Influence College Students Research Articles

University students’ meta-modelling knowledge

Background: As one part of scientific meta-knowledge, students’ meta-modelling knowledge should be promoted on different educational levels such as primary school, secondary school and university. This study focuses on the assessment of university students’ meta-modelling knowledge using a paper–pencil questionnaire.Purpose: The general purpose of this study was to assess and to describe university students’ meta-modelling knowledge. More specifically, it was analysed to what extent the meta-modelling knowledge, as expressed in a questionnaire, depends on the scientific discipline to which university students relate their answer and the concrete model to which they refer while answering.Sample: N = 184 students from one German university voluntarily participated in this study.Design and methods: The questionnaire was developed based on a theoretical framework for model competence and includes constructed response items asking about the purpose of models, ways for testing models and reasons for changing models. Students written answers were first analysed qualitatively based on the theoretical framework to decide whether they expressed advanced understandings or not. Further analyses then were conducted quantitatively.Results: Findings suggest that only few university students possess an advanced meta-modelling knowledge. However, significant more students who relate their answers to the STEM-disciplines expressed advanced understandings than those who referred to social sciences or linguistics/philology. Furthermore, university students who expressed an advanced meta-modelling knowledge referred to rather abstract kinds of models in order to explain their view.Conclusions: The present study supports the assumption that meta-modelling knowledge may be situated and contextualised. Both the scientific discipline and the concrete model to which university students refer seem to be relevant item features influencing university students’ expressed meta-modelling knowledge. Implications for assessment and teaching are discussed in the article.

An Exploration of Factors Influencing College Students' Academic and Social Adjustment

The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of school life and to examine the influencing factors of academic adjustment and social adjustment in university students. This cross-sectional descriptive study by using secondary data from 2,064 subjects who responded to a self-rated student adjustment test. Descriptive, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Satisfaction with college selection, expectation for college, satisfaction with college service, emotional stability, and relationships with faculty were significantly higher among male students, whereas confidence in major, support from others were significantly higher among the female students. There was a significant positive relationship between academic adjustment and confidence in major, and between social adjustment and expectation for college. Confidence in major, relationships with faculty, emotional stability, expectation for college, satisfaction with college selection, and commitment to college life accounted for 31.8% of the variance in academic adjustment. In addition expectation for college, emotional stability, support from others, gender, commitment to college life, and satisfaction with college services accounted for 44.7% of the variance in social adjustment for university students. Overall, the results of this study suggest that understanding the levels of expectation for college, commitment to college life, and levels of emotional stability may be important for facilitating their transition and adjustment to university life.

Pre-college Factors Influencing College Students’ Civic Attitudes: The Importance of Familial and Community Service Experiences

Entering university students (N = 178) were surveyed in the fall of 2013 to learn about their attitudes toward college and civic engagement. As with students beginning study at the same university five to seven years earlier, participants felt positive about the institution’s public service graduation requirement and indicated plans to engage in substantial service during college. Their civic attitudes were as or slightly more positive than those of students surveyed earlier, but they were less positive in their self-reported knowledge of the community. Students’ reports of family orientation toward community service predicted their views of the graduation requirement, as well as their civic attitudes (i.e., civic responsibility, value placed on community service, and social justice). Replicating earlier research, students’ pre-college community service, especially their reported enjoyment of service activities, predicted attitudes toward the graduation requirement and civic attitudes. A mediation model showed that the effects of family orientation on civic attitudes were partially mediated by students’ involvement in service during secondary school years. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for K-12 and college programming.

