Social Adjustment of Female Early College Entrants in a Residential Program

Abstract

Previous studies of the general emotional adjustment of early college entrants have not investigated the social adjustment of adolescents who leave home to attend a residential program. This study assessed the social adjustment of female early college entrants using standard measures of adjustment and two comparison groups (traditional college students and boarding school students). Social adjustment was assessed in the areas of social activities, social skills, social confidence, social conformity, and social support. Although all groups evidenced good overall adjustment, there were noteworthy group differences. Early entrants evidenced higher social conformity and solitary activity than boarding students, who had more social activity. Early entrants and college students evidenced similar social adjustment, but early entrants reported a high level of dissatisfaction with their social lives. Overall, female early college entrants in a single-gender residential program are socially well-adjusted, although there are specific areas in which their social adjustment could be improved.