A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SAMPLES OF MALE AND FEMALE HEARING AND HEARING-IMPAIRED COLLEGE FRESHMEN ALONG SELECTED DEVELOPMENTAL DIMENSIONS

The purpose of the study was to compare the developmental profiles of samples of male and female hearing and hearing-impaired college freshmen along three developmental dimensions, namely developing autonomy, developing purpose and developing mature interpersonal relationships, as assessed through the Student Developmental Task Inventory, Second Edition (SDTI-2), and to interpret the findings for their utility in identifying student personal developmental needs which can be addressed through student affairs programming. The study was based on hypotheses that there was no difference between samples of male and female hearing and hearing-impaired college freshmen for each of three developmental tasks, developing autonomy, developing purpose, and developing mature interpersonal relationships, as assessed through the SDTI-2. It was also hypothesized that there was an interaction between hearing ability and sex regarding these samples and tasks. Nine operational hypotheses were tested. The study population consisted of 72 hearing and hearing-impaired college freshmen at The American University (36) and Gallaudet College (36). The SDTI-2 was used to assess student growth and development along three developmental dimensions. The Personal Data Profile (PDP) elicited six items of descriptive or census data. The data were computed by an IBM 370 Computer, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program. Student's t-test and a two-way analysis of variance, utilizing a randomized fixed effects model, were used in hypotheses testing. The .05 level was set as the standard for statistical significance. Eight of the nine operational hypotheses were not confirmed. The study samples of hearing versus hearing-impaired college freshmen did not differ to the extent of statistical significance regarding each developmental area, developing autonomy, developing purpose, and developing mature interpersonal relationships. Five of the six hypotheses postulating differences between male and female, hearing and hearing-impaired study subjects regarding these same developmental areas were not confirmed. Hearing-impaired females were found to be significantly ahead of hearing-impaired males in developing autonomy whereas the reverse was true for hearing males and hearing females. Study findings supported the conclusion that deaf college students are not handicapped by their deafness in achieving the developmental tasks of reference.