15 Fascinating Psych Studies on College Students

Since college students occupy an interesting and unique transitional space, it makes perfect sense that psychologists would find their minds a fascinating study. By no means even one atom comprehensive, this little list takes a look at some polls, statistics and intense research meant to dig into their heads and pull out some insight.

1. Stanford Prison Experiment: Philip Zimbardo’s exceptionally controversial 1971 inquiry into the relationship between prisoners and their guards is probably so fascinating because — not in spite — of its ethical quandaries. It only lasted 6 days because of the brutal abuse practiced by mock authority figures, traumatizing many of their victims. Even Zimbardo himself allowed the power to overtake him, permitting the "guard" students to exercise such atrocities. Interestingly enough, journalists, psychologists, political scientists and others would draw parallels between the Stanford Prison Experiment discoveries and 2004′s Abu Gharib scandal.
2. Today’s college students display less empathy: So this news bodes well for humanity. Between 1979 and 2009, researchers delved deeply into 14,000 college students’ capacity for empathy and compassion. The last nine years of the study saw the sharpest decline, and overall such emotions dropped a staggering 40%. Ed O’Brien, one of the project’s leaders, attributes this unfortunate phenomenon to the fact that kids today with their Twitters and their Facebooks spend more time socializing with computers than face-to-face.
3. Today’s college students are more likely to have narcissism issues: On a related note, a San Diego State University study sadly noted a rise in narcissistic behavior amongst the current crop of college kids. 16,475 individuals took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test between 1982 and 2006, finding that the last years saw 2/3 of the students scoring in the above-average range — an increase of 30% from the study’s inception. Researchers such as Jean Twenge, who headed up the team, think the blame lay squarely on parents and professionals shoving kids’ head with routine messages of how they’re special, unique and destined for greatness. The resulting entitlement issues not only take a toll on empathy, but also cause dangerously swelled heads.
4. Cyberbullying doesn’t end in high school: Baylor University PhD candidate Ikuko Aoyama and her advisor Tony L. Talbert conducted one of the only studies on college-age cyberbullying thus far. The pair spoke about their findings in a brief 2010 interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education, noting how it differs from the analog equivalent. In such situations, little changes when one looks at female and male perpetrators, and internet anonymity means victims can easily take their anger out on others, thus making the distinction between bullies and bullied much more difficult. Aoyama and Talbert strongly believe that colleges and universities should put forth considerable effort to address the serious issue.
5. Depression has been increasingly plaguing college students: Over the past decade, the number of college kids seeking psychotherapy for severe mental illness has increased by 10%, says Hofstra University professor John Guthman. And a Northwestern University study revealed that one out of every 4 to 5 students hitting campus clinics suffers from depression. Whether severe mental illness is truly on the rise or the statistics reflect merely an increase in individuals deciding to get professional help — if not some combination thereof — remains to be seen. But what institutes of higher learning need to do now involves finding more viable ways to address their students’ mental health needs. Many on-campus counseling options these days creak beneath the swelling numbers, unable to keep up with demand.
6. College students disproportionately suffer from eating disorders: When Princeton undergraduates were polled in 2004, more than half reported that they considered themselves overweight — despite the actual obesity rate sitting at much, much lower. The school states that 30% of college students suffer from some form of an eating disorder, although such diagnoses only afflict between 1% and 2% of the general public. Women between the ages of 18 and 24 represent the most vulnerable demographic, with a broad range of factors (not just the media or a desire to be thin) contributing to the serious issue.
7. A surprising number of students take advantage of counseling: Professional psychological assistance may still carry something of an unfair stigma, but more and more college kids muster up the courage to seek it out each year. Such positive news comes courtesy of The Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Pennsylvania State University and NASPA. Their random sample of 21,000 students revealed that at least 32% sought some form of mental help — many of whom didn’t actually suffer from any specific or severe disorder. Depression, stress and anxiety ranked as the most common motivations.
