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Postgraduation Future Vividness and Persistence: A Longitudinal Study of Gender Differences in College Students

Sat, April 18, 8:15 to 9:45am, Virtual Room

Abstract

There is a high attrition rate of women in STEM and business fields. The capacity to visualize the future after college graduation may be a key to increased performance and persistence. This research, following entering undergraduates over two years, investigated how initial future vividness and its trajectory predicted academic self-efficacy and academic outcomes, and identified gender differences in these relationships Findings show that (1) for both genders, initial vividness, and its change, predicted academic self-efficacy, GPA, and attrition from STEM and business majors; (2) women reported greater initial vividness than men; and (3) men’s vividness grew at a significantly greater rate. These findings highlight the importance of increasing future vividness early in women’s college career.

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