Abstract
Differential effects of a particular small women's college environment on the attrition of its students were studied. Two separate entering classes, a total of 330Ss were classified into four categories, Persisters, Withdrawers, Academic Withdrawers, and Returners, and were compared on 35 personality and demographic characteristics, using as primary measures the 15 scales of the omnibus personality inventory. Conclusions, drawn from the data on persisters and withdrawers, were that: (a) no consistent differences appeared in demographic characteristics, (b) as hypothesized, students who withdrew were more complex and more autonomous, (c) the hypothesis that withdrawers would be more impulsive was not supported, and (d) as predicted, persisters differed from withdrawers on social introversion, intellectual disposition, and practical outlook. The study supports the thesis that important personality characteristics discriminate between persisters and withdrawers.
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Smith, D.G. Personality differences between persisters and withdrawers in a small women's college. Res High Educ 5, 15–25 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991957
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991957