French College Students Research Articles

Frequency and structure of DSM-IV personality disorder traits in college students

A sample of French female college students ( N = 201) completed the self-report Personality Disorder Questionnaire for DSM-IV (PDQ-4+; Hyler, 1994). Forty-two participants (21%) had a PDQ total score equal or greater to 30 suggesting a personality disturbance. The DSM-IV three-cluster classification of PDs was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and failed to produce an acceptable fit. An exploratory factorial analysis extracted a four-factor solution possessing both satisfactory fit and meaningful interpretations. This model was compared with the two other studies which have tested the three-cluster model and found that PDs grouped themselves into components differing from DSM-IV clusters. It may be unlikely to find an universal structure for DSM-IV PDs generalizable to all clinical and non-clinical populations.

Association between sensation seeking and alcohol consumption in French college students: Some ecological data collected in “open bar” parties

Numerous factors have been associated with alcohol drinking among college students. Typically, the psychological trait of sensation seeking, has been found to be correlated with alcohol consumption in various populations. Nevertheless, there is a pressing need for more observational and ecological studies of college drinking behavior in unusual and incentive situations. The present study examined the relationship between sensation seeking and blood–alcohol concentration at the end of an “open bar” party in a sample of college students. Our results support the relationship between disinhibition and blood–alcohol concentration among women. In men however, experience seeking was found to be of equal significance than disinhibition. As the sensation seeking ratings were especially high for both sexes as compared to the population norms, the possibility that open bar participants share a specific profile of personality is discussed.

Comparison of American and French College Students' Stage of Change for Muscular Fitness—Promoting Behaviors

To examine psychosocial concomitants of stages of change for muscular fitness-promoting behavior among college students in America and France. Participants were from Lyon 1 University (Claude Bernard), France (n=71) and Oregon State University, United States (n=3). The main variables of interest were nationality, gendes srage of change, cons, pros, and self-efficacy. The majority of Americans reported being in action or maintenance, whereas the majority of French reported being in precontemplation or contemplation (66.2% vs. 56.8%, respectively, p < .001). The only theoretical variable that Americans (adjusted mean [M(adj.) = 9.2) and French (M(adj.) = 7.7) differed on was perceived pros (p <.00 1). Nationality, self-efficacy, and pros were the most important stage-of-change concomitants. Stage-of-change classification accuracy was 47.9%. This study questions whether the transtheoretical model is fully generalizable when applied to this specific behavioral application using a mixed-culture sample.

The Effectiveness of Written Recasts in the Second Language Acquisition of Aspectual Distinctions in French: A Follow‐Up Study

This follow‐up study on the acquisition of the aspectual distinction between the passé composé (PC) and the imparfait (IMP) investigates the differential outcomes of the results presented in an earlier study, Ayoun (2001), by pursuing two lines of research: the effectiveness of written recasts versus models and traditional grammar instruction, and the development of temporality in the interlanguage of French college students as second language learners (i.e., the Aspect Hypothesis). The earlier study found that all learners improved in their use of the PC but not the IMP. The R(recast)‐group out‐performed the M(model)‐group and the G(grammar)‐group, with a significant difference over the latter but not the former, which supported the hypothesis that recasts are the most effective form of treatment. The qualitative results of the present study weaken this finding because it was more difficult to distinguish among the three different treatments: (a) The G‐group outperformed the R‐ and M‐groups in accuracy and frequency in the PC; (b) all three groups decreased in their accuracy and frequency in the IMP but the G‐group outperformed the other two groups; (c) the three groups were practically identical in the production of various predicate types in the PC and IMP on the pre‐ and posttests; and (d) overall, it was the G‐group's performance that showed a greater aspectual use of predicate frequency and type in the IMP. These new results partially support a prediction of the Aspect Hypothesis, according to which the use of past tense morphology is influenced by lexical class, but they offer only tentative support for the Imparfait Spreading hypothesis. A few preliminary suggestions regarding pedagogical applications are offered.

