A new case for the liberal arts

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 three kinds of colleges: "Ivy College," "State Teacher's College," and "Community College" (pseudonyms). Some of the measures were also administered at seven other colleges across the country. In the fall of 1974, representative samples of both graduating seniors (second-year students at Community College) and first-year students at three colleges (n=396, half female, half male) were administered the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and several traditional and new aptitude tests designed to assess cognitive skills. These include the Analysis of Argument, the Test of Thematic Analysis, the Uses of Objects, the Meanings of Words, Learning New Material, and Concept Attainment. A questionnaire that elicited demographic information and college expectations and experiences was also administered. In 1978, a follow-up was conducted of the then current senior class (first-year students in 1974) at Ivy College. Ninety-one of the original participants were included in the follow-up, and 47 new seniors were added to the sample. The follow-up included many of the same measures as the original study. These data are available for analysis and are archived with the original data. In the same year, another follow-up was conducted by Stewart (see A534). It consisted of a life patterns questionnaire sent to the Ivy College class of 1975 (seniors at the original data collection). The Murray Center holds paper data from the TATs, Test of Thematic Analysis, and Analysis of Argument from the three college comparison. Computer-accessible data for all measures are also available.