Introversion, Implicit Self-Theories, and the College Experience

Abstract

Research has shown that the transition to college can be a challenging time for young adults as they are faced with social and academic challenges they have not yet faced in their lifetimes. Personality has the capability to make a huge impact on how individuals respond to and make meaning out of these challenging experiences. In Study 1 (N = 91), we examined the effects of extraversion and implicit self-theory of intelligence on the academic experience in the small college classroom. In Study 2 using data from the longitudinal study the Identity Pathways Project (N = 160), we investigated the effects of extraversion and implicit self-theory of personality on the social transition to college. We found that extraversion and implicit selftheories each separately predict levels of comfort in the classroom, as well as the content of selfstatements in narrative responses. Findings are further discussed in detail throughout the paper.