CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The purpose of the introductory part is to introduce the problem,

explain its focuses and background. This chapter includes

introduction, background of the study, theoretical and conceptual

framework, statement of the problem, objectives, significant of the

study, scope and limitations and operational definition.

Introduction

The transition that student make from high school to college is

important and relevant to student retention. This transition might be

anxious and also make first semester college students feel the

symptoms of psychological distress (Compas, Wagner, Slavin and

Vanatta, 1986). And sometimes these might lead to student’s

withdrawal.

In relation to this, Wintre and Bowers (2007) studied 944

undergraduate students in Canadian University. It reported that

within 6 years 57.9% of the population were able to graduate, 9%

remained and 33.1% were the ones who neither graduated nor remained.

These can be attributed to the multiple factors that are evocative to

individuals’ managed capabilities. In addition to this, Smith and Renk

(2007) found out multiple combinations of stress indicators for the

freshman students such as, planning for the future, struggling with

the projects, exams, assignments and quizzes, managing the college

institutions’ education demands and challenging professors.

It is the concern of the college administrators, how to retain

the students who enroll at their institution and the factors that

might determine the students to complete their degree. The

administrators need to provide premature involvement, to be able to

know the deficiency of that might drive to poor adjustment.

Personality refers to person variations in attribute structures

of behaving, thinking and feeling. Personality is composed of

different self patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make

an individual exceptional. In addition to this, personality starts

commencing in the person and left quite constant all through life.

According to (Duggan, et.al. 2000), “Personality traits seem to play a

significant role in the development of psychological distress.

Personalities that are more negative are traditionally associated with

greater distress, while more outgoing and positive personalities

generally experience positive psychological health.”

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Personality has been widely known significantly as major

indicator in how a student well manages the transition during their

first year. Several studies have been shown that personality has

really a big impact on the adjustment of an individual. (Rice and:

Lapsley, 2001) found out that Perfectionism and Hardiness are linked

by the adjustment of individuals. And these are the main predictor of

college adjustment. Because of its cross cultural popularity and

validity, big five personality factors are the most widely used model

in determining the personality traits of an individual. (McCrae &

Allik, 2002; Bardi & Ryff, 2007).

Although there were studies about college adjustment and

personality of individuals as you can see above. The literature

presented that there is somehow relationship between college

adjustment and personality. This study tends to discuss and explore

the correlation of personality and college adjustment of freshman

students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Background of the Study

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The Polytechnic University of the Philippines is a State

University consists of more than 20 campuses serving good education

for more than 70,000 students. It is considered as the largest

university in terms of its population. Approximately, the 70,000 new

and old students of the institution will drove to the 22 branches and

campuses of PUP. In the academic year of 2014-2015, PUP was expecting

to have 35,000 new enrollees in the campus of Santa Mesa, Manila. Last

year, PUP gathered 10,280 freshmen students who passed the annual

PUPCET or the PUP College Entrance Exam. These figures are quite large

enough for the freshmen year.

College adjustment of the freshman students and their retention

is very important to know. It is not only for the students themselves

but also for the college institutions and universities that they

enrolled. It is reported that the transition of high school in college

is a distress. Some students are excited to have more adventures and

be independent. Along with the increase of the independence, there’s a

greater responsibility that is waiting for a student. Time is less

routine and expectable (Anderman, & Freeman, 2004) for them because

college classes may include more time in studying. According to

Arnetti and Dornbusch (2000); Sherrod, Haggerty, & Featherman (1993),

that adolescence, this past few days in considered as the most

4

important stage of the development period. Coping up with different

people that are accidentally being encountered is the most challenging

adjustment a teenager can do. In line with a teenager entering college

level is the obstacle on how they can deal with and adjust to the new

environment they have.

The researchers believed that freshman students of the

Polytechnic University of the Philippines experienced this kind of

distress. As the PUP System is known as the biggest university in

terms of population with 68,249 students in 2013. Composed of

different people and cultures, a lot of organizations and colleges,

they might feel the distress of ostracism. And these stresses can

dictate to the latter part their stay and studies inside the

university. While, other students is not that flexible enough and able

to adjust easily and have a hard time dealing with their new

environment and these might lead to student withdrawal.

The researchers choose to conduct the study in the

Polytechnic University of the Philippines as it one of the biggest

population in the Philippines and many freshman students were expected

every year. And it might help to the study undertaken to provide

quantifiable and may not limit the generalization of the study. The

5

research study also involves randomly selected college freshmen

students

As presented to the previous literature, personality has somehow

something to do with the college adjustment of the freshman students.

The research study intended to explore and find out the correlation of

the personality and college adjustment of freshman students of

Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The Big Five Factor

Personality Test will be used in measuring the students’ Personality

and the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire for the

Adjustment.

Theoretical Framework

As the support to the study, the researchers used the following

theories for the primary theoretical basis of the study undertaken:

The Association-learning Theory and Personality by Pavlov which

states that “stable response characteristics of a person accord the

objective-stimulus situation a very central position.” The response

patterns of individual from one specific stimulus to others it is

because of the cognitive process. Personality is resulted as habits of

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response that a person makes to a certain stimulus conditions or

events of his internal or external environment.

The Allport’s Trait Theory by Gordon Allport was also used. It

states that the rareness of the individual and the internal cognitive

and motivational processes that influence behavior. Response such as

intelligence and attitudes to be specific. Its the internal cognitive

processes that determine the response patterns of individual to a

particular stimulus like an individual’s response to his academics.

It’s been process by our minds that resulted to that response.

Lastly, the Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura. It states

that “the world and the person’s behavior cause each other and one’s

environment causes one’s behavior.” Bandura’s theory says that it is

both behaviorist, which means behavior, and cognitive, which means

behavior in terms of individuals’ cognitive processes of attention,

memory, and motivation. “Personality has an interaction between three

components: the environment, the behavior and one’s psychological

processes” (Bandura, 1977). Personality has a big impact when it comes

to environmental and behavioral or psychological response patterns of

an individual from a specific stimulus to others. It also stated how

an individual obtain and sustain certain behavioral patterns.

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Environment also is a big factor that can affect an individual’s

behavior.

Social Cognitive Theory

Figure 1 Social Cognitive Theory

Conceptual Framework

The researchers believe that Social Learning Theory paradigm by

Albert Bandura is the best representation of the study for much

broader understanding.

The paradigm of Bandura consists of 3 blocks. Personal factors,

Environmental factors and Behavior that connected together in a

pyramid form. As you can see in the Figure 1, the Personal factors is

directly connected to the behavior. And it does only indicate that

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EnvironmentalFactors

Behavior

Personal Factors

there is significant relationship between the personality and behavior

of an individual. Also, as you can see both personality and adjustment

were connected to the environmental factors. It just that signifies

that the relationship of personality and adjustment have something to

do with the environmental factors.