8. College attendance significantly impacts drinking habits: Considering popular stereotypes about college students, finding out that the enrolled engage in more destructive substance use surprises absolutely nobody. Eighteen- to 22-year-olds attending college or university, according to Aaron M. Brower’s article in the Journal of American College Health, are far more likely to drink for the sake of drunkenness. Interestingly enough, however, such habits do not correlate with post-graduation alcohol abuse. He makes an interesting distinction between alcoholism and college binge drinking, although not every reader will necessarily agree with his reasoning.
9. Suicide is one of the top three causes of death in young people: Elon University ran an article in The Pendulum, its student newspaper, naming suicide as one of the top three killers of American 15- to 24-year olds. College students are particularly vulnerable, as they contend with professional, academic and personal stress in droves. When life gets too overwhelming, many feel as if they have nowhere to turn — hence why the school encourages use of its counseling services. The issue, of course, completely encompasses more than just one college. But students, faculty and staff must all put forth the effort to recognize and understand the life-threatening issue and intervene when necessary.
10. Dating is on the decline: In her book Hooking Up, sociologist Kathleen Bogle notes the decline of traditional dating over the past 4 decades, with college students more likely to forge relationships based on physical encounters first. Whether simply kissing or hopping straight into coitus, the "bodies first, personalities later" approach seems to be the norm these days. Interestingly enough, however, this shift does not necessarily indicate an increase in the number of sexual partners. Eva Lefkowitz’s Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthoodrevealed that 60% of people between the ages of 18 and 24 only had one sexual partner in the span of a year.
11. They really do care about politics and social issues: Mashups Y Pulse may have focused on marketing to the Millennial set, but it did unearth one interesting little nugget of social science. Despite stereotypes painting the demographic as socially and politically disengaged, statistics say otherwise. Ninety-one percent of eligible individuals born between 1982 and 2002 registered to vote prior to the 2008 presidential election, 68% engaged in community service and 51% considered themselves politically active. The significant majority "closely follow[s]" news stories, and nearly 60% watched the cycle’s first presidential debate. So while the youth of America have been slowly losing their empathy, something inside them still very much cares about where the collective is headed.
12. College athletes are increasingly open to mental help: Oklahoma University polled its athletes and discovered the one thing they sincerely wanted was, surprisingly, a sports psychology regimen. Implemented in 2004, the school hired Nikki Moore to help them sort out their hectic lives and move past mental blocks impairing their performances. Considering psychotherapy’s gradual, but steady, crawl towards mainstream acceptance, it makes sense that college athletes would also follow suit. Many find the idea appealing because so many successful, professional players employ therapists to improve their game, perhaps unwittingly setting a positive example.
13. Male and female students kiss for different reasons: When one realizes just how much stereotyping and social conditioning shape perspectives and personalities, it comes as no surprise that most men and women see kissing from two completely different angles. Susan M. Hughes, Marissa A. Harrison and Gordon G. Gallup, Jr. teamed up to explore how this phenomenon manifests itself in the college crowd. True to society’s arbitrary gender roles, men viewed kissing as a prelude to sex, women to a relationship. Which, again to nobody’s shock, proved the sign of affection effective in both scenarios.
14. The Good Samaritan Experiment: This famous — not to mention highly disconcerting — study by John M. Darley and C. Daniel Batson explored how many seminary students actually took the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan seriously. Only 40% stopped to offer a staged victim any form of assistance, regardless of whether or not they considered themselves particularly devout…though the ones thinking of their "religion as a quest" were less likely to spring for a more magnanimous gesture. Even those purposefully tasked with lecturing on the legendary tale of kindness would walk straight past (if not over) someone in need!
15. General psychology studies are most often conducted on undergrads: So here’s an interesting bit of news about psychology studies, most especially ones touting to represent most college students. In fact, American undergraduates enrolled in a psychology course are 4,000 times more likely to be research subjects! John M. Grohol believes this phenomenon stems from a mix of apathy and convenience, but it does certainly cast many of the research here and elsewhere in a completely different light. Such a narrow demographic can’t possibly reflect the true diversity found in schools and beyond, so make sure to read studies as carefully as possible.

Contacts and sources:
Story by Jasmine Hall
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/06/22/15-fascinating-psych-studies-on-college-students/

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