Dynamics of the "Divestment-Investment" Process

The overall focus of this study was to investigate the initial adaptation process to college. The adaptation process was viewed as embedded within the ecological transition of leaving home to live at college. The primary psychosocial tasks which provided the process criterion for adaptation were contained in the "divestment-investment" process. The study was divided into 2 phases which used a cross-sectional design. The major hypotheses of Phase I predicted a relationship between perceived adjustment and perceived family characteristics, as well as between perceived adjustment and separation feelings. For Phase II the hypotheses predicted a relationship between perceived adjustment and four adaptation criterion variables: information processing, autonomy, motivation, self-esteem. The Ss for Phase I of the study consisted of 105 male freshmen from Columbia College and the School of Engineering. The Ss were administered the Bell Adjustment Inventory which determined perceived adjustment; the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale which enabled assessment of perceived family cohesion and perceived family adaptation; a Separation scale which yielded scores on separation affect