A FACTORIAL STUDY O F THE ATTITUDE SCALES ON THE COLLEGE STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE WITH STUDENTS AT A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK UNIVERSITY.

Abstract

The study examined the dimensionality of attitudes on the College Student Questionnaires (CSQ). The sample consisted of 772 entering freshmen at a predominantly black liberal arts university. The correlation matrices for the 66 attitude items were factor analyzed using a principal axes factor analysis with an oblique rotation. Among the eleven factors, which accounted for 37% of the variance, the following were interpreted: Family Independence vs. Cohesiveness; Autonomy vs. Influenceability from Peers ; Non-Affiliative vs. Affiliative Peer Orientation; Concern for Social Problems; Aesthetic Interest; and Interest in Politics and World Affairs. These factors were compared with the original CSQ Attitude Scales, and a number of similarities and differences were noted. The items from the CSQ Liberalism Scale did not form any general interpretable factor and the items from the CSQ Peer Independence Scale formed two distinct factors. The findings implied that special scales- corresponding with the factors found in the study-should be considered when studying attitudes of students attending predominantly black colleges and universities.