Abstract

Boarding schools have not been studied extensively and the results of the few studies available are quite varied. Some students enjoy their experience, while others have a more negative view of their experience at boarding school. This study attempted to find some of the reasons for these differences and to see if certain types of schools, personality traits, attachment styles, and perceived control can influence a student’s educational experience. A survey was used to gather information from 53 graduates from a variety of boarding schools, 35 of those were female and 18 were male. Our hypothesis was that three traits (extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) would correlate with a better experience overall. We also hypothesized that neuroticism and insecure attachment styles would correlate with less enjoyment. Furthermore, we expected that if an individual had more control in the process of going to boarding school they would enjoy their experience to a greater extent. Our results showed that personality and attachment were not statistically significant factors, but that a student’s perceived control in choosing the school that they would attend correlated with a better experience at that school. We also found that women tended to see believe that they had more power in the decision to go to boarding school. Results are discussed in terms of perceived control, personality, attachment style, type of school, and overall enjoyment of the boarding school experience.

Advisor

Casey, Micheal

Department

Psychology

Publication Date

2019

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2019 David H. Westcott