This is the adapted paradigm of the Social Learning Theory for

the study undertaken:

The Relationship of Personality and Adjustment

PUP College Freshman Students

Figure 1.1 Conceptual Paradigm of the Relationship of Personality to

the Adjustment of College Freshman Students

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Personal Factors

Neuroticism Extraversion Openness to

experience Agreeableness

EnvironmentalFactors

University Colleges

Behavior, Response toStimulus (Adjustment)

Academic Adjustment Personal-Emotional

Adjustment Social Adjustment

The adapted paradigm also consists of three blocks. The

Personality factors has been replaced by simply personality and the

response to the stimulus or adjustment for the behavior since it’s the

primary concern of the research study. In the adapted paradigm the

personality and response to environment (adjustment) has a direct

relationship and it’s the focus of the study, to find out their

correlation. Also, in the environmental factors, universities and

colleges have been added. Because it is where the correlation of the

personality and adjustment must take place, in other term it is the

setting. Both personality and adjustment have direct interaction in

the environmental factors. And it just only means that correlation of

personality and adjustment of college freshman students is defined by

the college institutions or universities.

Based on the theoretical framework, the three theories used in

the study were all stated that the personality of an individual that

will respond to a specific stimulus or in his environment which is

indicated in the paradigm is determine by internal cognitive process

or the personality itself.

Statement of the Problem

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The aim of the research study is to know the correlation of

personality and college adjustment of freshman students of Polytechnic

University of the Philippines. Specifically, the research study

answers the question:

1) What is the relationship of personality and college adjustment of

freshman students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines?

2) How does the personality of the PUP Freshman students affect

their college adjustments?

Objectives:

1) To know the demographic profile of the respondents

(a) Age

(b) Gender

(c) Family Monthly Income

(d) School where Graduated

2) To determine the respondent’s personality based on International

Personality Item Tool or (IPIP) Big Five Personality Inventory.

3) To determine the college adjustment of the respondent Student

Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SAQR).

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4) To find out the relationship of personality and college

adjustment.

Hypothesis

The research study will delve to the hypothesis:

There is no correlation between personality and college

adjustment of freshmen students of Polytechnic University of the

Philippines.

Significance of the Study

This study is beneficial to the following individuals:

For the Respondents

The study will serve as a guide for their new environment and

experiences in college. It will also help the respondents to control

themselves and help them to adjust easily. This study will serve as a

reference for them if they feel unsatisfied and ostracize in college

and an open diary for them that everyone can relate.

For the College Administrators

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The study will serve as a tool for them to take action regarding

student retention and withdrawal. They can find ways in the study to

prevent these problems. This study will also help them to improve

their facilities and ways and methods of handling students such as

creating sociable for the students to become more active and not feel

the distress of their new environment.

For the Researchers:

This study is beneficial to the researchers because pursuing

this topic will enhance the researchers' knowledge, writing and

research skills. Moreover, the study will serve as a foundation of new

knowledge that can be shared to others.

For the Future Researchers:

The study will encourage researchers to undertake related studies

for deeper analysis of the relationship of personality to the college

freshmen’s adjustment. This will also serve as a reference as well for

them to go beyond the study conducted.

The research study shall be a stepping stone for future

researchers who want to work on in the relationship of personality and

college adjustment of other freshman students in other educational and

college institution.

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Limitations of the Study

This study will only focused on the correlation of the college

adjustment including social, academic, personal-emotional and

attachment adjustment and personality of freshmen students of

Polytechnic University of the Philippines Main Campus based on the

(IPIP) Big Five Personality Inventory such as neuroticism extraversion

openness to experience agreeableness and conscientiousness. And does

not cover any other factors such as parenting styles and family that

might also affect the college adjustment of freshman students.

. Other branches of PUP are not included. The International

Personality Item Tool (IPIP) was used to determine the personality of

the respondents and Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire was

used to determine how participants adjust during their first days in

the university.

Operational Definition

Personality

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– structured body of routine, attitudes, traits and thoughts of

person that affect one’s behavior. It is developed through our minds

or the process called internal cognitive process.

College Adjustment

– the term for the change in academic, school activities, and

interpersonal relationship inside the college institutions or

universities. It also defined as the response to a certain stimulus

that affect one’s behavior.

Freshmen Student

- is the primary level of a student when entering a secondary

institution or university.

Demographic Profile

- is a description of a particular type of respondent including

their name, age, sex, income, and the school they graduated from.

Correlation

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- The means in which two variables are happen or change together.

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

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This chapter discusses the related literature and studies

used in the study undertaken. In order to create a framework for

broader understanding of the topic it begins to discuss the five

themes formulated by the researcher which are; Personality

Determinants, Adjustment of College Freshman Students, Student

Retention and College Institutions, Concepts of Culture Shock and

Cognitive Process of Learning, Problem Solving and Emotion.

Personality Determinants

Personality is incorporated with “persona”, a Latin word

which means “mask” used by the artists to have their appearances

transformed (Huston Smith, 1991). Personality Traits are

considered as a deep and natural characteristic of human wherein

there are no conscious pretentions involved (Passini & Norman,

1966). These are congruent to the capability of an individual,

capturing on how the individual may approach and respond to

bigger situations throughout their lives. Arguments are

inevitable as traits theorists say that these individual’s

predispositions in life may influence behavior. Personality

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Traits have been proved as an influential factor for a wide

ranging aspects of human activity such as: consumer marketing

(Odekerken-Schroder, De Wulf, & Schumacher, 2003), behavior of

the student (Greenberger, Lessard, Chen, & Farruggia, 2008),

leadership of change (Judge and Bono, 2000), travel behavior and

residence decisions (Prevedouros, 1992) and smoking (Terracciano

& Costa, 2004).

Culture is a significant factor in one’s personality.

Culture shaped people’s personality by raising and educating them

as what should be their norm. Despite the fact that there is

great case of variance within-culture when it comes to the

personality of the members of it, there is no culture identical

to each other because the typical patterns of behavior of people

can be markedly different from the other cultures. Like the

Italian people, when they express their feelings either if it is

privately or publicly, is different from those Japanese people.

Scandinavian people, in general, they present a public image that

is obviously different from what Egyptian people presented and

Spaniards as well. In the early writings of philosophers who

antedated the contemporary constructivists’ work by many18

centuries, the comprehension that the society has all the power

to construct its members was expressed (Frank Dumont, 2010).

Society attempts to take its members through the roads and

pathways it wishes to pass through, and to the fate it wishes to

arrive.

