The Potential Activist and His Perception of the University

Abstract

Starting with an attitude survey of freshmen entering three University of California campuses on the issue of support for, opposition to, or neutral feelings concerning the Free Speech Movement (FSM) at Berkeley, the author goes on to label the supporters as "potential activists" and to record their perceptions of present and ideal university education, in contrast to the anti-FSMers and neutrals (who often operated as a single comparison group). Data on the perceptions of a second comparison group composed of Berkeley students are also presented. Variables examined include political/social attitudes and educational goals and ideals. Using personality scales taken from the Omnibus Personality Inventory (Heist & Yonge, 1968), pro-FSMers were found to resemble the participants in the movement. The role of the psychologist in campus conflicts is introduced, and the implications of the potential activist profile for university policy planning are suggested.