involvement on campus matters and that it needs to be

established early on in the four-year college experience with things such as; seminars,

extracurricular clubs/organizations, sports, etc. (Tinto, 2006). Retention efforts refer to the

actions that institutions take to continue the distribution of these needs to students.

College provides a whole slew of emotions, experiences, and choices that affect how one

may think, feel, and act in the world. When thinking about a college, common Hollywood

movies come to mind that portrays college festivities as parties that include a lot of risk-taking

behaviors. Everything that has been similar for most before college changes during the transition;

your living environment, social relationships, family relationships, study habits, school load,

schedule, etc.; making this change one of the most crucial moments in one’s life. You also most

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likely must make all these choices on your own which just perpetuates these changes even more

so.

Pre-Transition from High School

The environmental-behaviorist view of behavior suggests that humans are products of

their environments (Krapfl, 2016). Thus, the environment in which we come from will establish

our innate values and ideals. Our home environment is what establishes our schema of college.

Attachment to parents has been viewed as an important personal resource through which

adolescents derive a sense of security that facilitates independence from the family and

exploration of new social environments (Berman & Sperling, 1991; Rice, 1990). When we think

about our human development, we can remember that our parents were who we first looked

towards as models of how individuals “should” react/respond/behave. Thus, suggesting that we

develop some sort of naturalistic bond between our parents and self that continues to develop and

mature with time, exposure and interaction. Family life is always a good predictor of one’s self

complex. The interactions that we have with our parents/guardians create mental connections to

how humans are supposed to interact with one another. Adolescents who report feeling relatively

close to their parents score higher than do their peers on measures of self-reliance, responsible

independence, behavioral competence in school, and psychological well-being (Steinberg, 1990).

The relationships that we have with our parents affect our self-image and wellbeing resulting in

the development of who we are or our individual personalities.

One of the biggest things that motivate us as humans is our basic needs, those being of

security and safety. As we grow up, our sense of security slowly becomes less dependent on the

actual, physical presence of our parents and changes to depend more on the affective and

cognitive aspect of our parental relationships including those attributes like trust, respect,

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sensitivity, and deservingness of empathy from parents (Armsden & Green berg, 1987).

Suggesting that as we grow older, we look towards our parents for respect and trust rather than

their presence as we did when we were younger. We want to build better relationships during

these maturation years so that when it is time to “leave the nest” we feel supported and respected

by the ones who have been with us the longest. The change in location, for some, after high

school may restrict those preconceived high school relationships to dwindle resulting in a higher

demand for family relationships so that one feels support during this change in worlds form high

school to college (Larose & Boivin, 1998). The loss of these relationships may cause a

significant mental barrier that college students need to face before even stepping onto campus in

the fall semester. Succeeding high school graduation, relationships become a key part of the

transition into college. Of those, the most important is that of your parents and home

relationships.

To feel ready to face the challenges that are ahead of you the support for your departure

needs to be expressed and shown that you have the skills and tools necessary to face the world.

The transition from high school to college is rapid and expected to occur at a quick pace; as soon

as the adolescent leaves home they are expected to live in close quarters, potentially with a

stranger, as well as assume the basic responsibilities of an adult and be able to manage

themselves. This rapid separation from family is likely to increase the risk for homesickness

thus, increasing stress signals and attachment needs becoming more prominent leading to a

greater variation in the perceived security for those who left home for their college experience

than for those who stayed at home while attending college (Larose & Boivin, 1998). Larose and

Boivin conducted a study in which observed the relations among attachment, social support, and

adjustment at the end of high school in which they measured parent and peer attachment,

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interpersonal support, social support, an expectation of social support, anxiety, and loneliness

(1998). Finding that, the average income for parents whose children left for college, as well as

education, were lower than those whose children stayed home while attending college provides

an interesting perspective as to the types of students that may be seeking out residential living

environments (Larose & Boivin, 1998). Their findings suggested that students perceived

expectations of the social world stem from the attachment the student has to his/her parents and

that perceived security effects development of positive expectations of support in both the

contest of relationships with friends and in stressful situations brought on by the transition

(Larose & Boivin, 1998). Our schemas of security and relationships are products of how we were

treated by our parents and the type of home life we possessed as children.

Today, we have noticed a switch in how adolescents prefer to deal with the issue of being

separated from their parents as well as how the parents decide to handle the “leaving the nest”

phenomenon. We possess so much technology that allows us to constantly relate to one another.

When we need some sort of information, we have it almost instantaneously. We can now do this

with communication as well. From where I am sitting, I could connect with someone across the

planet at this very moment and instantly receive a message back. Due to this rapid development

in communications, we as humans can connect even quicker making our world an even smaller

place. Thus, allowing college students to connect back home with families but also for families

to connect with their college students. This quick and easy method for communication may have

been lead to the phenomenon known today as 'helicopter parents.' College-age students are

expected to immediately become autonomous from their parents and stray away from their home

lives to a brand-new environment. Due to this rapid change, the child is more likely to refer back

to their parents for help thus at the request of the child the parent becomes immediately involved

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in the transition process including day-to-day activities via cell phone, text messaging, Skype,

and other communication platforms, possibly leading to students having more of a longing for

home within the beginning of the first few weeks of college increases the likelihood of burnout

and student attrition (Reifman, 2018). Parents may be making this transition harder on their

children due to this living vicariously through them. Parents play a huge role in self-confidence

and determination because we establish a human connection with the ones who created us/took

care of us since childhood. It is common in today's society for institutions to host events for

parents/family/friends, some even have offices and paid professionals solely devoted to the

relationship with parents of college students (Reifman, 2018). Leaving a child to a new

experience all on their own is hard for any parent at any point in time so much so that institutions

have also felt the need to enact some sort of closing ceremony for move-in/orientation activities

that give parents the nudge to leave (Reifman, 2018). This goes to show that parent relations are

strong and may create the first college experience for some on their move-in day when their

parents become emotional upon their departure.

Attachment theory suggests that we develop an attachment to our parents that helps us to

learn survival methods and how to live. This basic connection is what keeps our humanity in us

by creating a bond that is between child and parent(s)/guardian(s). This attachment is how we

feel safe and secure as children; for example, when a stranger walks into a room with mother and

child the child will turn to the mother for comfort if there is a strong attachment. This strong

attachment continues throughout adulthood just rather in a physical presence in more of the sense

of trust, respect, sensitivity, and beliefs; which have shown to increase both ways in men who

move away for college compared to those who commute (Larose & Boivin, 1998). The college

transition may prove to be even harder due to the fact that most lose some high school

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relationships causing more of a dependence on parents then when arriving on campus parents are

kindly asked to leave shortly after the move-in process leaving the student alone to fully accept

everything college throws their way.

Another pre-college aspect that affects your transition is your high school experience.

When thinking about human development, we are molded by our environment if we are always

in a stroller we may not learn how to walk, etc. Our past experiences are what w have that

influence our future selves. Thus, the challenges and struggles that we experience during high

school will affect us in college as well. The transition from highs school to college has shown

some trajectories of change that may be linked to behaviors that were developed during the high

school years. Problem behavior theory suggests that the issues one suffers through during

adolescence and the behaviors in which they utilize in everyday lives continue to remain constant

throughout young adulthood (Jessor, Donovan, & Costa, 1991). Providing evidence that our high

school experiences set the stage for our college ones. Tinto believed that before college

education interacts with and directly impacts a student’s initial commitment, or how connected

one becomes to the campus community which directly affects decisions as to why continue in the

college experience (Lotkowski, et al., 2004). Some personality psychologists believe that your

personality is already set by the time you enter college thus suggesting that you may handle

college situations in the same way that you did as a high schooler.

Transition into College

A research study looked at the effects of high school type and type of college residencies

on changes in behavioral risks from high school to college as well as socioeconomic status,

gender, and race/ethnicity of engagement in behavioral risks (Fromme et al., 2015). Finding that

students from rural and urban areas reported heavier alcohol consumption than their suburban

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peers this trend was similar for driving after drinking and multiple sexual partners. Suggesting

that students who come from these types of high school environments may be more at risk to

engage in these types of activities in college as well. They also suggested that those who were

able to pick their college living style as a single room were more at risk to engage in these types

of risk-taking behaviors as well (Ashenhurst et al., 2015). Suggesting that efforts for education

and prevention of these at-risk behaviors may need to occur earlier rather than later for incoming

college freshmen. This is also important for institutions to recognize who may be at a higher

likelihood of partaking in risky behaviors right from the beginning of their college career. This

trend will allow identification of flight risks from day one.