There’s no such thing as “universal” society or culture.

There might be a comparison between two societies and differences

may also be visible and not hard to find. The reason for this is

not easy to find. Buss provided an example in his article about

Venezuelans’ indigenous people, specifically the two tribes

living there. The first tribe has lived for a long term in the

foothills nearby to a mountain, while the second tribe has lived

up in the mountain. Distances of miles are separating the two

tribes. More aggressive is the characteristic of the tribe in the

foothills, higher than the tribe located in the mountain. They

punished their wives for minor infractions like too slowly

serving tea, they often engage in club and axe wars, and they

habitually raid their neighbors for the sake of women and food.

The tribe in the mountain is much nicer than the first one, they

seldom fight, and would a lot rather settle debates through19

cooperation and making dialogue than through argumentation. This

scene is a one case example in which cultures differ outrageously

from each other (Buss, 2001).

According to the study of The International Authority in

Personality and Assessment and Briggs and Myers' Theory, there

are 16 types of personality that dispersed among individuals. The

Duty Fulfiller (ISTJ), characterized with a well developed rule

of concentration. The Mechanic (ISTP), considered as the risk

taker among the types and also they excel at finding solutions to

practical problems. The Nurturer (ISFJ) could be characterized as

the quiet, kind, and conscientious one. The Executive (ENTJ) is

outspoken and assertive in nature. The Artist (ISFP) and the

Giver (ENFJ) are some kind of similar because they are both

sensitive but the difference is, the former is a quiet and

serious type while the latter, dislikes being alone. The

Protector (INFJ) is actually intuitive about people and their

feelings. The Idealist (INFP), has a quick mind and optimistic

about everything. Determined over something and being independent

is the Scientist (INTJ). Logical thinkers, original, and creative

thinkers would be appropriated to the Thinker (INTP). Being20

flexible, approachable, and action-oriented are congruent to the

type called the Doer (ESTP). The Guardian type (ESTJ) is always

realistic, traditional, and organized. The Performer (ESFP) loves

to be with people and characterized as a fun loving type. Warm-

hearted, popular, and conscientious are the traits of The

Caregiver (ESFJ) while the Inspirer (ENFP) has the traits of

being enthusiastic, idealistic, and imaginative. Lastly, the

Visionary (ENTP) is characterized as creative, resourceful, and

intellectually quick (Briggs & Myer, 1921).

According to Sigmund Freud and Arnold Gesell, they suggested

the fact that each child brings his characteristic from his

earliest days to the recent time. Mothers are the most well aware

that new born babies express themselves after their first breath

outside the mother’s womb. Parenting style of parents has no

relationship with the child personality as stated in the study.

Factors that should be considered are the child’s own temperament

and his capability to respond into his environment (Alexander

Thomas, Stella Chess, and Herbert G. Birch, 1970).

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An author stated that “We may say that personality is the

central concept in our theory. The distal cause is DNA, the

proximal cause is the physiological, hormonal, neurological set

of intermediaries linking DNA to behavior, and interacting with

environmental factors” (Hans J. Eysenck, 1993). These distal and

proximal cause are linked together to further explain what really

is unfolded reality behind personality. Each individual has a

different personality that makes him unique among others.

Interacting with people and with his natural environment is

individual’s own way of distinguishing himself from others. The

Personality traits are ascertained on how we can cope up with our

environment and how we respond in specific situations.

In modern years, there has been a major resurrection of

development and improvement in personality research. Several

lists of the characteristics of personality illustrating the

behaviors of individual have been developed. Current study has

investigated individuals using wide-ranging lists of the

dimensions of personality and purified them into “Big Five

Personality Traits” (Costa & McCrae, 1992) (e.g. An Investigation

of Big Five and Narrow Personality Traits in Relation to Career22

Satisfaction of Managers, 2010). Extraversion is described as

being sociable and having the tendency to look for encouragement

in the other groups. Agreeableness refers to the tendency to be

sympathetic and helpful rather than being suspicious and not

being protagonist towards others. Neuroticism has a different

character, experiencing unpleasant emotions so easily, namely:

vulnerability, strong depression, anger, and anxiety. The fourth

type is the Conscientiousness where-n a well-organized and

dependable characteristic have shown, as well as self-discipline.

Appreciation for artistic masterpiece, feelings, adventures,

inquisitiveness, and unusual ideas are the characteristic of

Openness (cnchikwe, 2009). There is a continuing development of

personalities throughout people’s lifetime. Specific traits

change at different degrees and rates. Though, the development of

personalities differs among individual. According to Daniel

Levinson, Chris Argyris, and Gail Sheehy’s developmental

approaches, they examined the ways personality develops across

time.

According to Argyris, people develop along a continuum of

scope from the stage of immaturity to maturity. There are phases23

of personality developed across time as Sheehy and Levinson

presented. Entering an organization could change the needs and

other aspects of personality of the people as they move through

different phases or on route for maturity (cnchikwe, 2009).

The importance of knowing one’s personality is an individual

could be able to understand his own dimensions of personality,

and to find out the positive and negative aspects of people’s own

manner towards others and their selves. In addition, it helps an

individual to understand how other’s personality work and making

it as a means of knowing his real self. Your own behavior is the

thing you have the most control with among everything else (Bret

L. Simmons, 2009).

Adjustment of College Freshmen Students

Adjustment is a combination of things attain by alteration

and position changing (Retrieved from:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/adjustment).

24

It is important to know the adjustment of a college freshman

and their retention. It is reported that the transition of high

school in college is a distress. Some students are excited to

have more adventures and be independent. Along with the increase

of the independence, there’s a greater responsibility that is

waiting for a student. Time is less routine and expectable

(Anderman, & Freeman, 2004) for them because college classes may

include more time in studying.

According to Arnetti and Dornbusch (2000); Sherrod,

Haggerty, & Featherman (1993), that adolescence is considered as

the most important stage of the development period. Coping up

with different people that are accidentally being encountered is

the most challenging adjustment a teenager can do. In line with a

teenager entering college level is the obstacle on how they can

deal with and adjust to the new environment they have.

Research study like “College Generational Status:

Similarities, Differences, and Factors in College Adjustment” of

James Hertel says that there are different factors that can

affect the adaptation and adjustment of college. Jennifer Schnuck

25

and Paul J. Handal (2001) said that sex is a factor why teenagers

are having a hard time dealing with other people. Some of them

are timid to talk to the opposite sex, and also, some of them are

intimidated by the looks of the opposite sex. According to

Allison M. Rayan, Kara Makata (2013), another factor that can

affect the adjustment of the College Freshmen in their new

environment is that they think that they are not worth it and

they do not deserve the place where they are. The relational self

worth was found to be improved and it can help in building up

self confidence to the college freshmen.

