Social Support, Prior Interracial Experiences, and Network Orientation: Factors related to Later Adjustment Among Black Freshmen at a Predominantly White University

<p>African-American students (mostly Freshmen) enrolled for the first year at a four-year university completed information about the racial composition of their high school, family income, living arrangements, and stressor prior to entering school. At two times during the first semester they completed measures of social support, network orientation and adaptation to college. Information about Grade Point Average (GPA) for the following term and attendance at the University one year later were also obtained. Racial composition of high school had some affect on social support at the university: Students from integrated and mainly Black high schools reported more social support satisfaction than students from mainly White high schools, but students from mainly Black high schools reported higher level of Mistrust of social support. Adaptation to college was not affected by racial composition of high school. Multiple regression analyses predicting adaptation to college, GPA, and attendance one year later revealed that adaptation to college was predicted by satisfaction with social support, a less negative network orientation, and less stress prior to entering the university. GPA was predicted by less stress and living at home. Attendance at the university one year later (retention) was predicted by GPA, adaptation to college, smaller network size, higher family income, and living on campus. Sex of participants influenced only the reporting of stress; females reported more stressful experiences prior to their first semester. The implications of these results on adaptation to college, academic success, and retention of African-American university students are discussed.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

1997

Author dc:creator

• Graham, Calvin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Barbara Winstead
• Delanyard Robinson
• Carretta Cooke
• Patricia Clark-Nicolas
• Alan Rountree

• Interracial experiences
• African-American students
• GPA
• African American Studies
• Clinical Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Higher Education
• Social Psychology

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).</p>

Identifier

9780591048612

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:psychology_etds-1123