Model Construction for Undergraduate Student College Adjustment

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 28;17(19):7090. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197090.

Abstract

Background: College students are known to struggle with a number of difficulties, such as their future careers and interpersonal relationships, as well as job-seeking stress. This study aimed to develop and test a structural model for undergraduate student college adjustment. Methods: The data collection period ranged from November 2019 to January 2020. A questionnaire was distributed to a total of 300 college students; a total of 290 copies were ultimately used for analysis. Result: The model fit indexes of the final model were χ2 = 427.707 (p < 0.001), DF = 173, χ2/DF = 2.47, GFI = 0.88, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) = 0.84, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.91, Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.92, Standardized Root Mean-square Residual (SRMR) = 0.07, and Root Mean-Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07. All of the model fit indexes were acceptable, and seven of the thirteen paths in the final model were significant. The factors that influenced college adjustment were social support (r = 0.39) and ego-identity (β = 0.73), explaining 57.1% of the variance. Conclusions: To increase college adjustment, it is necessary to consider the relationship of adjustment with college students' surrounding environments, such as their family, friends, and professors, and how students can improve their ego-identity.

Keywords: adjustment; aggression; child rearing; ego; social networking; social support.

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Social Support
  • Students*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities*