Skip to main content
Log in

Developing a measure of student deviance: A research note

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

University students are expected to defer to the authority of the formal rules of a university and to any symbols of that authority. A student engaging in open confrontation of the authority structure is violating the norms of the student role. While there are many measures of student support for protest, existing measures are inappropriate as generalized measures of deviance in the student role. This research develops two measures: Attitudinal Support for Confrontation (ASC) and Behavioral Support for Confrontation (BSC). Results of tests of reliability, convergent validity, and theoretical relevance show that (1) responses are internally consistent; (2) both measures tap a confrontation continuum; (3) descriptive characteristics of ASC supporters are comparable to other attitudinal protest measures; and (4) there are differences between behavioral and attitudinal support patterns.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altbach, P. G. (1979). Whatever happened to student activists?Chron. Higher Educ. 18: 56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P. G., and Peterson, P. M. (1972). Before Berkeley: Historical perspectives on American student activism. In Altbach, P. G., and Laufer, R. S., (eds.),The New Pilgrims: Youth Protest in Transition McKay, New York, pp. 3–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bisconti, A. S., and Astin, A. W. (1971).Protest Behavior and Response on the U.S. Campus American Council on Education, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braungart, R. G. (1966). SDS and YAF: Backgrounds of student political activists. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Miami, Fla.

  • Braungart, R. G. (1971). Family status, socialization and student politics, a multivariate analysis.Am. J. Sociol. 77: 108–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braungart, R. G. (1976). College and noncollege youth politics in 1972: An application of Mannheim's generation unit model.J. Youth Adoles. 5: 325–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1959). Identity and the life cycle.Psychol. Iss. 1: 1–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1968).Identity, Youth and Crisis Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finney, H. C. (1971). Political libertarianism at Berkeley: An application of perspectives from the new left.J. Soc. Iss. 27: 35–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flacks, R. (1967). The liberated generation: An exploration of the roots of student protest.J. Soc. Iss. 23: 52–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hess, R. O., and Torney, J. V. (1967).The Development of Political Attitudes in Children, Aldine, Chicago.

  • Hodgkinson, H. (1970), Student protest — an institutional and national profile.The Record 71(May): 537–555.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hope, D. R. (1976). Changes in college students' value patterns in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.Soc. Educ. 49: 155–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keniston, K. (1968).Young Radicals Harcourt, Brace and World, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keniston, K. (1971).Youth and Dissent Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerpelman, L. C. (1969). Student political activism and ideology: Comparative characteristics of activists and nonactivists.J. Counsel. Psychol. 16: 8–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornberg, A., and Brehm, M. L. (1971). Ideology, institutional identification and campus activism.Soc. Forces 49: 445–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin, M. (1970). Social climates and political socialization. In Sigel, R. S., (ed.),Learning About Politics Random House, New York, pp. 353–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lubell, S. (1968). That “generation gap.”Pub. Interest 13: 52–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meehl, O. (1977). Law and the fire side inductions: Some reflections of a clinical psychologist. In Tapp, J. L., and Levine, F. J. (eds.),Law, Justice, and the Individual in Society Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, pp. 10–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Middleton, R., and Putney, S. (1963). Student rebellion against parental beliefs.Soc. Forces 41: 377–383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newcomb, T. (1943).Personality and Social Change: Attitude Formation in a Student Community Dryden, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, M. (1970). Social and political participation of blacks.Am. Sociol. Rev. 35: 682–697.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orum, A., and Cohen, R. S. (1973). The development of political orientations among black and white children.Am. Sociol. Rev. 38: 62–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T., and Platt, G. M. (1972). Higher education and changing socialization. In Riley, M. W., Johnson, M., and Forer, A. (eds.),Aging and Society Sage, New York, pp. 236–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Somers, R. H. (1965). The mainsprings of rebellion: A survey of Berkeley students in November 1964. In Lipset, S. M., and Wolin, S. S. (eds.),The Berkeley Student Revolt Doubleday, Garden City, N.Y., pp. 530–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1963).Methodology and Scores of Socioeconomic Status. Working Paper No. 15, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westby, D. L., and Braungart, R. G. (1966). Class and politics in the family backgrounds of student political activists.Am. Sociol. Rev. 31: 690–692.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. L. (1974).The Sources of American Student Activism D.C. Health, Lexington, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Herrman, M.S. Developing a measure of student deviance: A research note. J Youth Adolescence 9, 229–238 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088467

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088467

Keywords

Navigation