Education and Conservatism

1
Education and Conservatism

• The Effect of Progression Through College on
  Political Conservatism and Liberalism

Sara Shake, Cole Wyatt, and Brian Sherrill
2
Background

• Hippies in the sixties
• Older people are more conservative
• Conservatives prefer structures that are
  well-known, stable, and safe (Wilson, 1973).

3
Background

• Conservative in high school
• Come to college make a difference
• Slow move towards conservatism

4
Hypothesis

• To test the effects of progression through
  college on how liberal or conservative a person
  is.
• When a persons age increases or their education
  is enhanced, he or she forms a less conservative
  political and social perspective.

5
Participants

• Stratified Random Sample
• N 47, 60 male, 40 female
• Majority Caucasian
• Equality of classes

6
Materials

• 50-item questionnaire
• Modified Wilson-Patterson C-Scale
• Scoring

7
Procedure

• Obtaining a sample
• Completing the questionnaire
• No informed consent

8
Age Differences

• Hanover Mock Election Results

9
Age Differences

• In general, conservative attitudes have been
  found to be more common among older than younger
  participants.
• -Grant, Ross, Hannah (2001).

10
Results-Education

• No significant difference between classes,
  F(3,42)1.142, p0.34
• Classes divided into two groups Upperclassmen
  and Underclassmen

• No significant difference between means,
  t(27.9)1.43, p0.165
• Underclassmen M51.50
• Upperclassmen M46.33

11
Graphs
12
Results-Age/Gender

• No significant difference between ages,
  F(4,41)2.391, p0.066

• No significant difference between means for
  gender, F(41.9)0.33, p0.747
• Men (M49.93)
• Women(M48.84)

13
Discussion

• Grant, Ross Hannah (2001)
• OlderConservative
• Gradual Process (post 40)
• Cohorts
• SESSelf-Efficacy
• No parents

14
Conclusion

• Limitations
• Sample Size (use more than 47 surveys)
• Representative (include Affiliated and No
  housing students) Include more Juniors (8)
• Test Questions
• Wilson Patterson C-Scale

15
Future Research

• Fanning
• Faculty
• Control Groups