교육만족도 관점에서 학생의 학업중단 의도에 대한 연구

교육만족도 관점에서 학생의 학업중단 의도에 대한 연구

Risk assessment heuristics: Cues and intention to use a condom in casual sex

Objective: This study examined the relationship between three heuristic cues (consistency, liking and social proof) and condom use in casual sex relationships utilising the theory of planned behaviour. Participants: Totally, 388 US college students were surveyed. Method: Three vignettes for each cue primed students to project their willingness to use a condom during casual sex encounters. Results: Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed that the cues exerted significant main effects on attitude ( F(5, 1,935) = 6.16, p < .001), subjective norms ( F(5, 1,930) = 5.626, p < .001), perceived behavioural control ( F(5, 1,935) = 8.51, p < .001) and behavioural intentions ( F(5, 1,930) = 2.44, p = .033). Post hoc analysis revealed condom avoidance behavioural intentions were more likely for the vignette depicting social proof ( M = −1.26, standard deviation [ SD] = 1.08). Conclusion: Findings indicate that heuristic cues influence college students’ condom use intentions, and prevention programmes should incorporate cues to increase effectiveness.

Tracing College Students’ Acceptance of Online Health Services

ABSTRACTThe popularity of online health information has increased because of its easy accessibility. The present study employs longitudinal data to investigate perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and trust in the online health information context. More specifically, the authors classified trust as both trust in the provider and in the website for health information. In light of this discussion, the purpose of this study is twofold: (1) To better understand the multidimensional and dynamic nature of trust in the online health information context and (2) To carry out a longitudinal investigation to study the technology acceptance model (TAM) in the online health information context. This study focuses on college students’ behaviors related to online health information services; this is because engagement with online health information is a dynamic area for research among young populations. By analyzing the longitudinal data, the authors found that both trust in website and trust in provider can integrate TAM variables well to influence college students’ behavior for seeking out online health information. Moreover, when college students gain more experience with online health information servers, perceived ease of use becomes less important to form positive behavior intentions.

Professor Gender, Age, and “Hotness” in Influencing College Students’ Generation and Interpretation of Professor Ratings

<p>Undergraduate psychology students rated expectations of a bogus professor (randomly designated a man or woman and hot versus not hot) based on an online rating and sample comments as found on RateMyProfessors.com (RMP). Five professor qualities were derived using principal components analysis (PCA): dedication, attractiveness, enhancement, fairness, and clarity. Participants rated current psychology professors on the same qualities. Current professors were divided based on gender (man or woman), age (under 35 or 35 and older), and attractiveness (at or below the median or above the median). Using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), students expected hot professors to be more attractive but lower in clarity. They rated current professors as lowest in clarity when a man and 35 or older. Current professors were rated significantly lower in dedication, enhancement, fairness, and clarity when rated at or below the median on attractiveness. Results, with previous research, suggest numerous factors, largely out of professors’ control, influencing how students interpret and create professor ratings. Caution is therefore warranted in using online ratings to select courses or make hiring and promotion decisions. </p>

Differences in the Influence of College Students’ Self-Esteem for Getting-a-Job on Job Search Behavior Intensity in South Korea

Objectives: We explored the moderating role of college ranking and sex differences in the influence of college students’ self-esteem for getting-a-job on job search behavior intensity in South Korea. Methods/Statistical analysis: To achieve the research purpose, we surveyed four hundred and two undergraduate students in four colleges in highest class colleges and four colleges in around 100th place in South Korea. The research participants were selected based on the result of the 2015 university assessment report released by an influential daily newspaper in South Korea. To measure Self-esteem for getting-a-job and Job search behavior, we used multidimensional scales for each. Findings: As results of factor analysis, we got different factor structures against initial expectations. Factor analysis on Self-esteem for getting-a-job produced six sub factors: Confidence in career decision, self-understanding, Confidence in preparing getting-a-job, Efficacy in utilizing personal relationship, Confidence in decision-making. Factor analysis on Job search behavior produced three sub factors: Job-searching, Self-searching, Advice-seeking. The results showed that while there were no obvious differences between college ranking groups in Self-esteem for getting-a-job, clear differences between the sexes in Self-esteem for getting-ajob. Our initial expectation was that there were large differences between groups of college ranking in Self-esteem for getting-a-job and Job search behavior. There was a difference between groups of college ranking in Self-understanding only. The interaction effect of the sexes and the college ranking groups was appeared Confidence in preparing gettinga- job only. As results of regression analysis, Confidence in career decision, Self-understanding, and Efficacy in utilizing personal relationship influenced Job-searching and Advice-seeking. Confidence in decision-making influenced Jobsearching only. And Confidence in preparing getting-a-job and Confidence in decision-making influenced Self-searching only. Improvements/Applications: Students need not to be discouraged or lose their confidence in getting-a-job by attending simply lower ranking college but not higher ranking college.