During the transition from high school to college, there are a lot of stressors that present

themselves causing change to occur within an individual. Upon graduation from high school, you

go your separate paths from your friends becoming more specialized hopefully, in a field of

interest. This causes a change from the common curriculum that is taught in high schools and

even throughout your school experience. New freedoms are being granted to you as a new

graduate with a high school diploma. In the transition from high school to college students often

experience a wide array of personal and emotional problems, global distress, somatic distress,

anxiety, struggles with self-esteem and depression all making sense as prior research has shown

that most mental disorders and psychological stress occur/develops in the mid-twenties or during

young adulthood (Gerdes & Mallinckrodt, 1994). This transition provides so many new

experiences that will impact your life long term. Starting over the college transition provides a

lot of self-reflection that leads you to determine if you are going to change or what you want

your personality to be going into this new chapter in your life. On-campus students struggle with

roommates, housing, health, exercise, etc. showing that when you go to college there are new

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challenges that are thrown at you that you now must figure out all on your own (Hicks &

Heastie, 2008). One must establish a way to take care of oneself and learn how to create their

own life. All these things used to be moderated for them by some sort of authority figure and

now need to be established by them.

High school is what is supposed to set you up for the college transition, however, most

public high schools do not force you into a new living situation, take you away from your

parents, put you into a brand-new environment, etc. This is what you experience in college. One

of the hardest challenges that the transition brings is that of moving. If you decide to live on

campus you will most likely have to move away from home and live in a brand-new place. Some

institutions even allow you to pick your residential living environment or preference for them as

to which style is more appealing to you. Having a living environment that fosters your growth is

something that you need however is not something that one particular will prioritize when

proving hosing information for their freshman year. However, some research shows that students

prefer to live in a single room than a double even a single with shared bathroom space (Khozaei

et al., 2014). Even though most institutions now require or push a roommate for the college

experience. On top of the added stress of new experiences in college with classes, people, etc.

you now are thrown into a living environment in which you must learn how to share and live

with another human whom you may not even know. Most students do choose to live in the

university residential halls succumbing to the fact that they will have to learn how to live and

learn in this new environment. Living in a residential environment has shown to predict

persistence and higher graduation rates than those you lack the experience to live in residential

areas (Li et al., 2005). The living experience truly impacts every aspect of your entire college

experience by providing you a place that is considered your home. This stigma also provides

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hope that it will be a comforting and welcoming environment that flows as your current home

life may. However, for most this transition from home to dorm home is the hardest because you

must learn how to adapt and create your own experiences with it. When on college tours the

admissions staff and our tour guide make sure to explain or show the typical residential living

options in order to provide you with a satisfactory basic need for safety, also known as a home.

High school students, however, do not know the importance of this aspect of their decision the

residential living area is commonly considered something that is given to them not something

they have the ability to control.

Most students are more interested in the “home-like” feeling that they receive from a

living environment rather than the cost of the housing option. Students nowadays expect more

than their parents and are more willing to pay for these needs to be met (Roche et al., 2010).

Thus, raising the question of what specific needs are students willing to pay extra for? A slew of

variables are taken into consideration by students when choosing a living environment for their

college experience, for some this type of environment is what their college decision is based on.

Ranging from a micro-level (i.e. exterior façade, type, convenience, security, price, orientation,

layout, etc.) of factors to a macro level (i.e. time, space, money, social relationships, size,

functionality, neighborhood attributes, etc.) of factors the needs for students span a wide variety

of amenities (Khozaei et al., 2012). Most of these macro-level factors can be altered by an

institution throughout time whereas the micro-level factors are typically set when the buildings

are built. Current findings show that students want specific hospitalities such as private

bedrooms, onsite parking, double beds, onsite laundry, internet, close to campus class buildings,

fitness centers, private bathrooms, cable TV, and satellite dining (Roche et al.). These specific

amenities are a common drive for college students to feel they have everything they need in their

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living environment which can provide feelings of support and motivation due to all basic needs

being met. These basic needs are easy to accommodate however, it is common that institutions

do not know that this is what their students want in a living space thus, they do not improve or

promote these amenities in a way that engages students to be excited about where they live. A

living environment that does not meet the basic needs (possessing qualities such as but not

limited to: small rooms, lack of study areas, lack of privacy) of students will be deemed unsafe

and have tendencies to increase stress which all lead to students moving off-campus or even

transferring from that institution (Long, 2014). Studies on factors that may play a role in

belongingness and/or retention need to be expanded especially in the Midwest. Due to budget

cuts and decreases in high school graduates, institutions need to look at what motivates students

to be pleased with their living environments so that they can keep occupancy up on their

campuses (Li et at., 2005). Living spaces that are close to campus and supply convenient services

have shown to spark the interest of college students such as convenience, independence, security,

and privacy.

After discussing the important necessities of college residential spaces, it is important to

discuss the main factors that negate the overall experience that college students have. The most

common concerns that students have when they hear that they are going to have to live with a

roommate or in a residential space are that of parking, room comfort, noise level, maintenance

and, while on-campus, a mandatory dining plan (Li et al., 2005). As well as after the first year of

a residential experience the factors that continued to deter students from residential hosing were

those of; inability to cook meals in prior living area, length of lease/contract, proximity to

campus, ability to have a private bathroom, parking, living with friends, and the ability to study

where you live (Li et al., 2005).

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Residential halls can be a very interesting predictor of how students will adapt to the

college lifestyle. Depending on the time, space, money, social relationships, size, functionality,

neighborhood attributes, etc. of a living environment certain predictors arise regarding transition

and college behavior participation. Tendencies to binge drink during the first year of college

coincide with living in a single room and/or pre-college exposure to alcohol as well as gender

and residential hall layout. Academic performance, social relationship development, and

motivations to continue in college all seem to be linked to living on campus during your college

experience (Long, 2014). Most institutions also have an alternative sort of living-learning

environment commonly known as Greek Life which has also shown correlations to behaviors

within the college years. In comparison the Greek housing options tend to have lower ratings of

safety and security than on-campus residence halls but, they do provide greater satisfaction in

regards to the programing that is provided and peer interaction (Long, 2014). Suggesting that the

experiences are different in Greek housing than that of residential housing. However, those who

live in on-campus residential housing tend to have higher satisfaction ratings than those who live

off-campus or in Greek sponsored housing (Long, 2014). It all comes down to the fact that every

hosing option has different specialties to offer which impacts your overall experience which also

may be correlated with the types of behaviors you choose to partake in. For example, when

living in a single room one may engage in the consumption of more alcohol due to having their

own space and feeling more comfortable in their room that does not have to be shared with any

other outside party.

You may be asking yourself, after the first year of college what inclines students to

continue to live in residential buildings? Those factors include but are not limited to: dining plan

opportunity, leadership building, location in proximation to campus, ability to choose direct

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housing units, academic support, and internet (Li et al., 2005). Thus, these factors are what

higher education professionals should consider when promoting residential life and when

thinking about how to improve overall satisfaction within the residential living spaces.

It is important to note that the overall academic factors of an individual continue through

life. Even though the current American education system is set up in the following order: one

receives a high school diploma then decides college or work, the knowledge that one has does

not end with the graduation from high school. Thus, the performance in high school is a strong

predictor of college grade performance (Lotkowski et at., 2004). The main correlates to college

retention from high school academics are goals [commitment], self-confidence [in relation to

academics], and related skills [time management, study skills, etc.] (Lotkowski et al., 2004). If

you are nervous about how you may perform in college you can look at how you studied and

how you managed classes in high school as the high school experience is what it supposed to

prepare you for your college experience. The way in which you are taught in high school may

affect your college performance and how you study as those are learned skills that should be

taught in high school so that when coming to college you are aware of how to fully digest and

complete tasks that are asked of you in your undergraduate experience. Sadly, it is very common

that students lose their sense of academic self-confidence in college due to a poor high school

education/preparation (Chemers et al., 2001). The college experience requires one to become

more dedicated, motivated and possess self-efficacy for you to succeed in the course material. As

mentioned prior, upon starting your college experience one becomes faced with new challenges

that they must face on their own or at least try to figure out on their own. Students who are more

constructive thinkers were found to find college academic stress as more of a challenge than a

threat (Chemers et al., 2001). Thus, teaching students how to think constructively is how to

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minimize the perceived threat that may come with college academics. As a society, we have

placed a value on our education by providing a certain amount of compensation based on the

level of degree that you have. For most colleges is the start of that tier-level system of

compensation, suggesting that incoming students may view their academic performance as a

threat to their future due to it being a predictor of how much money they may make which is in

turn linked to the overall societal stigma of success. Those students who tended to be more

constructive thinkers also tended to have higher levels of optimism suggesting that their critical

thinking skills may be linked to the ability to think more positively about stressful situations.

Since the college experience supplies a lot of stressors, to one person, it is possible that critical

thinking skills may lower the perceived stress from those variables. Students' high school GPA

has shown to be a common correlate to other transitional elements that may occur during the first

semester of the college experience.

