ERIC Number: EJ1082625
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Oct
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0897-5264
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Available Date: N/A
A Multidimensional Comparison of Traditional, Transfer, and Online Students' University Attachment
Lane, Forrest C.; Martin, Georgianna L.; Henson, Robin K.
Journal of College Student Development, v56 n7 p746-751 Oct 2015
Institutional belonging has been connected in the literature to college student well-being, achievement, persistence, and retention. However, much of this literature uses a one-dimensional scale to examine this construct. The University Attachment Scale (UAS; France, Finney, & Swerdzewski, 2010) is a multidimensional instrument with purported value, but structural results are limited to a single sample from a primarily traditional student population. This study re-examined the UAS at an institution with a large transfer student population and compared the latent means between traditional (n = 561), transfer (n = 372), and online (n = 50) students. Findings indicated transfer and online students report lower levels of member attachment relative to traditional students, a dimension not currently captured by other belonging scales. This may have value for the college student development literature, given increased calls for belonging research and a rise in distance-based education.
Descriptors: College Students, Attachment Behavior, Group Membership, Group Unity, College Transfer Students, Comparative Analysis, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Online Surveys, Measures (Individuals), Statistical Analysis, Correlation, Reliability
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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