This study investigated the relationship between clinical depression and college GPA, which has been shown to be directly related to college student attrition. Scores on the Depression scale of the MMPI (MMPI-D) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were collected from 33 students on academic probation (AP) and 36 students in good standing (GS). All scores were standardized and the mean of the standardized scores on both inventories was computed for each subject. The AP and GS group means were compared using the t-test on the raw scores of both inventories as well as the means of the standardized scores. Mean differences were non-significant on the MMPI-D t (67) + 1.5918595, p>.05 and on the means of the standardized scores z=1.2804, p>.05. The mean difference on the BDI raw scores was significant, t (67)= 2.2398966, p<.05, but this t-value may be spuriously high due to low within-group variance. Pearson-product moment correlational were computed between BDI scores and GPA (R=.0011) and between the MMPI-D scores and GPA (r=.0018). These correlational indices clarify the absence of a relationship between GPA and clinical depression. These results supported a failure to reject the full hypothesis that there is no relationship between clinical depression and college achievement. It was concluded that the common pattern of response of students placed on academic probation should not be characterized as psychological depression.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:WKU/oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-3005 |
| Date | 01 August 1984 |
| Creators | Feix, Jeffrey |
| Publisher | TopSCHOLAR® |
| Source Sets | Western Kentucky University Theses |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Masters Theses & Specialist Projects |
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