Work Hard, Party Hard: Examining High Risk, High Achieving Students

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Work Hard, Party Hard Examining High Risk, High
Achieving Students

• Krista Bailey Murphy

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Overview

• Why is this research important?
• Brief review of relevant literature
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Questions

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Why is this research important?

• Importance of degree persistence attainment
• High levels of injury/death during a period of
  peak health
• Merge quantitative and qualitative data to better
  understand the full picture of risk taking
  amongst college students
• Educate college administrators about best
  practices
• Best allocate resources

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Literature Review
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They are just adolescents!

• That awkward period between sexual maturation
  and the attainment of adult roles and
  responsibilities (Dahl, 2004, p. 9)
• Psychosocial moratorium (Erickson, 1968)
• Changes in industrial world led to longer period
  of adolescence (Arnett 2000 Erickson, 1968)

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Decision-Making

• Risk taking falls within the larger context of
  decision-making
• While decision-making implies the choice between
  multiple known alternatives, risk taking applies
  to a situation in which the consequences are
  unknown or ambiguous (Clifford, 1991).

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Social Neuroscience Perspective(Steinberg, 2008)

• Attempts to answer why risk taking increases
  between childhood and adolescence
• Adolescents are NOT
• Irrational or deficient in information processing
• More likely to believe they are invulnerable
• Less risk averse than adults
• So what ARE they?
• Socio-emotional network vs. cognitive control
  network
• During states of emotional arousal or when with
  peers

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Construct Measure Sample Item
Risk Perception Benthin et al., 1993 If you did this activity (e.g. had unprotected sex), how much are you are risk for something bad happening?
Sensation seeking Zuckerman et al., 1978 I sometimes like to do things that are a little frightening.
Impulsivity Patton et al., 1995 I do things without thinking.
Resistance to peer influence Steinberg Monahan, 2007 Some people think its better to be an individual even if people will be angry at you for going against the crowd. BUT Other people think its better to go along with the crowd than to make people angry at you.
Future orientation Steinberg et al., 2009b Some people take life one day at a time without worrying about the future. BUT Other people are always thinking about what tomorrow will bring.
Indices of Psychosocial Maturity
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Psychosocial Maturity

• Risk perception (Benthin et al., 1993)
• Sensation seeking (Zukerman et al., 1978)
• Impulsivity (Patton et al., 1995)
• Resistance to peer influence (Steinberg
  Monahan, 2007)
• Future orientation (Steinberg et al., 2009b)

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How does risk taking manifest itself on a college
campus?
Writing an editorial
Raising hand in class
Reckless Driving
Disordered Eating
Alcohol Use
Hooking Up
Drug Use
Trying out for the play
Running for SGA
Gambling
Fighting
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Hypotheses

• A large, national quantitative data set will
  provide statistically significant evidence that
  students who drink more (frequency and quantity)
  have lower overall GPAs, experience more negative
  consequences as a result of their drinking and
  experience more impediments to academic success
• Students who live on campus, are member of Greek
  fraternities and sororities and/or are varsity
  athletes will have higher levels of binge
  drinking than their peers
• Students who drink more (frequency and quantity)
  engage in other risky behaviors (unprotected sex,
  NMPD use, etc.) at higher rates than their peers

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Qualitative Goals

• Student-driven perspective on risk taking and
  academic achievement
• Give voice to students

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Methods
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Risk Taking, Academic Performance and College
Students
Qualitative
Quantitative
Screener Interviews
Analysis of ACHA-NCHA II Data
Holistic Picture
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Quantitative Data Set

• American College Health Association - National
  College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II)
• Spring 2009 Fall 2009 data sets
• 121,313 respondents
• 65 questions approximately 30 minutes to
  complete
• Student health profile - Alcohol, seatbelt use,
  mental health, risk tempering behaviors, tobacco
  use, birth control, exercise, illnesses
• Demographic questions - Age, gender, year in
  school, residency, Greek affiliation, varsity
  athletics
• Reliable and valid

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Data Computations

• Reverse coded GPA
• Combined several responses to No Impact and
  Impact variables

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Interview Process
Screening Questionnaire
Eliminated all screeners below 3.5 GPA
Contacted potential interviewees
Conducted Interviews
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Screening Questionnaire