Alcohol

Another significant predictor of college success and/or transitional experiences is that of

alcohol use both before and during the transition process. People who drink the most are between

the ages of 18-24 years old and typically partake in binge drinking activities like social events,

stress relief, etc. which tend to lead to things such as assault, drunk driving, unsafe sexual

activities, injury, and even in extreme cases death; it has been proven that college students have a

higher drinking rate than their non-college peers (Hustad & Heastie, 2008). Thus, the use of

alcohol has and will continue to be a big issue for higher education professionals especially the

issue of how to teach safe alcohol intake practices and how to break the social view of drinking

being standard leading to the thoughts that if you do not partake in drinking habits with other

college peers then you are viewed as an outcast and your social status on campus may not be

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what it would be if you had consumed alcohol. Since we are all products of our environment this

phenomenon haunts college-aged students and adds more pressure for them to partake in these

risky activities that lead to even more risk-taking. It is important to note that personality and

preconceived perceptions both play a role in potential problems with alcohol; both descriptive

and injunctive norms were each associated with a unique set of personality variables as well as a

direct correlation to the consumption of alcohol (Hustad & Heastie, 2008). Thus, students

coming into college with pre-conceived about alcohol consumption from movies, friends, family,

etc. provides an environment in which these norms are projected onto others and spread like a

contagion to the rest of the campus, in turn, allowing for a drinking culture to easily accumulate

on college campuses. Most high school age students are exposed to alcohol/substances during

their high school education creating an external stimulus that may continue to occur thus

neutralizing the effects that alcohol may have on an individual. It is common however for

college students to reduce the amount of binge drinking over time peaking their freshman years

and then slowly dwindling throughout their college experience hypothesized to be due to

emotional maturation and self-control development. Allowing us to infer that as students come

from high school to college, they have a peaked interest in alcohol consumption supported by the

perceived stigma that they need to consume alcohol leading to a rapid increase in binge drinking

tendencies that have been shown to dwindle with time. However, if the cycle continues then

college campuses will have issues with alcohol and binge drinking.

It is interesting to look at events and their relation to the consumption of alcohol amongst

college-age students as well as the locations in which college students tend to consume their

alcohol. Most college students attend parties at off-campus locations and bars than residential

buildings however more cases of binge drinking occur at residential building such as Greek

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housing and those who are of legal drinking age were more likely to consume alcoholic

beverages at bars and off-campus locations (Paschall et al., 2007). This makes sense due to the

feelings of safety and security that a known campus building has when compared to a public bar

where anyone could see the underage drinking occurring. The most common way in which

underage drinkers become intoxicated is by front-loading their night which goes to show that

these underage drinkers feel like they must be intoxicated however, they are aware of the risks of

underage drinking so they decide to binge at the beginning of their night so that they can keep

their buzz all night while out with friends (Paschall et al., 2007). When at an event student

tended to consume more alcohol when compared to before and after but the most drinking

occurred off-campus; for those under the legal drinking age they are more likely to consume

alcohol before a Greek party, during an off-campus event, and after a campus event those who

are of legal age show a similar pattern as to when they are more likely to consume alcohol

(Paschall et al., 2007). This goes to show that students have similar drinking patterns thus

allowing for college professionals to brainstorm ways in which they can watch over intoxication

of college students.

Residential Hall Style

Another interesting comparison is that of room type and alcohol consumption predictions,

suggesting that the type of room you live in will affect the amount of alcohol that you will

consume in your first year of college. Those students who live an environment that fosters social

interaction such as suites increase the likelihood that these students engage in more drinking

behaviors and binge drinking behaviors by an average total of half a drink per day (Cross et al.,

2009). This type of environment is very common amongst college campus especially in the first-

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year specific housing used to foster networking within the class to improve retention efforts.

However, could this also be a deterrent to creating drinking issues on college campuses?

All these above factors that pertain to the transition from high school to college effect and

even are affected by one’s social transition. As college is mostly viewed as a new beginning for a

lot of students it is common for a new social/personality exploration to occur since students are

now expected to complete tasks on their own and create their independence. The amount of

perceived stress, social support, self-esteem, and emotions all play a role in the

transition/adjustment process (Friedlander et al., 2007). The point in time in which students

reported to experience the most amount of stress during their college years was shown to be

when they started at that new institution but that with time the stress levels slowly wore off;

suggesting that after the initial move to college perceived stress decreases and those healthy

coping mechanisms need to be taught to those who are beginning this new process. Those who

perceived their social support relations to flourish and self-esteem to increase tended to view

their adjustment into a new institution as a more positive one (Friedlander et al., 2007). This

makes sense because as humans feel more support from the people around them they most likely

feel like they are doing something right which may lead to self-esteem building which then puts

them in a more positive mindset to focus on the positives that are happening around them

throughout the transition creating a more positive experience. During the first year of college

students tend to view social interactions as stressful leading to social anxiety and constraint

however once into the second year there are significant decreases for stress these situations cause

the origin of this stress is suspected to stem from prior relationships and experiences to college

(Langston & Cantor, 1989). For a self-fulfilled adjustment to college, it is important to have

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social development fostered and guided for the first-year students. Education on coping

mechanisms and how to stay well within the first year is an important part of the adjustment.

Freshman Orientation

The pivotal point in a student’s transition is that of freshman orientation on their first day

of college, also known as move-in day. On this day all the incoming students come to campus

and typically receive their room key and college schedule as well as meet with representatives of

different offices that require information from the new incoming students typically paperwork

oriented. Then, students go and move into their rooms and wait for some sort of welcoming

ceremony that occurs that afternoon. Upon the commencement of that ceremony, the student is

now officially a college student and following this welcoming ceremony it is typical for

institutions to kindly push for the parents to leave at once (Reifman, 2018). This is typically done

by having some required events for first-year students following the welcoming ceremony. Some

may view this as rude and inconsiderate of the parents/family/friends however this is typically

done so that the students can quickly adapt to the new environment as they will be staying there

for a while. This may bring up some issues however with retention efforts. Everything that

happens externally can be considered by some to factor in our behavior and how we respond to

certain situations. Thus, by considering this philosophy one may hypothesize that if a college

student is separated from their parents at too early of a state in the transition, knowing that the

relationship between child and parent grows stronger as this transition commences, then couldn’t

this student look to try and figure out why their parents left them so prematurely to fend for

themselves in this new experience. Causing the student to place blame on the institution at a

premature state. This false blame may be an initial problem on attrition as students may assume

negative thoughts right at the beginning of their college experience.

20

Following the move in there is typically some sort of Involvement fair at some point

within the first month of school for freshman as well as the rest of campus however, it is

typically geared towards first-year students. This fair is to allow students to become connected to

some group on campus in hopes that a sense of belongingness may develop within that student

building upon the reasons as to why they should continue their education journey at that

institution. However, establishing these connections can be challenging and overwhelming for

any student much less a brand-new student who is still unfamiliar with campus and how to go

about this new experience.

Most institutions will attribute individual student issues as to why their first-experience is

not “working” how they would like it to claiming that these students are disengaged,

unmotivated, expect instant gratification, etc. (Barefoot, 2000). The issue is that many schools

measure attrition, not retention. This is because there is no set way in which one should measure

retention, recording a tally as to how many students have left an intuition is a lot easier statistic

to report (Hagedorn, 2006). The difference is that of attrition only looking at the number of

students who do not complete their intended path of study and retention focusing on those

students who stayed. Thus, if one's intended path was to attempt college this would bring up the

question as to if they count as part of the ‘dropout’ statistic (Hagedorn, 2006). Retention, as an

institutional measure, has been attributed to Tinto’s model of integration which is based on

suicide theory regarding the idea that if persons are integrated into social setting then they are

less likely to commit suicide. Thus, Tinto predicted this to also have some correlation to that of

college transition hypothesizing that if students became integrated into a campus community

then the institutional retention measure would increase as well as student’s persistence

throughout their educational experience (Hagedorn, 2006). From this theory, higher education

21

realized that this statistic would be a good measure of institutional performance which would

allow society to place a value on the overall success of institutions to decide if they are meeting

education requirements. In 1990, the Student-Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act was

signed which required institutions to publicize their graduation rates so that prospective students

could make more informed decisions however how that statistic was reported excluded those

students who fell into any of the following categories: transfers, part-time, non-degree seeking

students, non-traditional fall entrance, and undeclared majors (Hagedorn, 2006). Now, these

statistics are reported in a range of models such as socio-economical, psychological, and some

economical (Tinto, 2006). Not accurately reporting the overall stability of an institution thus,

providing prospective students with even more turbidity in their college decision. These statistics

are also just reported as numbers not exactly what the number entails so if you are new to the

college selection process this number means nothing to you.

