Record Details

Longitudinal Study of the Life Patterns of College-Educated Women, 1960-1979

Harvard Dataverse (Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, CCAFS, CIAT, IFPRI, IRRI and WorldFish)

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Field Value
 
Title Longitudinal Study of the Life Patterns of College-Educated Women, 1960-1979
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/YVNGBD
 
Creator Stewart, Abigail J.
 
Publisher Harvard Dataverse
 
Description This is a longitudinal study of the class of 1964 from a prestigious women's college in the eastern United States. A major purpose of the study was to determine the effects of personality and situation on the life outcomes of college-educated women. This study built upon a larger 1960 study in which Thematic Apperception Tests (TATs) were administered to 244 first-year women.


In 1974, 10 years after graduation, the first follow-up of the class of 1964 was conducted. A life patterns questionnaire, containing both open-ended and precoded questions, was sent to all members of the initial sample for whom addresses could be obtained from the Alumnae Office (N=210). This questionnaire elicited information regarding background, college experience, activities since graduation, and future aspirations. Responses were obtained from 122 of the original respondents.
The interviews were semistructured and open-ended, and focused on stressful life periods. A sample of men from the corresponding brother college (N=97) completed a similar life patterns questionnaire in 1974. TATs were also collected from 176 students of the class of 1964 at a second women's college.


In 1976, 96 women participated in a follow-up. Measures for this wave included an open-ended recent activities questionnaire, a recent life changes questionnaire, and a health questionnaire. The questionnaires included precoded items regarding health and life changes during the preceding two years.

The Murray Research Archive holds numeric file data from all three waves of the study. The collection also includes original record paper Thematic Apperception Tests from the class of 1964 from the two women's colleges and open-ended questions for the 1974 (women and men) and 1976 (women only) waves.
 
Subject Social Sciences
 
Type longitudinal, field study