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Owner: Luise von Keyserlingk
Owner Email: luise.von-keyserlingk@uni-tuebingen.de
Paper Title: Adjusting to College: Do Ability Beliefs and Social Support Matter for Mental Health and Performance?
Session Title: Transitional Experiences Into and Through College
Paper Type: Paper
Presentation Date: 4/23/2022
Presentation Location: San Diego, California
Descriptors: Academic Outcomes, Colleges, Psychology
Methodology: Quantitative
Author(s): Luise von Keyserlingk, Technische Universität Dortmund; Julia Moeller, Universität Leipzig; Jutta Heckhausen, University of California - Irvine; Richard B. Arum, University of California, Irvine; Jacquelynne S. Eccles, University of California - Irvine
Unit: Division J - Postsecondary Education
Abstract: The first months at college can be challenging, as students are required to adjust to new academic and social environments. Students’ mental health and high dropout rates in early years continue to be a large concern. Building on theoretical frameworks on psychological well-being and college adjustment, we investigate how social support and ability beliefs predict psychological distress and performance after the first quarter of students’ freshman year. We used data (N = 239) from a longitudinal study at a public university. Ability beliefs predicted students’ performance and were associated with students’ satisfaction with their college adjustment. Students who perceived higher social support by faculty were more satisfied with their adjustment process and reported lower psychological distress after their first quarter.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/1890230