20th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
Liberal Arts Acculturation and its Prediction of College Students’ Well-Being: Replication and Validation of a New Liberal Arts Acculturation Scale
Jennifer N. Crawford*, Christopher R. Honts, Ben Greenberg, Andrew Skelton, Amy M. Wessel, and Cynthia Wooldridge
Dr. Jeffrey Vittengl, Faculty Mentor
This study tested the reliability and validity of a new 44 item questionnaire of liberal arts acculturation among college students. We hypothesized that the three dimensions of acculturation, intellectualism, productivity, and caring for others, would show high reliability, quasi-independence, and predict well-being (mood, life satisfaction, engagement in college) and specific personality dimensions. Results supported the measure’s reliability and validity. Liberal arts acculturation related to higher levels of well-being, including college engagement, satisfaction with life, positive affect, and lower negative affect. The liberal arts acculturation dimension of intellectualism correlated with the personality dimension of openness, productivity correlated with extraversion, and caring for others correlated with agreeableness. The study’s results support previous research suggesting that liberal arts acculturation is desirable (Pascarella, Wolniak, Cruce, & Blaich, 2004) and predictive of well-being (Skelton, et al. 2006). The study indicates that liberal arts acculturation may be beneficial to students receiving a liberal arts education.
Keywords: liberal arts, acculturation, well-being, personality factors, intellectualism, productivity, caring for others
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 66-2
Location: VH 1412
Time: 3:00 pm