Retention Efforts

One of the most challenging things for intuitions to measure is the success of their first-

year orientation program. When thinking about this process the interactions that are typically

evaluated are those of student-student, student-faculty, student-campus, and student-curriculum

because each of these interactions plays part in the overall acceptance of transition for each

individual. Astin’s theory of student involvement supports these interactions by suggesting that

individuals will seek out relationships with their academics, students, and faculty (Schnell &

Doetkott, 2003). Asking the right questions and constructing the evaluation as a fun and

welcoming part of the overall orientation process is challenging for some institutions. This type

of survey would allow the institution to identify those who may be “at-risk” for retention efforts

from the very beginning focusing on those predictors found from previous research that may

22

provide any insight as to who may need more guidance during the initial college experience

(Brown, 2012). By gathering this data an institution may be able to develop a plan for those

students that may be placed at-risk by prior proven predictors. By allowing extra support one

may feel like they belong more at the institution they are attending because their experience can

become more personalized.

A typical way for institutions to foster interactions between students is by requiring a

first-year seminar. These seminars have been known to take many forms and have different goals

and expectations depending on the institution that it is at. However, typically all seminars are

taught by a college faculty/staff member and are correlated with a mentoring program in which

the first-year students are provided with the name and contact of a current upperclassmen student

that and be utilized as a resource. A person’s peers have been known to be influential in overall

perceptions of everyday life. These interactions are what will set the foundation for every student

on campus. These types of connections allow us to form bonds to people which help create an

affiliation that propels us to continue at a certain place. These types of bonds are to be fostered

early in the college experience some people say that they met their life-long friends within the

first week of their college experience. Seminars are meant to introduce students to the topics of

time management, study habits, note-taking, goal setting, wellness, stress management, and

career opportunities (Schnell & Doetkott, 2003 & Porter et al., 2006). Being an all-inclusive

course that truly introduces the student to the college experience and how to prepare and tackle

the years ahead is challenging to create and challenging to evaluate. A seminar allows for an ease

into the waters of college by providing step-by-step preparation on how to handle the tasks

expected of you in your college years as well as introduce students to the institution and how that

particular curriculum is set up including history and traditions that are to be passed on to the

23

future generations of students. However, a common question from institutions is that of when do

you implement these types of programs for incoming students? Implementation is a key element

in any programming effort allowing the time to be set for when an external factor takes a toll on

human development. For college students, this period has been identified as the first six to seven

weeks from the arrival point (Schnell & Doetkott, 2003). Conducting programs that foster

education, social skills, and community all need to happen within this period so that students are

provided with the opportunities needed to establish connections and relationships with students,

faculty, and staff on campus. Vincent Tinto’s research from the 1990s has served as the

background for most retention research as well provided a lot of valuable information on the

individual topic of seminars by developing a structure that focused on three core values of

commitment: students, community, and education (Schnell & Doetkott, 2003). Thus, these

seminars must be made up of elements focusing on building relationships as well as fostering

overall development. When these seminars are instituted the overall retention of students

significantly increases when compared to those students who did not have a first-year seminar

(Schnell & Doetkott, 2003). These types of seminars can have multiple benefits outside of

retention of students and educators on how to handle college life challenges. For example, first-

year seminars can supply students the tools they need to feel self-sufficient in everyday tasks

helping them to grow as people as well as students. Since these types of seminars are so inclusive

with the material it may bring up the issue as to what parts of these seminars are effective in the

education of college-age adults. What part of the seminars do students find helpful and why do

they tend to supply help to these people? Topics such as health education and study skills tend to

provide immediate benefits to students after lessons are taught in their seminar courses however,

faculty who teach these sessions frequently report that they dislike having to teach study skills

24

and that they feel their education has not prepared them to teach these types of skills as well as

developmental skills (Porter et al., 2006). Thus, it may be instrumental that the faculty members

help to develop a sense of conversation about these topics and include current students on these

discussions to allow for the faculty to feel more comfortable incorporating these imperative

lessons into this seminar experience.

Strategies on how to improve institutional retention and student persistence

Increasing the student to student interactions is most likely the main initiative for those

who work with incoming students as well as the main goal for most orientation programs as

these connections are what bind students to campus and to one another creating a sense of

belongingness and allowing students to feel like they are at the right place. Astin also stated that

a student's peer group is the most important source of influence on growth and development in

the undergraduate years causing bonds to be created that in turn form groups of people (Barefoot,

2000). Thus, when creating seminars and groups of people who are going to spend time together

why is it that higher education professionals tend to place students who are all at the same level

in the same group? Why not mix people up with different backgrounds…promote diversity

within groups and settings from the beginning of a student's experience. Some may argue that is

the role of the mentors who are placed with these groups of students. The mentor role is served

by an upperclassmen student who has had experience with the institution and can help foster

connections between all types of students (Barfoot, 2000). However, this method of grouping

students into the cohort, seminars, living communities, etc. has shown to improve experiences

and even increase performance most likely due to the initial connection one feels when part of a

group like such (Barefoot, 2000). As mentioned prior, the environment in which a student is in

takes an effect upon everything that an individual does, feels, etc. All the people around

25

influence the overall experience of college. Student affairs professionals suggest that a way in

which institutions can foster these connections is by promoting on campus-engagement that of

attending campus events, extracurricular actives such as clubs and organizations, even just being

on campus (Barfoot, 2000). This is because mere exposure to others is what will commence our

innate humanistic connection to allow connections to form. Some institutions compel students to

become involved by creating a points system and or involvement requirement for student’s

degree completion. For example, one school gives scholarships to those who attend so many

campus events. Promoting social events provides integration that sparks connections building

roots into a community providing purpose for individuals to persist in that environment.

Tinto suggests that institutions need to focus on three different lessons when looking at

their retention efforts. The first being that of theory to action, which goes further and truly

understands what specifically can be done to help students stay and succeed (Tinto, 2006).

Suggesting that the first problem with current retention efforts is that of only accepting there is

an issue or only looking at the broad picture not dwelling as to why this is occurring and

specifically targeting what can be done to transform these types of conflicts. It is suggested that

by looking at persistence predictors and focusing on one-on-one interactions institutions may be

able to increase their retention statistics (Tinto, 2006). Campus culture is molded by the

interactions of freshmen with administration, faculty, staff and other students thus, everyone has

a hand in the overall success of an institution (Veenstra, 2009). This concept is commonly

misconstrued into those individuals of a campus community believing that all the

implementation of retention efforts must come from only one entity and not every single

individual on the campus. When you ask community members if they care about campus

retention they will respond by stating that they want retention to improve but when asking who is

26

responsible for this improvement they will typically provide an answer of student life

professionals or retention professionals, a very specific answer will be provided, not even

considering that they too play an important role in the retention statistic (Tinto, 2006). Thus,

another way to influence the overall results of retention is that of improving individual

interactions with members of the campus community. The second lesson is that of program

implementation and longevity of programming efforts to develop over time, also known as

creating campus traditions (Tinto, 2006). The common issues are that of events not fully

correlating with the curriculum of an institution or even the hidden curriculum that is preached as

values of the institution. The key to successful programming is buy-in from members of the

campus community reached through personal connections as well as the event to provide some

sort of tradition as well as a positive community-building aspect. As well as ensuring that these

programming efforts combine aspects of academic and non-academic factors (Lotkowski et al.,

2004). A college student is solely there for education thus, providing educational activities that

teach in fun and exciting ways to provide students with an experience that may pique interest and

generate campus "buy-in." The third lesson that Tinto suggests is that of student income as a

predictor of college success due to the findings that those who have a lower income have been

shown to have lower rates of completing their degree (Tinto, 2006). By providing support via

financial aid and support for students provides a mentality of negotiation between both involved

parties which in turn provides more sense of control on the college experience as well as an

influencing factor in deciding what institution to attend. Financial support allows students the

ability to choose the best college experience for them pushing for the potential that these students

will have more persistence. When students have more control or the feeling of having more

control over their higher education decision the likelihood of graduation is significantly higher

27

than those who do have these feelings of control (Gifford et al., 2006). All three of these lessons

provide valuable information for institutions on how individual student persistence can be built

which in turn will help with institutional retention.

Students must have a positive constructive experience with their advisor that allows a

connection to be established so that students can receive the support they need to continue

through their college experience. As an advisor, mentor, residential advisor, college professional,

support staff, etc. it would be beneficial to observe individual student characteristics and needs

so that the individual support can be provided to students in the beginning of their first-year to

allow for more connections to be built and for future planning to occur by looking at academic

and non-academic factors one may be able to pinpoint places in which students need

improvement in order to build persistence amongst the student population (Lotkowski et al.,

2004). By creating a profile of students, the institution can work on helping that student develop

persistence in a way that is altered solely for that individual allowing them to have a sense of

being in control of their education, in turn, providing them with greater self-esteem and overall

commitment to their education (Gifford et al., 2006). This profile and awareness of trends can

also help mentors and those who serve in the advising role of first-year students to better help

these students with a more personalized experience for their transition which would allow

students to feel less like they are being forced into a brand-new experience all alone. This profile

of students may lead to inferences on risk-taking behavior including that of alcohol use which

has been predicted to be correlated to overall retention on college campuses. The sense of social

belonging is another strong predictor of college retention due to the mere fact that we are all

social beings and when humans have a perceived social connection, they are more inclined to

want to stay in that environment. The feeling of belongingness provides the reassurance that

28

students made the right choice in college leading to an internal increase in persistence to

continue. In turn, affecting the institutional retention rating.