• In the last 30 days, on how many days did you use
  alcohol, marijuana, other drugs (including
  prescription drugs that were not prescribed to
  you)? Please check the appropriate response
• Never Used
• Have used, but not in last 30 days
• 1-2 days
• 3-5 days
• 6-9 days
• 10-19 days
• 20-29 days
• Used Daily
• Over the last two weeks, how many times have you
  had five or more alcoholic drinks at one sitting?
  Please check the appropriate response
• Never
• 1 time
• 2 times
• 3 times
• 4 times
• 5 times
• 6 times

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Interview Process
Screening Questionnaire
Eliminated all screeners below 3.5 GPA sorted
by risk level
Contacted potential interviewees
Conducted Interviews
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Divide screeners into low and high risk
Low Risk Group High Risk Group
Q1 Have not used alcohol, marijuana or other drugs in the last 30 days. Q1 Have used alcohol, marijuana or other drugs in the last 30 days.
Q2 Have not consumed 5 or more drinks in one sitting in the last two weeks. Q2 Have consumed 5 or more drinks in one sitting in the last two weeks.
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Interview Process
Screening Questionnaire
Eliminated all screeners below 3.5 GPA sorted
by risk level
Contacted potential interviewees
Conducted Interviews
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• Paired screening questionnaires with consent
  forms
• Random selection process
• Contacted interviewees via email
• 100 response rate

Contact potential interviewees
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Low Risk vs. High Risk Groups
Low Risk Group (6 eligible respondents) High Risk Group (10 eligible respondents)
3.56 GPA (3.57 overall) 3.64 GPA (3.67 overall)
1 male 4 females 2 males 3 females
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Interview Process
Screening Questionnaire
Eliminated all screeners below 3.5 GPA sorted
by risk level
Contacted potential interviewees
Conducted Interviews
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• Full meeting took between 45-60 minutes
  interviews took between 25-45 minutes
• Interviews with high risk students took longer
• All interviewees answered all questions
• Recorded using GarageBand and turned into MP3
  files for transcription
• 20 Bookstore gift card

Conduct Interviews
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Interview Questions
1. Tell me about the last time you partied or
socialized. 2. What does it feel like to be
drunk? 3. What are the rewards of being drunk? 4.
Tell me about a typical night out and tell me
about an extreme night out. 5. Do you play
drinking games? If so, which ones and why? 6.
Have you ever driven under the influence or
ridden in a car with someone you knew was
intoxicated? 7. How many drinks does it typically
take for you to feel drunk? 8. What is meant by a
standard drink (for calculating your blood
alcohol content)? 9. What is appealing about
taking risks? 10. What is appealing about
drinking? 11. Have you had oral, vaginal or anal
intercourse? If so, please tell me about the
circumstances the last time this happened. If
not, please tell me why you have chosen to
abstain. 12. If you have had oral, vaginal or
anal intercourse, have you used protection? 13.
Please define academic achievement. What you do
you think it means to be academically
successful? 14. Please define risk taking. 15. Do
you see any relationship between your risk taking
and your academic goals? 16. What is the
difference between something that is risky and
something that is not risky? 17. Do you think
your risk taking will change as you get
older? 18. Do you think that risk taking is
always bad? Can you provide an example of a
risk you took that had a positive outcome? 19. I
want you to think about a situation. In one
situation, a group of friends decide to skip
classes to go down the shore. In the other
situation, a group of friends go down the shore
on Saturday. Are the friends likely to feel
closer in one situation than the other? Why or
why not? 20. Can you tell me about a time when
risk taking interfered with your school work?
This could include (but doesnt have to be)
missing a class, missing a deadline, not
achieving your goals. 21. Do you have anything
you want to add that we have not talked about?
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• All interviews transcribed for analysis
• Creation of six (6) distinct categories
• Coding and agreement with two colleagues
• Led to the combination of two categories and the
  creation of a new category

Transcription Analysis
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Results
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Quantitative Analysis
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Demographic Variables All Undergraduate Students
Variable Percent N
Year in School
1st Year Undergraduate 29.5 29,737
2nd Year Undergraduate 23.2 23,109
3rd Year Undergraduate 22.8 22,702
4th Year Undergraduate 18.3 18,209
5th Year Undergraduate 6.2 6,177
Current Residence
Campus Residence Hall 41.3 41,139
Fraternity/Sorority House 1.6 1,589
Other Campus Housing 5.2 5,199
Parent/Guardian 14.3 14,253
Other Off-Campus Housing 33.0 32,901
Other 4.1 4,116
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Demographic Variables First-Year Spring 2009
Cohort
Variable Percent N
Current Residence
Campus Residence Hall 76.4 14,426
Fraternity Sorority House .4 76
Other Campus Housing 1.3 250
Parent/Guardian 12.6 2,384
Other Off-Campus Housing 6.7 1,260
Other 2.2 423
Approximate GPA
A 34.3 6,476
B 49.9 9,424
C 14.0 2,648
D/F 1.8 335
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Everything is significant!
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Alcohol Use - Frequency
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Housing Status Number of Drinks
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Risky Behaviors and GPA
Variable All Undergraduates First-Year Cohort
Last 30 days Alcohol -.025 -.098
Last 30 days Marijuana -.073 -.114
Number of drinks last time partied or socialized -.078 -.128
Last 2 weeks 5 or more drinks of alcohol at sitting -.063 -.122
Last 30 days Drive after having 5 or more drinks .010 -.033
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed antidepressants -.024 -.037
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed pain killers -.066 -.081
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed sedatives -.030 -.048
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed stimulants -.044 -.061
Last 12 months Number of sexual partners -.059 -.104
Used a method of birth control last time you had vaginal sex -.074 -.061
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Risky Behaviors and GPA
Variable All Undergraduates First-Year Cohort
Last 30 days Alcohol -.025 -.098
Last 30 days Marijuana -.073 -.114
Number of drinks last time partied or socialized -.078 -.128
Last 2 weeks 5 or more drinks of alcohol at sitting -.063 -.122
Last 30 days Drive after having 5 or more drinks .010 -.033
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed antidepressants -.024 -.037
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed pain killers -.066 -.081
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed sedatives -.030 -.048
Last 12 months Taken unprescribed stimulants -.044 -.061
Last 12 months Number of sexual partners -.059 -.104
Used a method of birth control last time you had vaginal sex -.074 -.061
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Alcohol as an Impediment to Academic Performance
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Impact on Academic Performance
Variable GPA GPA GPA GPA
A B C D/F
Anxiety 11.05 17.19 24.44 37.95
Cold/Flu/Sore Throat 13.23 20.21 26.07 33.13
Depression 5.94 7.54 17.18 32.83
Internet Use 9.08 15.57 23.01 33.33
Sleep Difficulties 14.35 22.60 31.94 47.72
Stress 17.32 27.23 40.28 56.10
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Impact on Academic Performance
Variable GPA GPA GPA GPA
A B C D/F
Anxiety 11.05 17.19 24.44 37.95
Cold/Flu/Sore Throat 13.23 20.21 26.07 33.13
Depression 5.94 7.54 17.18 32.83
Internet Use 9.08 15.57 23.01 33.33
Sleep Difficulties 14.35 22.60 31.94 47.72
Stress 17.32 27.23 40.28 56.10
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Information Received vs. Desired
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Information Received vs. Desired
61.6
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Information Received vs. Desired
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Qualitative Analysis
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Defining and Conceptualizing Risk Taking

• Low risk students
• Risk taking is something out of your comfort zone
  that you usually decide to do without thinking
  about the potential consequences, which could be
  positive or negative to both you and the people
  around you
• High risk students
• Risk taking is dangerous behavior that could
  cause you trouble, harm or impact you negatively
  but you do it anyway

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Defining and Conceptualizing Risk Taking

• Low risk students
• Risk taking is something out of your comfort zone
  that you usually decide to do without thinking
  about the potential consequences, which could be
  positive or negative to both you and the people
  around you
• High risk students
• Risk taking is dangerous behavior that could
  cause you trouble, harm or impact you negatively
  but you do it anyway

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Student Definition of Risk Taking

• Risk taking is doing something different or new
  that could cause you trouble or harm, but which
  also has the potential for a positive outcome

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Decision-Making

• Risk now versus high school
• Way more risks. Because, youre not under
• the supervision of your parents here so you
• can kind of just do whatever you want and I
• mean, not to say that, I mean, when I was in
• high school I did stupid things. But here its
• just so much easier because its like a
  playground
• for making bad decisions basically. (laughter).
  Go
• college! Woo!
• Alison, high risk

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Decision-Making

• Risk now versus 30
• Because thats the time to be mature, start
  thinking about the bigger picture. I think the
  time between high school and real life is the
  time you can have to kind of find yourself and
  kind of do what you need to do, take risks.
• David, high risk

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Decision-Making

• Knowledge does not equal action

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Painting a Picture of Individual Risk Taking

• Alcohol use
• Badge of honor
• Drug use
• Primarily marijuana Adderall
• Hooking up and sex
• Two kinds of protection

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Academic Achievement

• Interviews with all high achieving students
• Ability to prioritize say no
• Students identified procrastination as the
  biggest risk to their own academic achievement

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Peer Perceptions and Influence

• Im not impacted, but my friends are

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Achieving Both

• Family support and pressure
• Career goals (future orientation construct)
• Perceived importance of academic and social
  experience
• It can be done, you dont have to just sit in
  your dorm and study all the time to be a good
  student I would say. I think that coming to
  college and actually living there, the social
  aspect of it is also part of the experience and
  part of growing up. Not that that necessarily has
  to involved drinking, but I think thats an
  important thing in someones life to like go out
  and meet people and learn how to socialize in
  that way. It plays as much of a role as academia
  I guess.
• -Jessie, high risk

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Achieving Both

• OK, this is cool. Umm, I feel like, uh, alright,
  Im gonna say this. I feel like academics are
  really based upon the individual skill sets as
  opposed to their behavior. I mean, we do know for
  a fact that obviously, if you are drinking 5 days
  out of a week than 9 times out of 10 youre
  probably not going to perform better than someone
  who is just not, if youre on the same academic
  level. But, I dont feel like having one day or
  even two maybe out of that week where you sort of
  drink, even a little bit in excess, will directly
  affect the outcome of their academics. So its
  really weird, I feel like theres a really fine
  line of how theyre affected by each other
  because, like I told you about my roommate. You
  can have those experiences where you just like to
  drink and you drink pretty often, but you still
  produce well academically and then you can have
  those situations where it doesnt occur. So I
  feel like its a very thin line and theyre very
  close to each other. But I wouldnt say one is
  indicative of the other, unless its to that big
  of an extreme.
• - Ryan, low risk

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Discussion
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Summary of Results

• All three hypotheses were supported
• A large, national quantitative data set will
  provide statistically significant evidence that
  students who drink more (frequency and quantity)
  have lower overall GPAs, experience more negative
  consequences as a result of their drinking and
  experience more impediments to academic success
• Student who live on campus, are member of Greek
  fraternities and sororities and/or are varsity
  athletes will have higher levels of binge
  drinking than their peers
• Students who drink more (frequency and quantity)
  engage in other risky behaviors (unprotected sex,
  NMPD use, etc.) at higher rates than their peers
• These relationships grew stronger when just
  analyzing the first-year cohort

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Surprising Findings

• Weak strength of correlations
• Only large effect size in correlation between
  alcohol consumption and negative consequences
  (especially number of days in last 30)
• Student perceptions about impediments to academic
  performance
• Anxiety, cold/flu, internet use, sleep
  difficulties, depression and stress
• Willingness of students to share their
  experiences
• Genuine gratitude for being asked

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Connection to Social Neuroscience Perspective

• Ability of students to articulate what risks they
  took, why and how they view their risk changing
  over time
• Articulation of socio-emotional network vs.
  cognitive control network
• Ability to make good decisions

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Connection to Psychosocial Maturity

• Risk perception
• Knowledge of stupid risks but willingness to
  take risk anyway
• Worth potential rewards
• Resistance to peer influence
• All interviewees were able to provide examples
• Future orientation
• Helped keep high risk behavior to a minimum

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Statistical Limitations

• Large sample size
• Selection bias
• Reliance on correlations

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Implications for Practitioners

• What (if anything) will impact behavior?
• Importance of family/support systems
• What do students want information about that we
  are not giving them? Do any of your campuses do a
  good job in this area?
• Sleep, stress, anxiety, nutrition
• Open honest conversations with students
• Students are open to these conversations, but are
  we asking the right questions?
• BASICS philosophy

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Implications for Practitioners

• Are we focusing so much on alcohol that students
  think it is even more pervasive than it actually
  is?
• My mom was actually talking to someone else who
  has a son who goes here and he was saying how he
  almost regretted his decision to come here
  because they make it seem like thats a major
  part of going to X is just drinking all the time
  and stuff.
• Weve made a change at our own Orientation to a
  workshop called Healthy Choices instead of a
  session devoted to alcohol

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Future Research

• Longitudinal study comparing students across
  their four years in college
• Build qualitative research base
• Impact of social media/texting on desire for
  meaningful conversations

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Questions
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Contact Information

• Krista Bailey Murphy
• murphyk_at_chc.edu
• 215-248-7142