Development of the College Cultural Fit Scale: Predicting College Adjustment and Achievement

• In Event: AERA Virtual Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Examining Motivation and Cognition in Context

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the College Cultural Fit Scale with multiple sources of validity evidence. The result was a newly developed psychological scale with the initial evidence of validity based on test content, factor structure, and relations to other variables. The results of factor analyses supported the ability of the instrument for adequately measuring students’ subjective cultural fit with three distinct, but related constructs based on their ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. These constructs were able to predict key outcome variables of successful college lives. The work provides a foundational understanding of the underlying mechanism for achievement and institutional attachment of college students with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Authors

• Soohyun Yi, Texas Tech University

• Sungwon Shin, Texas Tech University

• Jaehoon Lee, Texas Tech University

• Kamau Siwatu, Texas Tech University