Another factor that can affect the adjustment of a College

Freshmen is the cultural orientation (Susan McHale, 2013). Much

adolescence is from different parts of the Philippines. Rural

life is unlike urban community. More complicate life is waiting

for you here in the urban area. The biggest gap is between an

urban community and a rural community. Obviously, their beliefs,

attitudes and appearance are far from us.

Teenagers nowadays are very adventurous and they always want

freedom. But lies behind that freedom and adventures are the

26

great responsibilities that they may face in the near future. As

a student, especially a college student like be, must be ready

for a great bunch of obstacles and circumstances that they might

encounter along their journey to success.

Those who were not friendly were not as successful in

amending as the sociable one. According to Tafila, the adjustment

of the student in their college surrounding has a connection with

their involvement in their university. And it is the one who has

a great impact in the adjustment of the students. (Adams, et. al,

2000).

Researchers says find out that the adolescent phase is the

usual part where teenagers usually have an academic failure due

to some adjustments that they cannot overcome (Eccles, 1993;

Zahn-Wayler, Shirtcliff & Marceau, 2008). It was also found out

that there are patterns of failure in educational expectation and

contrary to it; there are also some coping techniques.

Several studies like “What Predicts Adjustment Among College

Students? A Longitudinal Panel Study” (Pritchard, Wilson,

Yamnitz) and “Changes in Academic Adjustment and Relational Self-

27

worth across the Transition to Middle School” of Ryan, Shim and

Makara showed that student’s adjustment to college can be

foreseen by their personalities. Positive social adjustment is

consisted of a group of social skills and social good manners

while negative social adjustment consists of group of expressing

and adapting public attitude.

Studies like “Adaptation to College an Individuation: A

Review of First Year Students in Contemporary Ireland” of Sarah

Simmons (2008) and “Concurrent and Predictive Validity of the

Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire in a Sample of

European Freshman Students” (Beyers and Goossens, 2002) have also

used instrument related to college adjustment particularly the

Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ) by Baker and

Syrik (1989). SACQ is used for the measurement of college

adjustment. It is also intended to evaluate the main range of

guide intervention approaches, college adjustment, uphold

retention, and detect possible dilemmas.

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Student Retention and College Institutions

Most of the students struggle the transition from high

school to college in a further structured learning experience in

educational institutions and universities/colleges to a bigger

sovereignty in the higher education. Issues in higher education

institutions throughout the world are student’s retention and

success in their courses and programs. “This is an imperative

issue in the context of globally world widening participation of

underrepresented student organizations and groups, increasing

student assortment and educational quality assurance and

liability course” (Quinn et al. 2005). In the present setting of

globalized and competitive higher education market, the

reputation of low student retention and high student attrition

implies that could be damaging in some instances for educational

institutions and it leads to the probing of the quality of

education in an institution. Most of these institutions and their

economies are being affected through potential skills’ loss and

their workforce’s knowledge (Yorke and Longden, 2004)

29

According to Bahr, (2009), persistence was defined as

“whether a student was still in attendance at some predetermined

point(s) in time following either commencement of attendance or

some other arbitrary point of initial observation”. Some studies

have suggested that student’s persistence rates are a essential

measurement of a student’s accomplishment which is significant in

a continued survival of an educational institutions and high

levels of attrition affects the institution’s funding, facilities

and long term planning. The model of persistence has been

suggested by Tinto (1993) and Bean and Metzner (1985). It

composed of two parts, characteristics and skills of students

that prior to admission and factors that affects students after

admission, which are external and internal factors.

On the other hand, the factors affects the persistence

before admission are; race, gender, age and socioeconomic status

and its all recognized characteristics and these are

characteristics in which children and adolescents can’t do

anything. As people reach of adulthood, characteristics such as

residency and socioeconomic status which happened to acquired as

they perform their own preferences (Read et. al, 2003). Despite30

the importance of demographic and socioeconomic status, it is

more important to know and consider the factors that affect high

school preparation on college persistence and graduation. Studies

has discovered the importance of high school performance and

standardized test scores on persistence. Student prior

characteristics and skills have effect on student persistence as

increasing grade points from secondary educations as well as SAT

scores have been indicator and known as strong determinants

(Johnson, 2006).

According to (Le et al, 2005) “Skills such as study skills,

literacy skills and generic skills are important as students are

expected independently to know when information is required and

have the ability to evaluate, locate and use the needed

information effectively. Problems with these skills were found to

have difficulties and attrition in academics.”

In other word student’s skills or capabilities have

something to do with their academic adjustments in his/her new

environment. These experiences of new students determine if

31

whether the students will continue to pursue their studies or

dropout.

The factors that affect students after admission are

classified as internal and external factors. Internal factors are

categorized as students and institutional perspective. On the

student’s perspective, supreme is student’s involvement and

engagement in the process of education as these are important

elements for persistence and bigger success. Engagement involves

both academic and social integration (Berger and Milliem, 1999).

According to Tinto (1993), the social integration is either being

adaption or assimilation. The biggest difference between the two

term is in the case of the former, students should fully follow

the institution’s rules and values but in the later the

institution itself should provide student’s diversity and connect

the gaps between student’s cultural origin and adsorption and not

vice versa. These were both exemplified as students begin to

develop their interpersonal relationships with peers and faculty

members such as participation in social activities and social

contact. Students who have gained many friends at school most

feel the enjoyment going to school and develop a sense of32

belonging as Hicks and Lehr (2003) stated that “students who

achieved social integration find much way easier to come in terms

with their academic demands.” On the other hand, the academic

integration concerned in the links related to studying with the

program itself, in contacts between peers on the subject of

learning. These contacts often involve in collaborative work, for

example, the ways of students when they are working together on a

project. Particularly in the disciplines in which a project work

is an important part of the curriculum and one of the important

determinants of student persistence is the quality of co-

operative work.

In the institutional perspective, According to Moore et al

(2008), the major institutional practice to improve the

persistence of students are; orientation, introduction, campus

racial climate and recruitment practices (Thomas, L., 2002)

administrative and academic rules & regulation stress management

and career future development programs. For example, factors like

institutional and course deficiencies arises when there’s

inadequate information about institution, courses and it’s

programs, it gives rise in some students that not meet their33

expectations or out rightly giving the incorrect course (Yorke

and Longdan, 2004)

Upcraft et al (2005) stated in able to a student to achieve

a higher level of education, the curriculum he/she takes must be

challenging enough. Student’s high rate of self satisfaction

implies the high level of persistence. It’s necessary for social

and academic institutions to provide easy access in the

supportive materials for their studies such as library, books,

computers, journals, financial assistance and advisers. As

educational approaches that are not always have the motives in

reaching them but also assisting and helping them like faculty

members. They should be incorporate also in some educational

approaches that equivalent in a different learning styles by

tailoring instructional design in teaching and to the learning

demands and ways of the different students. (Zepke et al, 2006)

External factors of students after admission consisted

mainly by variables in a particular individual’s setting or

environment, such as employment’s, adjusted working schedule,

finances, outside support and family responsibilities. Also,

34

there are further demands on the time of nontraditional persons

or students like life catastrophes, loss of job, illness,

annulment and others that can be factors that affect the

student’s persistence.

