Homesickness in College Students: The Moderating Effect of Religiousness on the Relationship between Homesickness and Maladjustment

This study examined the moderating role of religiousness in relationship between homesickness and depression, alcohol use, and risky sexual behaviors in freshmen college students. Data were collected on 312 freshman (195 female, 117 male, mean age = 18 years). Religiousness was found to moderate the relationships between homesickness and depression and alcohol use; however, the moderation was dependent on the domain of religiousness measured. For the relationship between homesickness and depression, positive religious coping served as a protective factor, while organizational religiousness, private practices, and global religiousness functioned as risk factors. For the relationship between homesickness and alcohol use, private practices served as a protective factor, while personal religiousness was a risk factor. Religiousness had no impact on the relationship between homesickness and sexual behaviors. Results highlight the need for domain-specific religiousness measures, and for an increase in awareness of the role religiousness can play in an individual's adjustment to college.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Longo, Gregory S.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Harrison, David W.
• Deater-Deckard, Kirby

• Religiousness
• Homesickness

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04082010-141921

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/31661