Student leadership, mathematics aptitude and college major.

Abstract

This report describes a significant difference found between a small group of college student leaders and one of college student non-leaders in both mathematics aptitude and college major. From consideration of rhe personality and aptitude correlaces of student leaders versus student non-leaders cited by Waters ( 1 9 6 9 ) , and Carson and Parker ( 1 9 6 6 ) , and student major concentration differences by Pohl and Pervin ( 1 9 6 8 ) , it was hypothesized that college student leaders in social activities and student government would score significantly lower on a mathematics usage test than their non-leader counterparts. Also hypothesized was that college student leaders in contrast to non-leaders would select with significantly greater frequency college majors which are more person oriented (e.g., Social Science) than thing oriented (e.g., Namral Science, Business). The total student leader population of a school, meeting specified Ss and Student Leader criteria (N = 30) . was compared with a control group of 30 student non-leaders, meeting specified Ss and Student Non-leader criteria. The student non-leader group was selected by utilizing a computer generated equally probable random sample procedure resulting in a uniformly distributed sample of 40 Ss from which 30 Ss volunteered. T o control for differences in sex, age, and academic standing, criteria required that all Ss be male, full-time students of junior or senior standing and have a cumulative gpa of at least 3.0 from a possible 5.0. Student leader status was defined as holding a position in either the campus recognized student government or programming-social activities governing board during the 1967-68 school year. Student non-leader status was defined as never having held an office or position of leadership in any campus organization. ACT Mathematics Usage standard scores were available for 15 of the student leaders and 18 of the student non-leaders. O n the basis of the consistency of scores from other tests concurrently administered, between the reduced and original samples, it was decided that the reduced samples approximated suitably representative samples of the original groups of 3 0 student leaders and 3 0 student non-leaders. A t of 3.85 ( 3 1 df, p < ,001) indicated that there was a significant difference in ACT Mathematics Usage standard scores berween the reduced student leader and student non-leader samples as expected. Analysis of a personal data questionnaire administered to all Ss suggested that 50% ( 1 5 ) of the smdent leaders but only 10% ( 3 ) of the student non-leaders were Social Science majors in college ( x 2 = 27.1, 1 df, p < .01) and that 64% ( 1 9 ) of the 30 student non-leaders selected either Business or Science as majors in college as compared to only 23% ( 7 ) of the 3 0 student leaders who chose these areas as majors ( x l = 53.3, 1 df, p < .01). The prediction was substantiated that more of these college student leaders than the non-leaders selected with significantly greater frequency college majors which are more person oriented than thing oriented.