Other factors affecting persistence that’s not included in

Rovai’s composite model are level of cultural capital and

students support. Major components of this factor are based in

Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Social Reproduction of Cultural

Capital (1973). It stated that cultural capital is composed of

values, norms and practices of the society. Those people who have

a easy access with those sources are considered influential in

the society. Norms and practices that have been accepted were

being reproduced and taught in educational institutions. Students

that belong and value their own ethnicity, age, gender,

socioeconomic status for example do not share in the existing

habits and discover themselves in unknown and probably alienating

events or situations.

From this Berger (1999) theorizes that these “students may

become ostracized and can’t relate in institutions where their

35

own cultural capital are neither known, reproduced or valued and

therefore leave early.”

On the other hand, student support can be categorized as

academic or social/welfare support. Academic support in form of

supplemental instructions, peer teaching, study group while

social support are counseling, advising, student centers or

financial assistance in terms of information, advice and aids,

grants, allowances, loans or academic scholarships.

Student retention is really an important issue because it

affects every aspect of higher education, college institutions

and universities. “Retention of college students is a compound

matter, representing the relationship of three different factors

in higher education such as personal, institutional, and societal

factors, with likely connected unfavorable costs and deficiencies

into all three audiences.” (Brunsden, 2000).

Based on student’s perspective, most of the reasons of their

withdrawal are due to not completed academic demands of the

institutions’ system and education and it lowers their self

esteem and confidence. It also represents negative permanent

36

economic impact. While on the institutional perspective,

attrition is considered as waste in the university resources,

especially in the institutions where likely to limited in

financial and general resources. Attrition is also potential of

defaming and damaging the reputation of institutions, resulting

to a lifetime implications for attracting and recruiting new

students (Ozga, 1998). When a student does not achieve their full

program it means as a waste of talents and not only for them but

also it has effect to the society as a whole which means it’s not

beneficial to their development through further education.

Concepts of Culture Shock

Culture Shock was first significantly analyzed during late

1950’s and the term was first used by anthropologist named

Kalervo Oberg in one of the article on observation of emigrant

Americans (Mumford, 1998). He defined it as “anxiety that results

from losing familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse, and

their substitution by other cues that are strange” (Brown and

Halloway, 2008). Other studies elaborated this and proposed

37

related themes saying that culture shock was “an anxiety reaction to

being unable to understand, control or predict other people’s

behavior” (Mumford, 1998).

According to Abarbanel (2009), cross-cultural sensitivity is

not usual to human or easy because of such fundamentals as even

critical survival intuitions of evading the unfamiliar. Culture

shock is the entire of one’s emotional reactions to the loss of

his usual societal reinforcement and “often relates to the

temporary inability to assimilate the new culture, causing

difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not”

(Bolen, 2007)

Various scholars also defined what culture shock is. As

Helen Ziegler says, it can be described as the feelings and

emotions of an individual after departing their familiar home and

culture to live in other cultural and social environment or

setting.  Many people believe that culture shock is applied when

leaving off the country going to other country, but it also

applied in departing from familiar home to another city inside

38

your own country. Even the most open minded persons cannot resist

and not immune to culture shock.

Culture shock is happened when an individual remove from the

setting he/she is familiar. It might result to withdrawal,

irritability, bad temper, anger, boredom and could lead to

psychological and emotional changes or stress.

The director of counseling service at Columbia College,

Terri Zeilenga says that patience is important when managing and

dealing with alterations between cultures. “Be patient to

yourself, and to other’s ability to understand what you are

experiencing. Adjusting is a process that may take some time. Any

nuisance, irritation, sadness, ostracization and loneliness you

may feel is normal. These feelings are not temporary. Be open to

others. And if it doesn’t improve ask for assistance.”

Many universities demonstrated and explain culture shock

through seminar and orientation at the begging of the semester of

the newly enrolled freshmen students. There is also campus and

colleges’ resources that easy to access for support and

assistance. Series of session in the orientation to provide

39

enough knowledge for the freshman students to adjust in their new

environment, pre-cautions, guides, rules and policy are

conducted. This awareness might dictate to a student’s

personality in the further years of his/her education.

Culture shock and reverse aspect of culture shock are vital

parts of the students, especially in the cultivation and

development of an individual’s personality and understanding.

Also necessary to these development are also a fundamental

concept in the college interaction and fields are strong,

encouraging and enhances interpersonal relationships.

According to Baumeister & Leary (1995) they theorizes that

“humans need frequent and pleasant interaction with intimate

others in lasting loving relationship in order to function

normally.” In the field of Psychology and Human Development, the

human need to fit in in a specific group or organization is

strongly known. Other studies have shown that if this belong is

not satisfied, it has negative impact in both mental and physical

of an individual. Furthermore research stated that it’s the

quality of the relationship that is important not the quantity

40

(Brehm, et al., 2002). It’s clearly that relationship with others

can fulfill the needs of human belongings.

Recently studies have revealed that one key variable reentry

is relations with other people such as family and friends. For

example, One have found that satisfaction in relationship with

family and friends have negative correlation effect with

reentering culture shock in recurring to study in abroad (Uehara,

1983). Martin (1983) also proved in his research that contented

and discontented returnees could be indentified in their success

in interpersonal relationships like romantic relationships.

Intimate relationship serves as an indicator of how an individual

changed over a period of time.

Concept of Acculturation is related to Culture Shock.

According to (Redfield et al., 1936) “acculturation comprehends

those phenomena which result when group of individuals having

different cultures come into continuous first hand contact with

subsequent changes in the original culture patterns of either or

both groups.” As it stated as a group, Acculturation can also be

considered to have an impact in individual person.

