Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Donna M. Heretick

Abstract

The United States has the highest college attrition rate among industrialized nations. Community college students face a much higher risk, particularly those who lack requisite reading/writing skills. Using the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory, this study explored the relationship between persistence in college for students in traditional or corequisite remediation. Person factors under study were frustration discomfort, academic motivation, and self-reported symptoms of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After 7 semesters, 72 adult student volunteers from the 2 remediation programs were recruited from 2 community colleges. They completed an online survey, which included a demographics questionnaire, the Frustration Discomfort Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale, and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Symptom Checklist (ASRS-V1.1). Based on the results of Chi square, t-test, and MANOVA analyses (as appropriate per research question), type of remediation indicated a slight, albeit statistically nonsignificant effect on persistence. Persisters and nonpersisters did not differ on frustration discomfort nor academic motivation. However, persisters demonstrated significantly lower levels of adult self-reported ADHD symptoms than those who did not persist. The positive social change implications of this study include using the findings to promote early testing and diagnosis of ADHD, active monitoring of students in remediation, and proactive (i.e., intrusive) advising for students with this disability, in order to facilitate the best outcomes for their academic pursuits.

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