Similarities and differences between “traditional” and “nontraditional” college students in selected personality characteristics

Abstract

In recent years, many colleges and universities in the United States have suffered a decline in the enrollment of students of “traditional” age (17-24 years). A new group of students has assumed many of the places once held by many “traditional” students; these newcomers, over the age of 25 years, have been labeled “nontraditional.” For the present study, the short form of the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Texas Social Behavior Inventory, and the Self-Perception Profile were used to evaluate selected personality characteristics of both “traditional” and “nontraditional” undergraduates. The results indicated that only minimal differences exist between these two groups. However, significant gender effects, notably in the areas of manifest anxiety and self-esteem, were obtained. © 1991, The Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.