41

In New Zealand, Maori, psychological acculturation is a term

that describes an individual’s culture changes when studying

abroad. Changes have been classified into five mainly categories:

psychological and cultural changes, societal and relational

changes, and physical changes such as new habitats and biological

changes like health and nutritional changes (Berry et al., 1987)

Berry (1997) recommended the three broad points of

psychological acculturation in the field of literature. The first

point of is referred to behavioral shifts or changes, social

skills achievement or “culture learning. On the other hand, the

second point is the psychological acculturation which revolves in

significant argument with others which is seeks resolution. It

easy understanding it can be “acculturative stress. He also

defined stress as:

...” a generalized physiological and psychological state of

the organism brought about the experience of stressors in

the environment and which requires some reduction (for

normal functioning to occur), through process of coping

42

until some satisfactory adaptation to the new situation is

achieved.”

Acculturative stress is known as an experience of stress by

an individual when faced by different cultural entities and

setting. Psychopathology or Mental Illness is the third point of

view of Psychological Acculturation. Oberg (1960) stated in his

landmark studies that culture shock can describe as occupational

disease or ailment.

Concepts of culture shock are most defined in qualitative

studies in the 1950’s and 1960’s (Gaw, 2000). According to Gaw

(2000), Lysgard (1955), Oberg (1960) and Gullahorn (1963) were

the first to draw culture shock as intercultural adjustment.

Swagler and Jone (2005), stated that culture shock is the

adjustment procedure is anxiety life event (Ward, 1996) that

requires series of behavioral, cognitive response and affective

response to the new environment. Studies have shown that

indication or symptoms of being culture shock are: anger,

frustration, anger, withdrawal, exhaustion and numbness. If these

symptoms remained unsolved it can lead to student’s withdrawal,

43

return to home, difficulties in all aspects and psychological

distress (Swagler & Jome, 2005)

Many models had been formed over the years to explain and

discuss the process and concepts of culture shock. These models

present important knowledge for the clearer and broader

understanding. The models manifest culture shock itself, with

some entirely cover yet limited consensus on the signs, symbols

and phases of this adjustment. Using Oberg’s definition,

theorists and scholars have tried to form a model of transition,

containing exactly how culture shock take places, its transition

between an original cultures to the next.

Lysgaard Model, it’s a U shaped curve, with a primary period

of positive feelings, then a period of maladjustment, and

concluding with a positive stage of re-adjustment. Oberg

categorized four stages in a quite look which are: fascination in

honeymoon’s time, catastrophes in generosity, third is revival

and ending with full adjustment stage. Gullahorn extended the U

model to W. He added re-adjustment procedure and reentry shock.

44

Also other scholars formulated their own model in culture

shock. Brown’s acculturation model which composed of four

categorized main blocks (excitement and euphoria, culture stress,

culture shock and adjustment or adaptation. There is also Adler’s

model of transitional experience which also composed of four

blocks (autonomy, independence, reintegration, disintegration and

contact).

Cognitive Process of Learning, Problem Solving, and Emotion

Everything has its origin and derived from a source.

Cognitive Process is the capability of the human mind and various

composite cognitive activities to perform. This is a process in

which the mental contents are being affected; in short it is a

process of thinking and a process of remembering (Farlex, 2008)

According to B F Skinner (1989) Processes of Cognition, are the

numerous practices working collectively for the utilization of

thought. Cognition helps us to obtain information and make some

conscious and subconscious conclusions about the world we are

45

into. The five senses of an individual are operated in this

complex process as a way of collecting information.

Cognitive Process is always congruent to the thinking

capability of every human being. Thinking is different among any

cognitive processes that ever existed. Behavior Analysts cannot

deal with it because of its complication. People habitually use

the word “think” as a sign for their weak behaviour. If people

doubt something, they appear to say “I think it is wrong” instead

of “It is wrong” Think is considered as a fragile word for know.

When a stronger behaviour is not possible, people also say think.

Hence, when a thing is not there to see, people think what it

looks like, and when people don’t have activities to do, they

think of what should they do. To think is to do something that

makes other behavior possible.

An example of this is problem solving. Problem is a

situation wherein it does not suggest a response that is

effective. People solve a problem by changing the situation

itself until a reaction or response occurs. Calling a friend is

considered a problem if a person do not know the number of the

46

person on the other line, and we resolve it by looking up the

person’s number. Intelligently, a metaphor “sugar is dissolved in

coffee” is in the same manner with to solve or “to loosen or set

free”. This comes the logic in which the process of thinking is

accountable for doing something. Hence, how people think would

determine how would they act to something (B F Skinner, 1989).

A problem exists when people badly need to overcome

circumstances from their current condition to their desired

state. Problem solving is a reproductive process according to the

Behaviorist researchers because when organisms faced with the

same problem they had before, they applied the succesful problem

solving method they used on the previous occasion. The process of

trial-and-error is congruent to the successful behavior according

to Edward Thorndlike who have developed the Law of Effect which

states, behaviors that guide people to satisfying outcomes are

more possibly to be repeated than those behaviors that guide to

unwanted outcomes (Thorndlike, 1905).

Another way to use people’s cognitive process is not only

when solving problems but when learning. Learning is inevitable

47

with every human being because it is not just something we do in

home, school, or in proper settings. Every day we learn something

new. This learning could be our survival kit when circumstances

happen. Nowadays, people would be left behind if they do not know

how to learn. People can discover the best ways for them to

understand something even if they are not the instructor of the

situation, but rather the responsible for their learning (Berens,

2000). Learning is congruent to the word change. This is all

about how people move to change, grow, adapt, and develop.

One of the characteristics of learning is being Purposeful.

The students’ goal is significant in the process of learning. The

response of a student is congruent to what he/she sees in the

current situation. Hence, students learn from every activity that

tends to further their goals in life. Learning is a Result of

Experience. Knowledge of a person is a result of his/her

experience in life and every individual has a unique experience

that is not identical to others. Learning takes place in

dissimilar structure and in varying scale of richness and depth.

To be able to learn fully, one must need to involve him/herself

in the actual situation rather than hearing or supporting it by a48

memory. Learning is considered also as Multifaceted because while

doing the process of learning, one may be learning new things as

well. One may be developed new attitudes while learning something

and is occasionally submitted to as incidental. There are many

factors that can be learned unconsciously while learning other

things. Active process is also one of the characteristics of

learning wherein it is considered as a process of changing one’s

attitude. Individuals cannot drink up knowledge like sponge

absorbing water. For somebody to learn, one must need to act in

response and retort emotionally or intellectually.

Cognitive Process is not only about Problem Solving and

Learning; it includes also the Feelings or emotion of an

individual. According to David G. (2004) from his book, “Theories

of Emotion”, Emotion is the multipart of one’s state of mind as

cooperating with internal and external influences. The expressive

behaviors, physiological arousal, and conscious experience are

fundamentally involved in human’s emotion. Individuals think that

emotion is a multifaceted process, wherein they always have the

notion that they have insufficient words to describe their

feelings truthfully. There is a commonality factor to all49

emotions even if it is complex. Each emotion conveys a magnitude

or quantity in a positive or negative degree. Hence, all emotion

symbolizes a measurement along a continuum that can obtain

negative or positive values (Wukmir, V.J., 1967).