Career Identity and Life Satisfaction

Identity formation is considered as a key factor in the conceptualization of life satisfaction (LS). Recent volatility in labor markets has negatively influenced college students’ LS and attending to the relationship between their career identity (CI) and LS has become important for career researchers and counselors. The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effects of tolerance for uncertainty (TU) and emotions (positive affect [PA] and negative affect [NA]) in the relationship between CI development and LS. The hypotheses were tested among 199 college students in a prestigious South Korean university. The results indicate that TU and emotions mediate the effects of CI on LS. Based on these findings, career counselors are encouraged to help college students understand the synergy of TU and development of CI, which may increase their sense of LS.

The influence of smartphones on academic performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence college students’ smartphone use for academic purposes by identifying the task-technology fit (TTF) of smartphones. A research model is proposed to explain how TTF of smartphones affects college students’ perceived academic performance and smartphone use. Design/methodology/approach Online surveys were administered to college students at a South Korean university that has offered online academic services for more than five years, and 1,923 valid responses were analyzed. The study used partial least squares path modeling to evaluate the measurement model, and the bootstrapping technique to test the significance of the hypotheses. Findings The findings highlight that the TTF of smartphones has a direct influence on students’ perceptions of performance impact and an indirect influence on smartphone use through a precursor of utilization, such as attitude toward smartphone use, social norms and facilitating conditions. Research limitations/implications Despite a reasonably large sample, a single cross-sectional survey has a likelihood of selection bias in the sample. Practical implications This study applies the TTF model to smartphone use among college students and suggests an effective way to motivate them to use mobile technologies for their academic activities. Originality/value The present study develops an empirical model to assess the adoption of smartphones and its effect on college students’ academic performance. Above all, the study identifies a causal relationship among TTF, precursor of utilization, smartphone use and a perceived impact on academic performance based on the development and validation of the TTF constructs of smartphones.

Optimizing the Presentation of Mental Health Information in Social Media: The Effects of Health Testimonials and Platform on Source Perceptions, Message Processing, and Health Outcomes

ABSTRACTUsing social media for the purpose of disseminating mental health information is a critical area of scientific inquiry for health communication professionals. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a first-person testimonial in educational mental health information placed in Facebook and Twitter messages influenced college students’ (N = 257) source perceptions, information processing, cognitive elaboration, health information recall, beliefs, and behavioral intentions. Results show that exposure to social media messages that featured mental health information embedded with a testimonial predicted less source homophily and more critical thoughts about the social media source, less systematic message processing, and less cognitive elaboration. Health information recall was significantly impacted by both the social media platform and message content such that participants in the testimonial condition on Facebook were more likely to recall the health facts in those messages whereas participants who viewed the testimonial in Twitter were less likely to recall the facts in those tweets. Compared to those who read Facebook messages, participants who read Twitter messages reported higher levels of systematic message processing. These findings suggest that the integration of health testimonials into social media messages might inadvertently provoke psychological resistance to mental health information, thereby reducing the persuasive impact of those messages.

Who overuses Smartphones? Roles of virtues and parenting style in Smartphone addiction among Chinese college students

Several empirical studies have linked negative parenting style (i.e., parental rejection and overprotection) with a higher degree of Smartphone addiction. However, few studies have analyzed the potential protective factors (e.g., virtues) that may prevent addiction and promote effective Smartphone addiction interventions. Therefore, we examined if virtues (i.e., relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness) mediated the association between parenting style and Smartphone addiction among college students. Moreover, we examined whether these relationships were moderated by gender. Chinese college students (N = 742) ages 16–25 years completed the: 1) short-Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran-Chinese measure of parenting style, 2) 96-item Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, and the 3) Mobile Phone Addiction Index of Smartphone addiction. The results showed that negative parenting style significantly influenced college students' Smartphone addiction. Furthermore, virtues acted as a cognitive mechanism that mediated the association between negative parenting style and Smartphone addiction. Moreover, male virtues may be more sensitive to negative parenting style than female virtues. Relevant suggestions for college administrators, educators, parents, and future researchers are offered.

