New Case for the Liberal Arts, 1974-1978

The major purpose of this study was to discern the distinctive effects of a liberal arts education by comparing first-year students and seniors at different kinds of colleges. This archival collection combines data from the Three College Study and the Seven College Study. In the fall of 1974, representative samples of both graduating students and first-year students at three colleges (n=396, half female, half male) were administered the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and several traditional and newer aptitude tests designed to assess cognitive skills. These include the Analysis of Argument, the Test of Thematic Analysis, the Uses of Objects, the Meaning of Words, Learning New Material, and Concept Attainment. A questionnaire that elicited demographic information and college expectations and experiences was also administered. This was the first wave of the three College Study. In 1978, a follow-up was conducted of the then current senior class (first-year students in 1974) at one of the colleges. Seventy-nine of the original participants were included in the follow-up, and 47 new participants (25 seniors and 22 first year students) were added to the sample. The follow-up included many of the same measures as the original study. This was the second wave of the Three College Study. Another follow-up of the class of 1975 (seniors at the original data collection) consisting of a Life Patterns Questionnaire was conducted by Stewart in 1977 (see Log# 00534). In the Seven College Study, first-year students and seniors completed the same measures as in the Three College Study; testing conditions varied slightly and only one wave of data was collected at each site. The Murray Research Archive holds original record paper data from the Thematic Apperception Test, Test of Thematic Analysis, and Analysis of Argument from the Three College Study. The collection also includes numeric file data from both the Three College Study (along with longitudinal data from one of the colleges), and the Seven College Study.