Emotion has something to do with human’s cognition. A fact

that a person can be surprised by his own emotions proposes that

sometimes people have a slight insight to them and it suggests

also that humans have a little control over them when emotions

occur automatically. Cognitive factors participate a lot in the

expression of emotion of humans, especially if it occurs in the

social context, which happens a lot of time.

Cognition and Emotion are interdependent to each other. Both

sets of processes must be observed as repetitive and intertwined

in highly multifaceted ways, as to separate them is to make the

phenomenon distorted (Lewis, Sullivan, & Michalson, 1984). In

addition with their belief, contingency awareness in infants is a

report made by them. According to Lewis, Sullivan, & Michalson

(1984), if a child learns that something might happen, an

increase in positive facial reaction, such as happiness, shock,

50

surprise, etc., suggests that emotional and not cognitive at all

is the orienting reflex of the child in nature.

According to Richard Davidson (1984), the cerebral

hemispheres of the human brain play different responsibilities in

the regulation of moods and emotions. Cerebral hemispheres are

consisting of two sides, the left and the right cerebral

hemisphere. Left cerebral hemisphere’s frontal region plays a

part in more pleasant emotions, while Right cerebral hemisphere’s

frontal region participates in unpleasant emotions.

Synthesis

51

The related literature and studies presented in the themes

were used by the researchers as the foundation of information for

the research study undertaken.

The study of personality under the theme Personality Determinants

was used by the researchers to state the meaning of personality

and personality factors. According to (Passini and Norman, 1966)

conscious pretentions are not included in the deep and natural

characteristics of human. It has been established that

personality traits have great impacts in a wide range aspects of

man’s daily routine in consumer marketing, student’s behavior,

work performance, choice of music leadership of change, travel

behavior and residence decisions and smoking. It helps the

researcher to identify the key concepts of personality for the

wider understanding.

Several studies show that personality has sixteen types that

are disperse on each individual. One’s personality is developed

during his earliest days up to the present time (Freud and

Gesell). The child’s temperament and ability to respond to his

environment are factors that must be considered in personality’s

52

development (Thomas, A., Chess, S., and Birch, H., 1970). There

are also list of wide ranging dimensions of personality and

cleanse as the Big Five Personality Factor. Personality continues

to develop as the time goes by.

Every individual has a different personality that makes him

unique among others. Interacting with people and with his natural

environment is individual’s own way of distinguishing himself

from others.

Furthermore, the theme under the adjustment in college of

teenagers helped the researchers to explain that personality is a

factor in the adjustment of a person. In the study, it is an

important variable because it will lead the researchers to find

out if it has relationship to the adjustment of a first year

college student.

It is important to know how people adjust to their

surroundings and to other people. There are different factors

that can affect the adaptation and adjustment of a person. During

adolescence, factors like sexual orientation, cultural

orientation and environment may affect their adjustment. It is

53

also said that during this stage, teenagers usually have a hard

time in their academics. There are several studies discuss that

adjustment can be seen by their personalities. If a student has a

strong personality, he/she can cope easily with the environment

and other factors that influence the adjustment.

The framework of student’s retention was also used in

determining the factors affecting student retention. Student’s

skills or capabilities have something to do with their academic

adjustments in his/her new environment. Internal and external

factors are affecting the student’s admission. The retention

affects every aspect of higher education and it is important.

According to Brown and Halloway (2008), the anxiety that

results from losing familiar signs and symbols of social

intercourse, and their substitution by other cues that are

strange is called culture shock. It is necessary to the

development of one’s personality especially in cultivation and

understanding of an individual. The researchers used this theme

as a basis of the study to have a background about culture shock.

54

Culture shock is important in this study because often,

college students experience it during their first days because

they are not very much familiar in that particular thing.

Furthermore, an additional study of personality under the

theme Cognitive Process of Learning, Problem Solving & Emotion was used by the

researchers as a basis for the concept of Personality. Cognitive

Process is the capability of the human mind and various composite

cognitive activities to perform. This is a process in which the

mental contents are being affected; in short it is a process of

thinking and a process of remembering (Farlex, 2008) According to

B F Skinner (1989) Cognitive processes, normally referred to

as cognition, are the several processes working together for the

utilization of thought. Cognitive Process has a relation to the

behavior and personality of an individual. This is the first

stimulus affecting one’s thought and action.

55

CHAPTER 3

DESIGN AND PROCEDURE

This chapter discusses the research design and research

methods that used in the study, determining the sample and sample

technique, procedures for gathering data to the respondents,

designing and formulating the research instrument and statistical

formula used by the researcher for treating the gathered data in

the completion of this study.

Research Design

56

Since the main aim of the research study is to determine the

relationship between college adjustment and personality of

freshman students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines,

and thus required a quantitative research, particularly a

correlational study design.

Correlational study design, based on Ranjit Kumar in his

book, Research Methodology, is “to discover or establish the

existence of a relationship/association/interdependence between

two or more aspects of a situation.” The whole concerned of this

design is to know and find out which variables are connected and

how they are connected. It is much on looking for the variables

which are seem to be interacting, to be able to see the one who

is changing.

Hence, the research study undertaken was designed to simply

find out the correlation between the two variables; college

adjustment and personality of freshman students and vice versa.

And the correlational study design is the best design appropriate

to describe the research design of this study

57

Research Methods

To be able to ascertain objective, accurate, valid, and

reliable results based on the research question (and objectives

of the study), this study used survey method as the primary

research method in gathering data and information from primary

sources, which is the respondents of this study.

“Survey is a fact-finding study with adequate and accurate

interpretation, used to collect demographic data about people's

(in this study, the college adjustment and personality) behavior,

practices, intentions, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, judgments,

interests, perceptions, and the like and then such are analyzed,

organized, and interpreted”. (Calderon, 1993).

The researchers came up in using this method due to the

following reasons: to get the wide range demographic profile of

the respondents in less time; relatively easy to administer

results in the relationship of college adjustments and

personality of freshman students; easy to conduct and

administered to the respondents; broad range of data can be

58

collected and gathered; and capability to collect data in a mass

number of respondents which are aimed by the research study.

Since the research study was designed in quantitative

approach and survey method is a kind of quantitative method that

only appropriate with the quantitative studies, the researchers

determined to use this method to be able to get a result that’s

quantifiable for data analysis.

Sample and Sampling Technique

In this study, the researchers will use the population of

the Freshman Students of the Polytechnic University of the

Philippines of academic year 2015-2016 ages 15-24. Since, the

population of the respondents will not yet able to determine, the

researchers intended to use previous studies that used freshman

students of the PUP as their respondents.

