The challenge of finding noncontingent, universal worth for elite U.S. college students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Most sources from which college students derive their sense of worth are contingent and, therefore, often unstable, especially for students in high-performance educational contexts. Thus, this qualitative study sought to identify the extent to which 142 undergraduate students from eight elite colleges or universities derived their worth from noncontingent, universal sources and the degree to which students had internalized these sources. Only 40 students (28%) identified universal worth as their source of worth, and many of these students struggled to maintain it. The particular institutional context was the major correlate of students’ reliance on sources of universal worth. Contingent self-worth and contextual factors appeared to inhibit the formation of universal worth, providing educators with opportunities to intervene.