Social comparison and academic buoyancy among freshmen in one selected public university

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between social comparison and academic buoyancy among freshmen in one selected public university in Kenya. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. The social comparison and academic buoyancy scales were used to collect data. The sample size of the study consisted of 213 freshmen from one selected public university in the western part of Kenya. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics, such as Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis statistical techniques. It was established, that there was a low positive (r=0.187, n=213, p=0.006) relationship between social comparison and academic buoyancy among the first year university students. The social comparison regression model was adequate to predict the level of academic buoyancy among first year university students, [F (1, 211)=7.641, p=0.006, accounting for 3.5 % (R2=0.035)] of the variation in academic buoyancy levels. The study recommends that counseling staff at universities should develop specific orientation programmes to enhance the academic buoyancy of freshmen with inappropriate social comparisons. Future studies could also focus on institutional based factors, influencing academic buoyancy among freshmen at universities.