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Student Involvement: A Developmental Theory for Higher Education

This is a summary of Student Involvement: A Developmental Theory for Higher Education
Alexander W. Astin, 1984, Journal of College Student Development

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Astin built this theory to fix a real problem. Research on student development had grown scattered. Different researchers studied different variables, used different terms, and reached conclusions that didn’t connect. Astin wanted one simple idea that could explain most existing findings and guide new research and practice.

Is Adolescence Really a Time of “Storm and Stress”?

This is a summary of an article written by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, published in May 1999 in the American Psychologist journal.

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For over a century, psychologists have debated whether adolescence is naturally a difficult stage of life. In 1904, psychologist G. Stanley Hall introduced the idea that adolescence is a period of “storm and stress,” marked by emotional ups and downs, conflict with parents, and risky behavior.

Today, most psychologists reject Hall’s original claim that every teenager experiences severe turmoil because of biology alone. However, research suggests that Hall was not entirely wrong. While adolescence is not difficult for everyone, it is generally a time when certain challenges become more common than during childhood or adulthood.

The author argues for a modified storm-and-stress theory: adolescence increases the likelihood of specific difficulties, but these experiences vary greatly depending on the individual and the culture.

What Is Your PSI (Positive Self Image)?

Everyone needs a PSI. The question is, why and how good is yours? PSI will directly impact your career, your finances, and your future.

Believe me, it works like magic; I have seen people full of NSI (negative self-image) in high school, and it was sad to see how they got demotivated and dropped out one by one.

A major part of being successful is believing that you can be successful! Success involves three major areas: health, wealth, and wisdom (education).

PSI is the belief in yourself. It is so important that the experts on thought and personal performance say success is impossible without it, and I totally agree.

Under the wisdom area, you need a good PSI. So what is a PSI? It stands for Positive Self Image. An important question to ask is: why do so many people have an NSI – Negative Self Image? Once you understand this, you can work on strengthening your PSI.

Defining Success

I have often heard people ask, what is the secret of success? The truth is there is no “secret” to success, but there are principals that, when applied, can and will enable all of us to become better at the things we do in life.

Webster defines ‘principal’ as chief in importance, first in rank, and character. I have observed people for many years and have come to the conclusion that very few people in life decide what is going to happen to them.

They would rather ‘allow’ life to happen, not knowing that there are ‘Principals of Success’ that can be applied to create a better life for themselves and the people around them.

Before we can talk about the Principals of Success, we must first understand what true success really is.