29

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Hagedorn, L. S. (2006). How to define retention: A new look at an old problem: Transfer and

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and Participation, 31(4), 19-23.

Running Head: BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 1

Why Continue in College:

A Look at Belongingness Development Within the First Semester of College

Barrett Houska

Westminster College

Author Note

Barrett Houska, Department of Psychology, Westminster College

Address Correspondence: Campus Box 511, 501 Westminster Avenue, Fulton, MO 65251

E-mail: BHouska.20@westminster-mo.edu

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 2

Abstract

How do we keep students engaged in a college atmosphere without all of the participation in

risky behaviors such as underage drinking? How do we help students feel as if they belong to

their institution of choice? These questions are important to student life staff personnel as they

are the ones who develop these types of welcome programs and the experience that the first-year

student has with an institution. A crucial part of one's college career as it seems to be the

deciding factor as to whether or not one continues at the college/university that they chose.

Numerous studies have looked at how retention efforts are not matching the needs of students

(Tinto, 2006; Brown, 2012; Cross, 2009; Hagedorn, 2006; Schnell, 2003), and yet this is still a

fairly new topic of research as students of today’s era are choosing their college atmosphere

based off an entirely different mindset than that of our parents. This current study looks at the

effects of mindset shaping within the first semester of college and its role in belongingness

development, social support, and alcohol salience. Results showed a marginal significance that

connectedness increases over the first semester of college and a marginal effect between growth

mindset training on alcohol salience. Those who were part of a growth mindset group were less

likely to believe that alcohol was a necessary element to their overall college experience.

Reasons for error and implication of these results or ideas for future research are also discussed.

Keywords: Belongingness, GrowthMindset, Connectedness, Social Support, College

Transition, Alcohol Salience

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 3

Why Continue in College:

A Look at Belongingness Development Within the First Semester of College

Have you ever been given a choice? How about a choice that would affect your life

forever? These types of choices are the hardest for one to make, especially when the decision that

you choose affects the rest of your life and how you live it. As we grow in the education system

of America, we are consistently faced with the question of what we will do with our adult lives.

Even in elementary school when we talk about ourselves in front of the class we are asked to

think about our future and what we want to become. Of course, at this point in our lives, we have

only been exposed to a few career paths that influence our decisions about what we will grow to

become. Typically, we say something like a teacher, astronaut, bus driver, musician, etc. The

basic jobs that as a child we are made aware of based on our interaction with them. However, as

we grow, we become exposed to the endless possibilities that we have with our lives and the

ever-growing opportunities that will be presented to us. It is our own choice as to whether we

take them.

One of the hardest transitional choices that one may make is that of attending a college or

university after graduating from high school. This transition provides a lot of stress and new

beginnings that require individuals to become more autonomous and self-sufficient, to think

positively and persevere through the challenges that they become faced with (Tinto, 2006). Due

to these stressors, it is very easy for one to become disengaged; affecting whether they feel that

they belong in that environment. As we know from both the social sciences and the natural

sciences, our environment plays a huge part in how we express ourselves and even has an impact

on how we feel as individuals.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 4

The youth of today are choosing their college institution based on the more tangible

elements of the experience rather than the academic profile that they will gain from that

institution (Tinto, 2006). This change in desirability can be predicted to be a result of the media

and the over-saturation of “party-type” college atmospheres. Thus, leading high school age

students to believe that the reason to attend a college or university is for the pre-game, party,

tailgate, Greek atmosphere. The mindset of college is a big party has developed challenges for

those institutions that pride themselves in the educational profile that they can offer students,

especially those schools that are located in the Midwest and focus on liberal arts degrees (Li et

at., 2005). To combat these ideas, it is very common for institutions to focus on their

development of a New Student Experience that develops a new mindset and instills ideals and

practices in students that educate them as to why they are receiving a college degree.

A typical way for institutions to develop a class of students that represents the mindset of

their ideal student candidate is to require pieces of training or lectureships within the first few

weeks of school. This period is labeled as the "Red Zone" at some institutions. This refers to the

first six to seven weeks from the arrival of high school students now a freshman in college

during which these students are the most malleable by the college community (Schnell &

Doetkott, 2003). A study conducted at Stanford University looked at the effects of a growth

mindset training during the transition to high school and found that when students partake in an

online training or school required course that possesses elements that relate directly to student

construal’s – how they interact with teachers, peers, family, etc. – that the effects of the program

are more impactful than those that solely tell students how to think or act (Yeager et. al., 2016).

This study provided concrete evidence that programming efforts to change mindsets needed to

possess elements of every aspect of life. Studies have shown that when students possess a growth

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 5

mindset where they believe that they have the power to develop their intellectual abilities then

they become more academically motivate and successful (Dweck, 2007). These two types of

mindsets allow for an easily digestible choice to be made when it comes to the processes of how

we think about the challenges that we face. A growth mindset training is set to encourage

participants to view these challenges in a more positive optimistic light which in turn doesn’t

make the challenges seem hard (See Figure 1 for the concept map from Dweck et al).

The Current Study

Previous studies show that growth mindset training affects academics and social

relationships. However, the goal of this study is to determine if the presence of Growth Mindset

Training commissioned by the institution has an influence on the feelings of

belongingness/connectedness one has to the overall institution. This study will assess how

belongingness/connectedness may increase or decrease if an institutional-grade growth mindset

intervention is conducted within the first semester of college. To test these initial measures will

be conducted towards the beginning of a student's exposure to college life. Next, an intervention

will occur in which an online growth mindset training will be conducted and then the measures

will be tested two more times to determine if there is a relationship between these interactions

and overall perceptions of belongingness over the first semester of college exposure. This study

also looks at the effects of alcohol salience over time and if any effect occurs with the presence

of a growth mindset training. Due to the fact that research shows alcohol as a strong predictor for

college retention (Hicks & Heastie, 2008). As well as the idea that one’s social support from a

sense of belonging may change with the presence of a growth mindset training course.

Suggesting that those who participate in a training course will lead to perceiving more support

from a sense of belonging.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 6

Method

Participants

A total of thirty-three participants from the incoming cohort of freshman students at

Westminster College participated in this study and were randomly assigned to either the

intervention group or the control group. The participant pool was comprised of 18 females and

15 males. All participants ranged from ages eighteen to twenty-one years old, Mage= 18.4, SD=

0.659. Participants were recruited from Westminster College First-year Seminar Courses and

most received extra credit for participating as well as being entered in a drawing for a $20 gift

card to a place of their choice. (For a full breakdown of demographics see Table 1)

Materials

A total of four different surveys were used in this study. The first survey was a

demographics questionnaire that provided basic information as well as information regarding

where they went to high school, where they live on campus, and what their intended major is

(see Appendix B). The second was a 28-question survey that gauged participants' overall

connectedness/belongingness to the institution that they are part of as well as individual

academic help tendencies (see Appendix C). These questions utilized scales in which participants

rated how much they related to the statement at hand. Reliability analysis on this measure from

this pool of participants yielded reliable results (Cronbach's α = 0.930). The third survey was the

Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) for the General Population, created to measure

individual perceptions of social support (see Appendix D). The ISEL was included in this study

to predict an individuals’ preferred type of support during stressful situations [tangible support,

appraisal support, self-esteem support, and/or belonging support]. This 40-item survey asked the

participants to rank how true each statement is about them on a 0-3 scale. Reliability analysis

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 7

showed that this measure was also a reliable one (Cronbach's α = 0.922). The fourth and final

survey was the College Life Alcohol Salience Scale (CLASS) which was developed to measure

an individuals’ overall perception of how necessary alcohol is to the college life experience. This

fourth measure, of 15 individual statements ranked by agreeableness, was to predict the

likelihood of engagement in risky behaviors (see Appendix E). Reliability analysis of the CLASS

showed a reliable outcome as well (Cronbach's α = 0.780).

Participants in the experimental condition took part in an online growth mindset training

course that was created by the college transition collaborative, PERTS management system, and

Stanford University. “Social-Belonging for College Students is an evidence-based program

designed to instill in students an adaptive mindset that normalizes difficulties experienced in the

transition to college and helps students feel a greater sense of belonging at their school” (College

Transition Collaborative, PERTS, and Stanford University). The program consists of stories that

portray real-life college experiences and setbacks that they most likely will encounter in their

time as a college student (see Appendix F). After reading the stories and how people got through

these setbacks’ participants were asked to reflect on how they might handle these types of

situations using the tools learned from the examples provided in the program.

