UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS BEHAVIOUR:
THE RESIDENT STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVE
Presentation at a one day seminar of Caribbean Tertiary Level Personnel Association
by Courtney Garrick
Resident Manager, Hall F
University of Technology, Jamaica
November 26, 2003
Overview
The Behavioral School of Thought emphasizes the importance of environmental or situational determinants on behaviour. In this view, behaviour is seen as the result of a continuous interaction between personal and environmental variables.
According to the psychologist Bandura, for us to predict or understand behaviour, one needs to know how the characteristics of the individual interact with those of the situation. It has been widely promulgated that environmental conditions shape behaviour through learning, while behaviour in turn shapes the environment.
Behaviour includes a variety of personal activities. Such as the things we do, or do not do, the things we say or think. Environmental factors include our social, political and cultural influences, as well as our particular learning experiences.
According to Bandura, and supported by other social learning theorists, we learn how to behave by observing the behaviour of others, or by reading or hearing about it. Bandura also points out that most behaviour occurs in the absence of external rewards or punishments. Yes, behaviour stems from internal processes of self regulation.
Contradictory you may ask? Is it that behaviour stems from external environmental forces, or from internal self regulation? This has been the source of heated debates for years, commonly refered to as the person/situation controversy.
A closely associated theory that emerged from this person/situation controversy is the study on Locus of Control by Rotter. This theory advanced the belief that the individual is influenced in one of two ways:
- internal locus of control: here the individual is in full control and is able to determine his fate, his behaviour, or the outcomes of the decisions that he must make.
- external locus of control: assumes that the individual is highly influenced by various environmental factors, and that he has no ability to determine the outcome of his behaviour.
Rotter suggests however, that the individual falls in one of two bi-polar scales: they are either internals or externals. One's life, Rotter theorized, is determined by either peer pressure, or personal power.
Other writers advancing this theory have taken a somewhat modified view. Carducci, refers to a locus of control continuum. Most of us, he postulates lie somewhere along the continuum, rather than
at one of the two ends. In other words, there are some aspects of our lives that are influenced by external peer pressure, while other aspects are determined by our own personal conviction or power.
Understanding Resident Students Behaviour
Residence life is inextricably a part of student life on campus. In fact residence life and campus life are inseparable in many tertiary institutions. In some cases the halls of residence are not all located on the campus. This is the case at Mico College where the women students are housed some distance away from campus.
Regardless of the location there are certain general
characteristics of residence life -
- the large concentration of a peer group in a common area
- significantly high levels of peer leadership
- general absence of parental control
- a degree of conformity to institutional rules
- opportunity for self regulation
- close relationship to campus life
- supervision by non parental authority
Generally, residence life is shaped and determined
by the culture of the institution. Hence, residence
life is generally a direct reflection of the specific
institution.
There are some instances in which resident students' behaviour is determined by external environmental factors and the power of peer pressure. This is manifested in the dress styles , speech patterns, the fads and the customs on the halls. Students, especially newer ones, often feel pressured to conform to the culture of the halls.
This culture may vary from campus to campus. or even from one hall to another.
On the other hand there is the evidence of personal power amongst resident students. Maintaining self identify, one's own sense of morality, or the conformity to personal values is evidence of the ability to be driven by personal power.
During the presentation the audience was asked to share their observations regarding the extent to which students were being influenced by their peers or whether they were maintaining personal power.
It was noted that students have demonstrated signs
of peer influence in such areas:
- extra-curricular activities
- social activities
- dress, speech and decorum
- relationships
However, there was evidence of students maintaining personal power in areas such as
- religious convictions
- personal identity
- career choices or options
- time management
- financial prudence
Residence life is an important indicator in the analysis of students behaviour. To a large extent the roles of the students on many of our campuses are determined by the influence and the culture of the residence life. It is only appropriate therefore that in any deliberations on students' behaviour, we consider the perspective of the resident students.
REFERENCES
I. DWORETZKY, John P. (1988) PSYCHOL OGY, 3 rd Ed
2. BARON, Robert A., & BRYNE, Donn (1996)
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 8 th Ed
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