The population of the Freshman Students of the PUP academic

year 2014-2015 is 9,791. The Slovin’s Formula will be used to

identify the exact number of the sample size based on the total

59

population. It also allows the researchers to get the sample with

a desired degree of accuracy.

Slovin’s Formula

n≥ N1+Ne2

Where: Given: Solution:

n = sample size N = 9,791 n≥ 9,791¿¿

N = total population e = 5% = 0.05 n≥ 9,79124.48

e = margin of error n≥400

The 400 sample of the study will be selected through simple

random sampling as it’s the sampling technique of the study,

classified under probabilty sampling design.

60

As defined by Ranjit Kumar (2005), “it is imperative that

each element in the population has an equal and independent

chance of selection in the sample. Equal implies that the

probability of selection of each element in the population is the

same while independence means that the choice of one element is

not dependent upon the choice of another element in the

population”. The sample is not being influenced by some

considerations such as personal preferences and wants.

The participation of the participants in this study is

entirely voluntary. There is no penalty for not participating.

The demographic profile of the participants who will answer the

surveys will be kept confidential. The participants should

completely answer the surveys but there will be no reward or

comepensation for completing it.

Instrumentation

61

The researchers will use questionnaire as the primary

instrument of the study undertaken for the collection of data

from the respondents. The questionnaire will be used is a

standardize instrument and consist of three parts: the first part

assed the demographic profile of the respondents, the second laid

down the questions to measure the personality of the respondents

based on the International Personality Item Tool developed by

Goldberg (1992) and the third part is comprised of the questions

to determine the respondents’ college adjustment based on Student

Adaptation to College Questionnaire designed by Bohdan Siryk and

Robert W. Baker (1987).

The International Personality Item Pool Questionnaire (IPIP)

is a 50 verbal statement items and developed to measure the

personality of an individual. It is made up of five domains

namely; Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Openness to

Experience, and Agreeableness. The first 10 statements will

tackle about Extraversion, the second set of 10 is about

Conscientiousness, Neuroticism is the third set consists of 10

questions, the fourth will be Openness to Experience, and the

last set of 10 is about Agreeableness. The questions are62

interrelated to the research questions, objectives, hypothesis,

and the participants of the study.

Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) will use

to measure the respondents’ college adjustment. It’s a 67 verbal

statement-items, and purposely designed to assess the general

scope of adjustment to college of students, detected possible

dilemmas, guide intervention approaches, and uphold retention.

There are four areas of adjustment that will be measured and

presented in the questionnaire: (AA) Academic Adjustment, (PEA)

Personal-Emotional Adjustment, (SA) Social Adjustment, the (GCIA)

Goal Commitment/Institutional Attachment to the Institution. This

questionnaire has been chosen for this study because it has a

four subscales that are interrelated with the research questions,

objectives, hypothesis, and the participants of the study. Use of

SACQ offered a proper structure for an accurate investigation,

simplified a more secure basis for prediction, and improve the

capability of the researchers in interpreting the data.

Furthermore, the Likehert Scale, is intended to use by

the researcher for the interpretation of the questionnaire. As

63

defined by (Kumar, 2005) “it is a long attitudinal scales used to

measure the attitude and of the respondents towards the issue or

phenomenon”. This will help the researcher for the verbal

interpretation, point system and weighted mean to measure the

personality and college adjustment of the respondents. Each

choice has an equivalent point system that was done to quantify

the information into an odd-numbered scale for easier measurement

of results. A four-point Likert Scale was also used in order to

reduce uncertainties and provide more accurate results. The point

system will be used is as follows:

Verbal Interpretation Point System Weighted Mean

Strongly Agree 4 3.5 – 4.00

Agree 3 2.5 – 3.49

Disagree 2 1.5 –

2.49

Strongly Disagree 1 0.5 – 1.49

64

In order to validate the research instrument, the

researchers intended to conduct a pre-test among the selected

freshman students in the College of Communication.

Data Collection Procedure

In this study, the data that will be collected by the

researchers are both from primary and secondary data. The primary

data will be gathered through survey questionnaires. The survey

is intended to administer by the researcher on January to

February of 2016. Since, these dates where the time where the

respondents were able to adapt and adjust fully to their new

environment and thus provide a valid result for the study. The

questionnaires is also plan to distribute personally by the

researchers for the respondents to clarify their issues and

concerns regarding the questionnaire and to have a high response

rate as well. The survey also includes a cover letter to satisfy

the intention of the researchers and of the research.

However, due to some inevitable circumstances, the

researcher expected conflicts such as limited time and different

65

schedules of the respondents. And also, probability that some

respondents might not able to return the questionnaire, hence

affecting the sample size. To combat these problems the

researcher decided to collect twenty more primary data from the

respondents that were not included to the population.

Data gathered by using survey were categorized as primary

data because it directly came from the College Freshman Students

of PUP Main Campus. It was treated with utmost confidentiality.

Secondary data came from different journal and research

articles, Department of Communication Research Office, College of

Communication Library and various online resources.

Statistical Formula

To analyze the data, the researcher will use the following

inferential formula to statistically simplified personality and

college adjustment of the respondents that will be gathered

throughout the study.

66

The first formula that will be used by the researchers is

the Percentage formula. It is one of the methods used to identify

the percentage of the frequency of the variable for personality

and college adjustment. Percentage is used to be able to know how

large or small one quantity to another quantity. It is usually

used to determine values between zero and one. Ratio as a

percentage is also possible to express using this formula.

Percentage Formula

P=fNx100

Where:

F = sampling size,

N = population size, and

100 = constant

Also, the Weighted Mean Formula will be used in the research

study. It will help the researchers to get equivalent of the

variable of personality. As defined, it is similar to an

67

arithmetic mean (the most common type of average) where instead

each of the data points contributing equally to the final

average, some data points contribute more than others. The notion

of weighted mean plays a role in descriptive statistics and

occurs a more general form in several other areas of mathematics

(Frecnh, 2014).

Weighted Mean

x=w1x1+w2x2+…+wnxn

w1+w2+∙∙∙+wn

Where:

x = frequency; and

w = weight values

Lastly, and the most important formula that will be used by

the researchers is the Pearson Correlation Formula to obtain the

correlation as it is the focus of the study, to get the

correlation of personality and college adjustment.

68

Pearson Correlation Formula

r=n(∑xy)−(∑x)(∑y)√¿¿¿

In field of statistics, this formula is often referred to as

the Pearson R test. Pearson Correlation Formula is used to

measures how related the correlation between two variables or the

set of data.

69

70