Procedure

This experiment took place at Westminster College in Fulton Missouri, a small private

liberal arts institution. Students were recruited to join this study from their Westminster Seminar

Instructors. Upon arrival to the study, participants were given an informed consent form

(Appendix G) as well as verbally briefed on the study itself and how it was to be conducted

(Appendix H). Upon signing the consent form, participants were given their first survey packet

which consisted of the demographic questionnaire, school connectedness/belongingness survey,

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 8

ISEL, and CLASS. Once they fill out this packet they could leave and instructed to keep an eye

on their e-mail for the next steps. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental

group (received mindset training) or a control group (received no type of training). Those who

were part of the experimental group came back into the classroom two weeks after their initial

surveys to complete the online mindset training. Approximately two weeks after their training or

four weeks after their initial survey all participants were asked to come back so that they could

complete the mid-way assessments of the same surveys prior. Approximately four weeks after

the mid-way assessment all participants were asked to come in one final time to complete the

survey packet for the last measure. These times were chosen because the first six weeks of school

are the red zone and taking an initial measure there was still closest to that at the beginning of the

year and the last time is the end of participants' first-year seminar course. Each packet was

marked with the same participant number each time to keep answers and responses anonymous

when analyzing data. Once the student finished the final survey packet they were debriefed on

the hypotheses of the study as well as what group they were part of (Appendix I). Finally, all

participants were thanked for participation.

Results

School Connectedness

A 2 (growth mindset training) X3 (connectedness over time) ANOVA on connectedness

showed a significant main effect of time on school connectedness, F (1,8) = 4.38, p= 0.044, η2p=

0.354. With time, school connectedness showed an increase from time 1 (M = 3.87, SE = 0.265)

to time 3 (M = 4.31, SE = 0.265) and time 2 (M = 3.88, SE = 0.265) to time 3. No significant

main effect was found between Growth Mindset Training participation on school connectedness,

F (1,8) = 0.771, p= 0.406, η2p= 0.88. Growth Mindset participants (M= 4.24, SE= 0.352) did not

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 9

differ from the control group (M= 3.80, SE= 0.352). The time by growth mindset interaction was

not significant, F (1, 8) = 2.31, p= 0.147, η2p= 0.224. Participants in the growth mindset training

group showed similar results when assessing school connectedness within the first semester of

college (see table 2).

Social Support from Belongingness

A 2 (growth mindset training) X3 (Belongingness over time) ANOVA on ISEL

Belongingness showed no significant main effect of time on belongingness support, F(1, 6) =

0.237, p= 0.704, η2p= 0.038. With time, support from belongingness showed no significant

difference between time 1 (M= 2.83, SE= 0.130), time 2 (M= 2.88, SE= 0.130), nor time 3 (M=

2.91, SE= 0.130). No significant main effect was found between Growth Mindset Training

participation on belongingness support, F(1, 6) = 3.65, p= 0.104, η2p= 0.379. Growth Mindset

participants (M= 2.67, SE= 0.151) did not differ from the control group (M=3.08, SE= 0.151).

The time by growth mindset interaction was also not significant, F(1, 6) = 2.429, p= 0.157, η2p=

0.288. Participants in the growth mindset training group showed similar results when assessing

support from belongingness within the first semester of college (see table 3).

College Requirement of Alcohol

A 2(growth mindset training) X3(Alcohol Salience over semester) ANOVA on the

CLASS level of Alcohol Salience showed no significant main effect on the desirability of

Alcohol, F(1, 8)= 1.323, p= 0.294, η2p= 0.142. Over the semester, requirement of alcohol in the

college experience showed no change between time 1 (M= 2.38, SE= 0.235), time 2 (M= 2.40,

SE= 0.235) or time 3 (M= 2.16, SE= 0.235). A marginal significant main effect was observed

between Growth Mindset Training participation and the requirement of alcohol, F(1,8) = 4.00, p=

0.081, η2p= 0.333. Growth Mindset participants (M= 1.87, SE= 0.309) showed lower desirability

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 10

for the presence of alcohol when compared to the control group (M= 2.75, SE= 0.309). The time

by growth mindset interaction showed no significant results, F(1, 8) = 0.415, p= 0.667, η2p=

0.049. Participants in the growth mindset training group showed similar trends in desirability for

alcohol over time when compared to those who did not complete the training.

Correlations between Variables

A Pearson correlation coefficient showed a relationship between the amount of school

connectedness and perceived salience of alcohol at time one within the first semester of college.

There was a negative correlation between the two variables, r=-0.444, p= 0.011. A Pearson

correlation coefficient showed a relationship between the perceived salience of alcohol at times

1, 2, and 3. There was a positive correlation between perceives salience at time 1 and time 2

(r=0.838, p= 0.001); time 1 and time 3 (r= 0.781, p= <0.001); and time 2 and time 3 (r=0.926,

p<0.001). A Pearson correlation coefficient also showed a relationship between connectedness at

times 1, 2, and 3. There was a positive correlation between connectedness at time 1 and time 2

(r= 0.0846, p= 0.002); time 1 and time 3 (r= 0.656, p<0.001); as well as time 2 and time 3 (r=

0.764, p= 0.010). Finally, the correlation coefficient shows a significant negative relationship

between alcohol salience at time 1 and college connectedness at time 3 (r= -0.421, p= 0.036).

A Person correlation coefficient showed a positive relationship between the amount of

perceived support from belonging at time one and perceived support from belonging at time 3

(r=0.850, p< 0.001). A significant positive relationship between perceived salience of alcohol at

time 1 to time 2 (r= 0.838, p= 0.001), time 1 to time 3 (r=0.781, p< 0.001), and time 2 to time 3

(r= 0.926, p< 0.001) was also shown via a Pearson correlation.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 11

Discussion

Most findings in relation to the main hypotheses were marginally significant; however,

there is still a lot that can be observed from this study. When comparing mean scores on school

connectedness those who took part in the growth mindset training seemed to do better on the

school connectedness survey and the perceived belongingness support measure. As prior research

suggests and this study helps to support, alcohol salience is something that colleges are battling

and can be marginally influenced by the implementation of a growth mindset training. This study

also generates new questions or possibilities of exploration regarding the benefits of a growth

mindset training program.

School Connectedness

This data went along with the trends in previous research in the sense that as the semester

went on connectedness levels marginally increased. The level of connectedness or belongingness

increases with time due to interactions within the community and exposure to the daily practices

of college (Tinto, 2006). The behavioralist psychologist would suggest that this finding supports

prior research because humans are products of their environment (Krapfl, 2016). Thus, the more

exposure one has to a specific environment the more likely they are to be molded into a product

of that environment leading to a larger sense of connectedness. This aids in the case that

developing a first-year experience that fosters connection is a necessary tool for retention.

Support from Belongingness

Support from social belongingness on average seemed to be higher with those who were

part of the growth mindset training however, this was not found to be a significant result. This

average reflects the current data that suggests those who partake in growth mindset training tend

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 12

to receive more support from their peer groups or the groups in which they belong (Dweck

2000).

Alcohol Salience

Alcohol consumption is most popular between the ages of 18-24 which typically is a

result of binge drinking at social events and it has been proven that college-age students have a

higher drinking rate than non-college peers (Hustad & Heastie, 2008). To measure the perception

of college to participants, they took the College Life Alcohol Salience scale which measured

their perception as to whether alcohol is something that is required in college life. The data

analysis showed a marginal difference in those who took part in the growth mindset training

having lower scores on this measure. It could be hypothesized that this is due to these students

having a mindset that encourages them to think critically and more positively about the college

experience which leads to ideations that coincide less with drinking and the need for alcohol

(Hicks & Heastie, 2008). Those who read scenarios about college stressors and how to overcome

them with a positive proactive mind were marginally more likely to think of alcohol to be not as

necessary when compared to those who did not participate in the activity where you read

individual experiences and wrote about how you could apply the strategies they did in your own

life. Thus, suggesting that when you focus on other experiences that tend to be more positive or

look at challenges more like experiences rather than in a negative light you are more likely to not

follow the stereotype that college life is full of alcohol.

Conclusion

Participants who were assigned to the growth mindset group showed that they had

significantly higher scores of connectedness to the institution before being randomly assigned.

Thus, possibly suggesting a potential error in data analysis due to the participants who received

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 13

the growth mindset training already thinking more positively about their transition to college.

Another huge limitation of this study was that the participant size was small from the beginning

and unfortunately had a hard time retaining freshman students throughout the semester.

Extensive efforts to retain and recruit participants for this study were conducted at every time

point for the full two-week span of collection. This may attribute to a lack of significant findings

but also goes to show motivation amongst those who are starting the college experience.

