Connecting with others

Dispositional and situational relatedness during the college transition

Bibliographic Data

ID2934834
AuthorsJordan A Booker (0000-0001-8787-8585, University of Missouri), Erika Hernandez (0000-0002-7663-5374, Penn State University, USA), Karen E Talley (0000-0003-4212-5939, University of Houston), Julie C Dunsmore (0000-0002-8118-0394, University of Houston)
Year2022
Volume39
Issue2
Pages198-220
Publication date2022-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02654075211034566
OpenAlexW3185332721
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited52

The college transition involves social challenges for students, including concerns about distance from family and hometown friends, and pressure to build a new social network on campus. Students who are successfully navigating these social challenges should be better adjusted on campus and feel more satisfied with the direction of their lives. We measured two expressions of relatedness in incoming, central US students' ( N = 244; M age = 18.1 years; 78.6% women) autobiographical recollections of the college transition: (a) dispositional relatedness (DR) and tendencies to emphasize motivations for connecting with others; and (b) situational relatedness (SR) and reflections on successes and challenges within specific relationship domains. We hypothesized that both expressions of relatedness would be positively and distinctly associated with longitudinal reports of college adjustment (i.e., belonging) and subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction). We also hypothesized that changes in college adjustment would mediate associations between expressions of relatedness and well-being. Findings broadly supported expectations. Each expression of relatedness robustly predicted better student outcomes longitudinally. Further, improvements in college belonging and decreases in homesickness mediated the ties between situational relatedness and subjective well-being. We discuss the implications of these findings for the college transition and student support services

Developmental psychology · Situational ethics · Transition (genetics · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Higher Education Research Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology