Selected environmental factors associated with attitude toward involvement in dormitory vandalism

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether relationships existed between attitude toward involvement in dormitory vandalism and selected demographic and environmental variables including sex, military status, dormitory size, involvement in university life, perceived social isolation, perceived general maintenance of the dormitory, aesthetic quality of the dormitory interior, and finally, perceived personal space in the dormitory. A questionnaire was developed including three scales previously used and proven valid and reliable as well as items added by the researcher to measure variables for which no scales were available.

The sample of 539 was selected from a dormitory population of 8506 students in 25 dormitories at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. A number of factors were given attention in the sampling procedure: differences in males and females, civilians and Cadets, and residents in small and large dormitories. Eight dormitories were chosen to meet the aforementioned criteria. Questionnaires were distributed by the researcher throughout the dormitories. Because a representative sample was desired from each of the residence halls the instrument was randomly distributed within each floor. As a result of this sampling procedure, 95.5% or 518 of the questionnaires were returned.

Point-biserial correlation coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, t-tests, z-tests, and multi-regression were the statistical treatments employed. The .05 probability level was accepted as significant and the .01 level was accepted as highly significant.

The results of this study suggest highly significant inverse relationships between attitude toward involvement in dormitory vandalism and degree of involvement in university life, perceived general maintenance of the dormitory, perceived aesthetic quality of the dormitory interior, and perceived personal space in the dormitory. There was a positive but insignificant relationship between social isolation and attitude toward involvement in dormitory vandalism.

A highly significant difference was found in examining attitude toward involvement in vandalism between males and females. Dormitory size and attitude toward involvement in vandalism were found to be uncorrelated and there was no relationship between military status and attitude toward involvement in dormitory vandalism.