Something that was noticed was that those who did not sign up to participate in the experiment at

the beginning were reaching out towards the time of midterm grade releases to try and participate

to gain extra credit points in their seminar classes. Westminster College is a small school as it is

thus already having a small population and narrowing down to just the freshman class the pool

for potential participants was lessened quickly. A different sample from those who were directly

graduated may have yielded different results or more significant results as this study missed the

critical window from the transition which is the summertime.

Overall this study showed that those who took part in a mindset training were marginally

more likely to not view alcohol as a need to the college experience and that over the first

semester a sense of connectedness is developed. This sense of connectedness goes to show that

the first semester of college life is crucial to the retention efforts of incoming students. This

implies that institutions need to develop an experience that fosters a growth mindset as well as

connectedness efforts to keep students actively engaged in the institution with academics and

extracurricular activities.

Even though this study did not come back with many significant results it still provides

an opportunity for something like this to be measured more in-depth. With a larger sample size,

the two groups will allow for more random assignment and not possess much bias like was

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 14

shown in this study. Future research should look at the effects of all social support in relation to

the growth mindset not solely the belongingness support as one may be affected more with this

type of training. Looking at the difference between seminar-style and whether having a seminar

that is focused on your major or one that is more geared to helping your learning style

encourages more connectedness.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 15

References

Brown, J. (2012). Developing a freshman orientation survey to improve student retention within

a college. College Student Journal, 46(4), 834-851.

Cross, J. E., Zimmerman, D., & O'Grady, M. A. (2009). Residence hall room type and alcohol

use among college students living on campus. Environment and Behavior, 41(4), 583-

603.

Dweck, C. S. (2007). The secret to raising smart kids. Scientific American Mind, 18(6), 36-43.

Fromme, K., Corbin, W. R., & Kruse, M. I. (2008). Behavioral risks during the transition from

high school to college. Developmental psychology, 44(5), 1497.

Hagedorn, L. S. (2006). How to define retention: A new look at an old problem: Transfer and

retention of urban community college students. Los Angeles, CA: Transfer and Retention

of Urban Community College Students Project.

Hicks, T., & Heastie, S. (2008). High school to college transition: A profile of the stressors,

physical and psychological health issues that affect the first-year on-campus college

student.

Hustad, J. T., Pearson, M. R., Neighbors, C., & Borsari, B. (2014). The role of alcohol

perceptions as mediators between personality and alcohol-related outcomes among

incoming college-student drinkers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28(2), 336.

Krapfl, J. E. (2016). Behaviorism and society. The Behavior Analyst, 39(1), 123-129.

Li, Y., Sheely, M. C., & Whalen, D. F. (2005). Contributors to residence hall student retention:

Why do students choose to leave or stay. Journal of College and University Student

Housing, 33(2), 28-36.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 16

Schnell, C. A., & Doetkott, C. D. (2003). First-year seminars produce long-term impact. Journal

of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 4(4), 377-391.

Tinto, V. (2006). Research and practice of student retention: What next?. Journal of College

Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 8(1), 1-19.

Yeager, D. S., Walton, G. M., Brady, S. T., Akcinar, E. N., Paunesku, D., Keane, L., ... & Gomez,

E. M. (2016). Teaching a lay theory before college narrows achievement gaps at scale.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(24), E3341-E3348.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 17

Figures

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 18

Figure 2. Graph showing the average level of connectedness all participants had at each

time point in their first semester of college. The marginal difference in connectedness overtime

was seen here.

0

1

2

3

4

5

Week 5 Week 9 Week 14

Time of Measurment (Week in semester)

Connectedness Over Time

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 19

Figure 3. Graph showing the average connectedness scores for the control group

compared to the experimental growth mindset group.

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

No Yes

Growth Mindset Intervention

Growth Mindset on Connectedness

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 20

Figure 4. Graph showing the comparison between those in the control group and

experimental group at each week in the semester on average connectedness.

0123456

Control GrowthMindset

Control GrowthMindset

Control GrowthMindset

Week 5 Week 9 Week 14Time in the Semester

Comparison of Growth Mindset and Connectedness over time

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 21

Figure 5. Graph showing the average support from belongingness over time.

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

3

3.1

Week 5 Week 9 Week 14

Time of Measurment (Week in semester)

Belongingness Support Over Time

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 22

Figure 6. Graph showing the average support from belongingness for the control group

and growth mindset training group.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Control Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset Group or Control Group

Growth Mindset on Belongingness Support

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 23

Figure 7. Graph showing the comparison between the control group and growth mindset

group over time in relation to the social support from belongingness measure.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Week 5 Week 9 Week 14Time in the Semester

Comparison of Growth Mindset and Belongingness Support over time

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 24

Figure 8. Graph showing the effects of alcohol salience over time.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Week 5 Week 9 Week 14

Time of Measurment (Week in semester)

Alcohol Salience Over Time

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 25

Figure 9. Graph showing the effects of growth mindset training on overall alcohol

salience. Marginal significance was observed here suggesting that those in the growth mindset

group were less likely to view alcohol as a necessary element to college life.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Control GrowthMind

Growth Mindset Group or Control Group

Growth Mindset on Alcohol Salience

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 26

Figure 10. Graph showing the comparison between the control group and the growth

mindset group on alcohol salience over time.

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

Week 5 Week 9 Week 14 Week 5 Week 9 Week 14

Control Growth MindsetTime in the Semester

Comparison of Growth Mindset and Alcohol Salience over time

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 27

Tables

Table 1 - Participant Descriptives

Descriptives

PartNo. Gender Race/EthnicityInternational Student

Residential Location

Intended Major

PriorSchool Location

Seminar Transfer Age

N 33 33 33 33 33 33 31 33 33 33

Frequencies of Gender

Levels Counts % of Total Cumulative %

Female 18 54.5 % 54.5 %

Male 15 45.5 % 100.0 %

Frequencies of PriorLoc

Levels Counts % of Total Cumulative %

Rural 15 48.4 % 48.4 %

Sub-Urban 11 35.5 % 83.9 %

Urban 5 16.1 % 100.0 %

Frequencies of Seminar

Levels Counts % of Total Cumulative %

A 2 6.1 % 6.1 %

B 4 12.1 % 18.2 %

C 3 9.1 % 27.3 %

D 3 9.1 % 36.4 %

G 2 6.1 % 42.4 %

H 5 15.2 % 57.6 %

I 10 30.3 % 87.9 %

J 2 6.1 % 93.9 %

M 2 6.1 % 100.0 %

Frequencies of Race/Ethnicity

Levels Counts % of Total Cumulative %

African American 1 3.0 % 3.0 %

Hispanic/Latino 2 6.1 % 9.1 %

Other 3 9.1 % 18.2 %

White/Caucasian 27 81.8 % 100.0 %

Frequencies of Age

Levels Counts % of Total Cumulative %

18 22 66.7 % 66.7 %

19 10 30.3 % 97.0 %

21 1 3.0 % 100.0 %

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 28

Appendix A

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 29

Appendix B

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 30

Appendix C

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 31

Appendix C

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 32

Appendix D

Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) -- General Population This scale is made up of a list of statements each of which may or may not be true about you. For each statement check “definitely true” if you are sure it is true about you and “probably true” if you think it is true but are not absolutely certain. Similarly, you should check “definitely false” if you are sure the statement is false and “probably false” is you think it is false but are not absolutely certain. 1. There are several people that I trust to help solve my problems 2. If I needed help fixing an appliance or repairing my car, there is someone who would help me. 3. Most of my friends are more interesting than I am. 4. There is someone who takes pride in my accomplishments. 5. When I feel lonely, there are several people I can talk to. 6. There is no one that I feel comfortable talking about intimate personal problems.7. I often meet or talk with family or friends. 8. Most people I know think highly of me. 9. If I needed a ride to the airport very early in the morning, I would have a hard time finding someone to take me. 10. I feel like I’m not always included by my circle of friends. 11. There really is no one who can give me an objective view of how I’m handling my problems. 12. There are several different people I enjoy spending time with. 13. I think that my friends feel that I’m not very good at helping them solve their problems. 14. If I were sick and needed someone (friend, family member, or acquaintance) to take me to the doctor, I would have trouble finding someone. 15. If I wanted to go on a trip for a day (e.g., to the mountains, beach, or country), I would have a hard time finding someone to go with me. 16. If I needed a place to stay for a week because of an emergency (for example, water or electricity out in my apartment or house), I could easily find someone who would put me up. 17. I feel that there is no one I can share my most private worries and fears with. 18. If I were sick, I could easily find someone to help me with my daily chores. 19. There is someone I can turn to for advice about handling problems with my family. 20. I am as good at doing things as most other people are. 21. If I decide one afternoon that I would like to go to a movie that evening, I could easily find someone to go with me. 22. When I need suggestions on how to deal with a personal problem, I know someone I can turn to. 23. If I needed an emergency loan of $100, there is someone (friend, relative, or acquaintance) I could get it from. 24. In general, people do not have much confidence in me. 25. Most people I know do not enjoy the same things that I do. 26. There is someone I could turn to for advice about making career plans or changing my job. 27. I don’t often get invited to do things with others. 28. Most of my friends are more successful at making changes in their lives than I am. 29. If I had to go out of town for a few weeks, it would be difficult to find someone who would lookafter my house or apartment (the plants, pets, garden, etc.). 30. There really is no one I can trust to give me good financial advice. 31. If I wanted to have lunch with someone, I could easily find someone to join me. 32. I am more satisfied with my life than most people are with theirs. 33. If I was stranded 10 miles from home, there is someone I could call who would come and get me.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 33