How social media influence college students’ smoking attitudes and intentions

Building on the influence of presumed influence (IPI) model, this study examines how smoking-related messages on social media influence college students’ smoking. We surveyed 366 college students from three U.S. Midwestern universities in 2012 and examined the effects of expression and reception of smoking-related messages on smoking using path analysis. We found that the expression and reception of prosmoking messages not only directly affected smoking but also had indirect effects on smoking through (1) perceived peer expression of prosmoking messages and (2) perceived peer smoking norms. For antismoking messages, only reception had a significant indirect influence on smoking through (1) perceived peer reception of antismoking messages and (2) perceived peer smoking norms. In conclusion, social media function as an effective communication channel for generating, sharing, receiving, and commenting on smoking-related content and are thus influential on college students’ smoking.

Gender's role in misperceptions of peers' sexual motives.

The sexual double standard influences men's and women's sexual attitudes and behavior, leading men and women to consider distinct sexual motives, or reasons whether or not to engage in sexual intercourse (Crawford & Popp 2003; Reiss 1964). The goal of the present paper was to document how the sexual double standard shapes perceptions of peers' sexual motives. We build on past research by using open-ended questions and measuring perceptions of both same-gender and other-gender peers. The sample included 154 heterosexual college students (50% female, 49% European American, 25% Latino American, 26% African American) recruited via probability sampling. When we compared perceptions of men's and women's sexual motives, we found that participants seemed to rely on the sexual double standard. Participants were more likely to attribute a female-stereotyped motive (e.g., romantic relationship characteristics, feeling "ready", emotional investment) and less likely to attribute a male-stereotyped motive ("easy", arousal, physical appearance) to female peers than to male peers. However, when we compared participants' own motives to perceptions of their peers' motives, participants overestimated male-stereotyped motives and underestimated female-stereotyped motives in peers, regardless of peer gender, possibly in congruence with stereotypes of hookup culture. These findings demonstrate that, although individuals sometimes rely on the sexual double standard to attribute sexual motives to others, misperceptions of peers' sexual motives may also be influenced by stereotypes of hookup culture. These misperceptions contribute to pluralistic ignorance that may influence college students' sexual behaviors.

College Students’ Health Information Activities on Facebook: Investigating the Impacts of Health Topic Sensitivity, Information Sources, and Demographics

College students tend to lack access to health information. Because social networking sites (SNSs) are popularly adopted by college students, SNSs are considered to be good media channels for college students to obtain health-related information. This study examines the factors that influence college students’ health information-seeking and -sharing activities on Facebook. An online survey was distributed to college students between the ages of 18 and 29 to determine intentions pertaining to health information activities according to the factors identified for the study. The factors included both contextual factors (such as health topic sensitivity and health information sources) as well as user factors (such as demographics). Our findings showed that college students are willing to read and post health-related information on Facebook when the health topic is not sensitive. In addition, there are clear differences in preferences between professional sources and personal sources as health information sources. It was found that most user factors, except gender, have no influence on health information activities. The impacts of SNS contexts, awareness of information sources, types of interlocutors, and privacy concerns are further discussed.

Approaching Safety through Quality: Factors Influencing College Student Perceptions

Quality management practices have been identified by previous literature as a factor that could potentially reduce the level of safety incidents and hazards in agricultural work environments. The present study used multivariate analysis to examine the effect of independent variables such as quality and safety awareness, work experience, safety and quality management experience, and the perceived importance of safety and quality on the role of quality management practices as a mitigating factor for safety hazards and incidents in agriculture. Variables were measured on a five-point scale using a survey questionnaire. Data were collected from approximately 900 undergraduates enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at a large land grant university in the U.S. The level of student work experience and student perceptions of the importance of quality explained a significant amount of the variance in student views of quality management practices as a mitigating factor for safety hazards and incidents. The findings of this study provide further evidence for using quality management practices as a basis for safety interventions targeted at the agricultural workforce.

