Faculty Mentor
Virginia Wickline
Faculty Mentor Email Address
vwickline@georgiasouthern.edu
Gender and Familial Support: Analyzing Their Relationship With College Student Independence
Location
Savannah Ballroom
Type of Research
Completed
I am a... (Select all that apply)
Honors College Scholar (all other submissions), Undergraduate student (not associated with COUR or Honors)
Session Format
Poster Presentation
Select Your Campus
Armstrong Campus
College
College of Behavioral & Social Sciences
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Adjusting to college requires learning independence. While prior research provides a thorough framework for understanding independence alongside gender and family support, previous investigations have not been holistic. For instance, genders other than men and women have yet to be analyzed, and family support in the context of a society valuing independence has had little investigation. This study expands knowledge of potential gender differences in independence among men and women to include nonbinary individuals and aims to develop knowledge on how support from a family in an independence-valuing society relates to college student independence. I predicted that there would be gender differences in college student independence and that a correlation exists between family support and independence. Participants included 1,836 college students who completed a college adjustment survey that analyzed ten variables relating to college adjustment, including independence and family support. Results indicated that there were no gender differences in independence, but that there was a positive, medium correlation between family support and independence. For gender differences, these results might be attributed to the underrepresentation of nonbinary individuals. For family support, the results might be due to how different cultures value independence and how families would react to children exhibiting independence in different societies.
Program Description
.
Author Rights: Apply an Embargo
2-20-2026
Presentation Type and Release Option
Event
Start Date
4-21-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-21-2026 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Aziz, Laila, "Gender and Familial Support: Analyzing Their Relationship With College Student Independence" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 39.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026A/2026A/39
Gender and Familial Support: Analyzing Their Relationship With College Student Independence
Savannah Ballroom
Adjusting to college requires learning independence. While prior research provides a thorough framework for understanding independence alongside gender and family support, previous investigations have not been holistic. For instance, genders other than men and women have yet to be analyzed, and family support in the context of a society valuing independence has had little investigation. This study expands knowledge of potential gender differences in independence among men and women to include nonbinary individuals and aims to develop knowledge on how support from a family in an independence-valuing society relates to college student independence. I predicted that there would be gender differences in college student independence and that a correlation exists between family support and independence. Participants included 1,836 college students who completed a college adjustment survey that analyzed ten variables relating to college adjustment, including independence and family support. Results indicated that there were no gender differences in independence, but that there was a positive, medium correlation between family support and independence. For gender differences, these results might be attributed to the underrepresentation of nonbinary individuals. For family support, the results might be due to how different cultures value independence and how families would react to children exhibiting independence in different societies.