34. No one I know would throw a birthday party for me. 35. It would be difficult to find someone who would lend me their car for a few hours. 36. If a family crisis arose, it would be difficult to find someone who could give me good advice about how to handle it. 37. I am closer to my friends than most other people are to theirs. 38. There is at least one person I know whose advice I really trust. 39. If I needed some help in moving to a new house or apartment, I would have a hard time finding someone to help me. 40. I have a hard time keeping pace with my friends

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 34

Appendix E

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 35

Appendix F

Sample Questions from the PERTS Management Intervention:- I look forward to taking classes at Westminster College where the work is really hard for

me.- How much do you think you will feel you fit in at WC when you arrive on campus this

fall?- How much do you think you will feel you belong at WC when you arrive on campus this

fall?- How much do you think you will feel at home at WC when you arrive on campus this

fall?- I view the difficulties of the upcoming transition to college as a positive challenge.

- Experience 1You've just started college and it's the fall term. You're taking a first-year writing class. You want to do well but you struggle with the first paper. When you get the paperback, your instructor has covered it in red ink. You got a low grade.

o How likely are you to feel dread about writing future papers?o How likely are you to have the thought, "It's the first paper? I'll bet many students

don't do well at first"?- Experience 2

It’s your first year in college and you’ve been hanging out with a group of students in your dorm on a semi-regular basis. One Saturday night, you find out that they all went out and nobody invited you.

o How likely are you to have the thought, “I’ll never make good friends here”?o How likely are you to have the thought, "Oh well? I'll do something else"?

- I intend to complete my degree at Westminster College.Stories of Current Students Example:

- “I was so excited about coming to college. But sometimes I also worried I might be different from other students. And when I got to campus, sometimes it felt like everyone else was right at home, but I wasn’t sure if I fit in. At some point, I realized that almost everyone comes to college unsure whether they fit in or not. It’s ironic—everybody comes to college and feels they are different from everybody else when, really, in at least some ways we are all pretty similar. Since I realized that, my experience at college has been almost one-hundred percent positive.” - Junior, Hispanic female

- “I love college and I wouldn’t trade my experiences here for anything. I’ve met some close friends, I’ve had some fantastic experiences, and I’ve certainly learned a lot. Still, the transition to college can be difficult, and it was for me. My first year sometimes I didn’t know what I was doing I made a lot of casual friends at parties and other places but I avoided interacting with professors in class or going to office hours. I think I was intimidated by them. I also got some low grades early on, which stressed me out. But these things got better over time. I began to make good friends through classes and student groups. And my grades got better as I started working in study groups and asking for help from professors and other instructors. I even got involved in a research project with a professor. Now I am happier than I have ever been at college. It is really rewarding for me to feel like I belong in the intellectual community here.” - Senior, White female

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 36

Appendix G

Informed Consent - Title of Project: The Transition into College You are invited to participate in a study involving the transition to college. We ask that you read this form and ask any questions you may have before agreeing to be in this study. This study is being conducted by Barrett Houska as part of a course requirement for the Psychology Department at Westminster College. Background Information:

The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of mind setting on belongingness. There will be different tests on the feelings of belongingness as well as academic risky behaviors. Belongingness has been shown to be a strong predictor as to why students stay enrolled in their college experience within the first few months of college. The goal of this study is to determine if the presence of Growth Mindset Training commissioned by the institution has an influence on the feelings of belongingness one has to the overall institution. This study will assess how belongingness may increase or decrease depending as to if an institutional grade growth mindset intervention is conducted. Procedures: If you agree to participate, you will be asked to take a few short surveys in order to categorize your results. Upon completion of the surveys you may be asked to participate in an online training course. During this training course you will be presented with information about the college transition. It is expected that the training would not take any longer than thirty minutes. There will be two more instances in which you are asked to come in to complete the measures again in order to gauge belongingness over time. In total this experiment asks for a max of three fifteen minute sessions and one thirty minute session totaling one hour and fifteen minutes over a three month period. Risks and Benefits of Being in the Study: There are no foreseeable potential risks or adverse effects in being part of this research. Participants may read some scenarios that are similar to their transitional experience such as getting a bad grade or loss of a friendship which could cause discomfort. You have the right to decline to participate and to withdraw from the research at any point in the experiment without any negative consequences. Confidentiality: The records of this study will be kept confidential. Any computer files containing your data will not include any identifying information about you. [If files do need to contain identifying information, these files will be password protected and only the members of the research team will have the password]. In any sort of report we might present, we will not include any information that will make it possible to identify a participant. Research records (including this signed Consent Forms) will be kept in a locked room; only researchers will have access to the records. No name will be attached to the data sheets containing your responses. Contact and Questions: The researcher conducting this study is Barrett Houska and you may ask any questions you may have now. If you have questions later, you may contact the researcher or thefaculty advisor for this project by e-mail (BHouska.20@westminster-mo.edu; (Ryan.brunner@westminster-mo.edu).Statement of Consent: I have read the above information. I have asked questions and received answers. I am at least 18 years of age and consent to participate in the study. Signature of Participant________________________________________________ Date ____________ Signature of Researcher ____________________________________ Date ____________

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 37

Appendix H

Thank you for agreeing to participate in my thesis study on college transitions and why we continue throughout our first semester of college. Here is the informed consent form thatexplains the purpose of the study and your rights as a participant.(Appendix G)If you have any questions before we get started please ask me now. (Answer any questions participants may have.) Now we will get started with the different initial surveys. Please fillout this demographics survey. (Pass out Demographics survey Appendix B) Please fill out these next surveys. (Pass out Belongingness Measure-Appendix C, Social Support Measure-Appendix D, and CLASS-Appendix E) Be sure to read every word and every scale carefully as some of them are a little different. Are there any questions? (Answer questions.) Once youare done with these surveys please flip them over and leave them on your desk. Upon completion you are free to leave and you should expect to receive an e-mail from me to set upthe next time to come in. Thank you! You may start now.Email will be sent if you would like to see the draft of the emails (Appendix A). The intro for the intervention section is in (Appendix I). The introduction for the last two data collectiondays will run exactly as the first session minus the informed consent and demographics but will conclude with passing out the debriefing (Appendix J).

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 38

Appendix I

Intro For InterventionThe instructions for intervention dayPlease read the following script to students before they begin.“As a part of this thesis study, we would like you to complete the ‘What is it like coming to WestminsterCollege?’ online activity. This is an activity that incoming first-year students at Westminster College arebeing asked to complete before they start classes in the fall. Because we think that this is a really usefulactivity for students to complete, we are offering it as a part of your orientation.“The activity will share stories from current and former college students describing what theirexperience coming to college was like. You will have a chance to share your own thoughts andexperiences about coming to Westminster College to help improve the transition to college for futurestudents.“It will take about 30 minutes to complete the activity. Please read the instructions carefully and do yourbest to answer all of the questions to the best of your ability. It is very important that you not talk toeach other or look at each other’s answers, as that would be a violation of other students’ privacy.“You will be answering survey questions, reading some short passages, and answering questions aboutwhat you read. Your responses will be kept confidential. They will only be used to help our college learnabout things we can do to make the transition to college better for future students. You can learn moreat perts.net/privacy .“Now open your browser and please go to comingtocollege.org. Then enter the phrase deer happy, andfollow the on-screen instructions. Please be aware that as you move through the program, you maywant to go back to a previous question. If so, do not use the back arrow on the browser. Instead, use the‘Go Back’ link in the upper left corner, just above the questions. Please begin.Ten minutes before students need to finish, tell them how much time is remaining and that it is okay ifthey do not have the time to finish everything.“We have about ten minutes remaining for the activity. Please continue with the activity, but do notrush. It is okay if you do not have time to finish everything.At the end of the activity, ask your students to log out by closing their browser window.“We have reached the end of the session. It’s okay if you are not totally done with the activity, just closethe browser. You can complete the activity in your own time. To complete the activity later, please go tocomingtocollege.org, enter the code deer happy, and type in your student ID. The website should bringyou back to the page you left off at. Please take note of the website and code now. Thank you. Theinformation you have provided may be used to improve students’ experiences here and at other schools

as well.

BELONGINGNESS DEVELOPMENT 39

Appendix J