Reversed Subtitling and Dual Coding Theory: New Directions for Foreign Language Instruction

The purpose of this study was to examine how subtitled video programs could enhance foreign language learning. Three viewing methods were compared in a pilot study: French audio only, standard subtitling (English subtitles) and reversed subtitling (English dialogue with French titles). In two subsequent experiments, standard subtitling was replaced with bimodal input (French audio with French titles). The beginning and intermediate French college students selected for the study were tested on vocabulary recall after watching a five‐minute video excerpt of French in Action. The success of reversed subtitling, which proved to be the most beneficial condition, can be explained by the way translation facilitates foreign language encoding. Retrieval is also enhanced by the multiple memory paths created by the visual and bilingual input (Paivio's bilingual dual coding model, 1986). Dual processing in the bimodal input condition also gave positive results. Based on the results of this study, a model integrating both reversed subtitling and bimodal input into a complete curriculum is advocated.

Love Styles in the United States and France: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

A sample of 156 U.S. college students was compared with a sample of 165 French college students for love styles using the Hendricks' version of Lee's “colors of love.” As predicted, Americans were more “storgic” than the French, but contrary to predictions no differences were found for Eros and Ludus. Other findings indicated that Americans were higher on measures of Mania while the French were higher on Agape. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed that, overall, French love styles differed significantly from those of the American sample, as did the love styles of males and females, and the styles of those “in love” as opposed to those “not in love” (controlling for age). Differences in love styles between nationalities exceeded those between the sexes.

Aids Knowledge and Homophobia among French and American University Students

22 male American and 24 male French college students' knowledge of AIDS scores were equivalent on a currently constructed 18-item questionnaire. Both groups answered more than 75% of the questions correctly. The American students' homophobic bias and reaction scores were higher than those of the French students on a 43-item homophobic questionnaire. The latter findings were interpreted as consistent with reduced effects of conservative, orthodox religion in France and the stability of traditional religious influence in America over the past three decades. No relation was found between knowledge of AIDS and homophobia in these small conveniently available samples.

Auto- and Heterostereotyping in Pakistani, French, and American College Students

Abstract The stereotypes of four groups of college students including Pakistanis, French, and Americans in the United States and France were examined in light of the amount of contact each group had with the stimulus cultures. Significant differences appeared in the content of the stereotypes held by these groups, as well as tendencies to see others (regardless of ethnic group) in a particular way. The results also suggest that autostereotypes (beliefs about one's own group) are as variable as heterostereotypes and that the amount of contact with another culture strongly influences both. The context in which cross-cultural contacts took place seemed to be an important variable.

Differences in Attitudes toward Romantic Love of French and American College Students

Abstract University students from France and the United States completed the Hobart (1958) and Knox-Sporakowski (1968) scales measuring attitudes toward romantic love. Significant differences between the two samples were found, with the French placing higher value on chivalrous behavior by men and on jealousy as a measure of commitment. The French were also significantly more likely than the Americans to perceive love as irrational and as a cause of jealousy and clouded judgment, agreeing that it is too emotional an experience to be studied objectively. Gender differences interacted with cultural perspectives on several measured dimensions of romantic love.

Cross-Cultural Interaction: Potential Invisible Barriers

Summary The present research investigated the initial stages in forming social acquaintances with special emphasis on social contacts formed across ethno-linguistic boundaries. Two studies were conducted with male and female French and English Canadian college students. The first study (N = 160) assessed perceptions and expectations about forming new acquaintances. The second (N = 325), a field study, focused on the behavior of people in the process of forming new ingroup or outgroup acquaintances. Results of both studies provided some insights into why there is so little interaction between members of the two ethno-linguistic groups. It was found that forming new acquaintances is a more difficult process than imagined, especially with cross-cultural acquaintances. Moreover, an outgroup member was required to be more similar to the S on a variety of dimensions in order to qualify as a potential friend. If differences in language per se do not seem sufficient to explain the lack of interaction, various psychosocial aspects of a bilingual environment (different language skills, preservation of ethnic identity) are suggested as important deterrents to cross-cultural interaction.

Qualities of Desired Spouse: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between French and American College Students

Through factor analyses, the nine most potent dimensions of marital expectation for an American and a French college sample were obtained. A comparison of the factorial structure of American and French men showed moderate to high similarity. The American and French women also showed dimensional similarity though there was greater divergence in the variance accounted for by similarly labeled factors. The item by item comparison between the two samples put the differences between them into sharper relief. Compared to the American men, the French men wanted a wife who was sexier, and higher on aggression, pragmatism, egalitarianism, and social adequacy. Moreover, she would be less idealized, conventional, and respectful to authority. The differences between French women and American women were almost identical to the differences found between the two male samples. Because of the differences in the nature of the sampling, generalization was eschewed pending further data.