A Study of Adjustment Problems in a Teachers College Freshmen

PURPOSE : There have been a variety of studies of adjustment problems among college freshmen in U. S. A., some of which have shown the significance of researches of this kind. But, here in Japan, it is only in recent years that similar researches have been made. The purpose of the present paper is to find the number and kinds of adjustment problems in a local teachers college freshmen, and to examine the necessity of the counseling system there.PROCEDURE : In the present study, a Japanese revision of the Mooney Problem Check List (revised by Tokyo University) was administered to a group of 87 male and 77 female freshmen in a teachers college, Nara, Japan, shortly after their entrance into the college (April 11, 1960). The revised check list consists of 12 categories, each of which is composed of 30 items respectively. These categories are as follows: HPD (health and physical development), FLE (financial, living conditions and environment), SRA (social and recreational activities) , SPR (social and personal relationships). PPR (personality traits), CSM (companions, sex and marriage), HF (home and family), MRL (morals), ACW (adjustment to college work), FVE (future vocation and education), CTP (class, teachers and lectures), PPS (present politics and society).FINDINGS : (1) The average number of the adjustment problems checked for each student was 32-35 for men and 30.96 for women in case of "underline". It was 6.87 for men and 5.70 for women in case of "circle". The total number of problems in individual cases ranged from 2 to 101 for men and from 1 to 132 for women in the former case, and, from 0 to 23 for men and from 0 to 37 for women in the latter, indicating a wide range of individual differences. None of the sex differences obtained were statistically significant. (2) There seemed to be a tendency thata large number of adjustment problems were found in such categories as ACW, SPR and PPR, and that they fell least in the categories of CSM and CTP. Sex differences remained rather obscure (Table 1 and Table 2). (3) Analysis of the data in terms of items frequently checked indicated a new phase of fact that there were a few, but very serious problems in categories other than ACW, SPR and PPR, which was not so clear-cut in the analysis of categories of very high incidence (Table 4 and Table 5). Statistically significant sex differences were found in several of these items (Table 6). (4) Summarization by the freshmen of their problems they concerned about most seriously indicated that they suffered most from the problems belonging to such catego ries as ACW, FVE and SPR. In the analysis of sex differences obtained, none but one (in SPR) were statistically significant (Table 7). (5) Grossly interpreted, it may be concluded that the freshmen concerned most about college work and social, personal relationships, and that there were a few but very serious adjustment problems in the area of their future vocation and education. (6) Evaluation by the subjects of the check list was made. Most of them recognized that the list was very well designed as a tool to identify their adjustment problems, but, it was only about half of them that appreciated the value of the list (Table 8 and Table 9). (7) The fact that most students needs help in terms of counseling, and the urgent necessity of establishing counseling system in the college, was strongly evidenced (Table 10 and Table 11)