The present study focused on motivational underpinnings of identity commitments and mediating mechanisms underlying their effects on well-being and distress in a sample of college freshmen (N = 399). Using a path model in a structural equation modeling approach, the authors found that causality orientations appeared to serve as motivational…

Affect and emotions are frequently seen as outcomes of mastery and performance goals, but affective experiences may also predict goal adoption. In a predictive study (N = 669 first-year college students), the authors used structural equation modeling to estimate relationships from 2 initial affective experiences to mastery and performance-approach…

While a great deal of research has examined students' critical thinking skills, less is known about students' tendencies to use these skills. Specifically, little is known about what factors contribute to students developing a disposition to think critically or what impact this disposition has on college students' academic achievement. Perceived…

A study integrated the major propositions of 2 theories of college persistence (Tinto's and Bean's) and used the resulting framework to survey a population of 466 first-year college students at 1 university. Findings supported most of the hypothesized links between the models and revealed a complex role for environmental factors in retention.…

The intersection of athletics and academics is legitimized through eligibility rules, which provide standards that bind commercial athletics to the educational purposes of higher education. To compete in intercollegiate athletics, freshman student athletes must meet the initial academic eligibility criteria set by the National Collegiate Athletic…

Analysis of data on freshman-to-senior developmental gains in 722 University of Tennessee-Knoxville students provides evidence of the advantages of structural equation modeling with latent variables and suggests that the group differences identified by traditional analysis of variance and covariance techniques may be an artifact of measurement…

One of the most noticeable changes to the university student profile over the last decade is the increasing number of mature-age students. This study examined the relationship between previous academic performance, psychological characteristics of the student, learning strategies, and the first year academic performance of school leavers and…