Date of Award
1991
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Seventy-two undergraduates (ages 18-23) from The University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University participated in this study to examine the potential predictors for student political participation. After methodological problems of past research - such as the confounding of activism and ideology and the specific focus on activism in the 1960's - were corrected, Dean's (1961) Alienation scale, Rotter's (1966) Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and Olsen's (1969) Alienation scale were used to predict political activity levels, as measured by Kerpelman's (1972) Activity scale. A stepwise multiple regression procedure showed that futility (a subscale of Olsen's Alienation scale) was the only significant predictor of student political participation, contrary to past findings. The importance of this study in relation to past research and in motivating students to become politically active are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Joanne M., "Alientation and internal-external locus of control as predictors of student political participation" (1991). Honors Theses. 549.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/549