Factors Affecting Mental Health Service Utilization Among California Public College and University Students.

Unmet need for mental health treatment among college students is a significant public health issue. Despite having access to campus mental health providers and insurance to cover services, many college students do not receive necessary services. This study examined factors influencing college students' use of mental health services. Online survey data for 33,943 students and 14,018 staff and faculty at 39 college campuses in California were analyzed by using logistic regressions examining the association between students' use of mental health services and student characteristics, campus environment, and the presence of a formal network of campus mental health clinics. Nineteen percent of students reported current serious psychological distress in the past 30 days, and 11% reported significant mental health-related academic impairment in the past year. Twenty percent reported using mental health services while at their current college, 10% by using campus services and 10% off-campus services. Students on campuses with a formal network of mental health clinics were more likely than students at community colleges to receive mental health services (odds ratio [OR] range=1.68-1.69), particularly campus services (OR=3.47-5.72). Students on campuses that are supportive of mental health issues were more likely to receive mental health services (OR=1.22), particularly on campus (OR=1.65). Students with active (versus low) coping skills were consistently more likely to use mental health services. Establishing more campus mental health clinics, fostering supportive campus environments, and increasing students' coping skills may reduce unmet need for mental health services among college students.

Partner Meeting Contexts and Risky Behavior in College Students’ Other-Sex and Same-Sex Hookups

We analyzed a sample of 12,065 hookup encounters among college students at 22 colleges and universities in the Online College Social Life Survey (OCSLS) to explore how partner meeting locales may influence college students’ risky behavior when hookup partners are met in those contexts. For other-sex encounters, meeting in bars or at parties, through common interest groups or history, and (for women) at dormitories was associated with binge drinking during encounters, while meeting online and (for women) in public was associated with reduced binge drinking during encounters. Unprotected sex during other-sex encounters was more common when partners were met in public and less common with partners met in dormitories. Binge drinking and marijuana use during or just prior to encounters was associated with an increased risk of unprotected sex and other substance use. Marijuana use and unprotected sex during encounters was more common when students knew their hookup partner better or had hooked up with the partner before, while binge drinking was associated with hooking up with less familiar partners. Associations of meeting contexts with behavior were explained by the locale’s association with institutional and personal trust, social scripts, and selection into certain contexts by students with a risk-taking personality.

Factors influencing college students’ purchase intention towards Bamboo textile and apparel products

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the factors that might influence American consumers’ purchase intention towards bamboo textile and apparel products. Guided by Sproles’ fashion adoption theory, a survey was conducted to examine the effects of fashion orientation, shopping orientation, and environmental concern and eco-friendly behaviour on purchase intention of bamboo textile and apparel products. A total of 307 usable questionnaires were collected from young American consumers. Results from structural equation modelling analyses indicated that fashion leadership and environmental concern are significantly related to consumers’ purchase intention towards bamboo textile and apparel products.

A Study on Factors Influencing Financial Literacy of Youngsters with special reference to Tamilnadu State of India

Financial literacy is the fundamental knowledge for any human being to protect themselves from financial mistakes and economic shocks. It helps an individual to take planned risks, making right financial investment and to lead financially secured life. Global Financial Literacyindex indicates that India ranks 23rd out of 28 markets in terms of Global financial literacy. All India financial literacy and inclusion report (2014) also proved that 80% of the Indians are financially illiterate in India. This study explores the factors influencing college students financial literacy in Tamilnadu state of India. The modified model of Jergenson and Savla (2010) which was used in Family resource management theory as a base theory and has been used in this research. The results reveal that college Students financial behaviour is positively influenced by their financial knowledge. In addition to that financial knowledge of college students are positively influenced by their parents.