Student Study Published in Berkeley Undergraduate Journal

Three Huntington University alumni recently had their senior psychology study published in the Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley. The study focuses on the correlation between meeting the fundamental needs of college students and students persisting in the completion of a college degree.

“This research comes at a perfect time,” said Dr. Rebekah Benjamin, associate professor of psychology at Huntington University and supervising professor for the project. “When many colleges and universities are struggling to find ways to help students succeed and persist, it’s critically important to consult empirical research that tests theories related to motivation and well-being in the college context.”

The study was the work of three psychology students – Quintin Graves, Kathleen Morrical, and Brant Shelby – and was based upon a research proposal originally presented by Graves. The trio saw the study as filling a hole in the scope of previous research; while many researchers had studied fundamental needs of college students and persistence in completing a degree separately, the two topics had rarely been combined and compared with each other.

“Having our students publish research in highly selective undergraduate journals like this one makes me very proud,” said Benjamin. “It was a joy to supervise this research project. These students were dedicated to completing this project with excellence, and their hard work has paid off.”

The study was published in the Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley, published by the University of California, Berkeley. It is available in Volume XII, Fall 2018-Spring 2019, or online at ujpb.org.