CSP Student Interview Paper

Running head: Student Interview Report 1
Chickering’s Theory of Identity Development: Student Interview Report
Abby Ellis
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Chickering’s Theory of Identity Development: Student Interview Report

Student Interview Report 2
Students can attend the same college, have the same major, enroll in the same classes, and
yet have very different experiences. To learn a little about students experience and how they
relate to student development, I conducted a small study by interviewing four Minnesota State
University, Mankato (MNSU) undergraduate students using convenience sampling. In my study I
wanted to have men and women represented equally. I also wanted to represent two different
years in school. I chose to interview one female sophomore, one male sophomore, one female
senior, and one male senior. All four students are Caucasian, heterosexual, and range between the
ages of 19-23. I chose to observe the students using Chickering’s Theory of Identity
Development.
Chickerings Theory of Identity Development is interesting to me because of the nonlinear
vectors. Some see the lack of specificity in Chickerings vectors to be a negative thing (Evans,
2009). Instead I see the lack of specificity as an ability to bend and change just like students do in
their college experience. I also enjoy this theory because I believe it can be applied to each
experience someone has. For example having a new job requires you to learn new concepts, find
a new way to control emotions, build new relationships, and work your way through Chickering’s
seven vectors.
My learning objective for the study were to: identify the development theories that each
student identifies with, understand how student’s experiences during college can shape their
identity development, and identify strategies that Student Affairs Professionals can use to help
students progress through Chickering’s Theory of Identity Development. It is Student Affairs
Professionals ethical duty to be up to date with student development theories since our primary
goal when working with students is helping them develop (Komives, 2003).
When beginning this study I was hoping to compare the identity development differences
between men and women during their college experience. As I began conducting the interviews I

noted much more correlation between the two sophomore students and the two senior students
than the males and females. To show the correlation between the sophomore and senior students
I will first depict the interviews separately, and then compare the differences between the two
classes. Lastly I will share the common themes that I found throughout all the students.
The first student I interview was a female sophomore student attending Minnesota State
University, Mankato. To protect her identity I have given her the pseudonym of Nicole. When I
asked Nicole why she chose MNSU, she shared that her largest influence was the fact that her
brother was attending the school at the time. Coming from a small town in Minnesota in a home
with both parents and one brother, family was a comfort that she felt she needed in college.
Neither her mother nor father attending college after high school so she felt having her brother
there to give her advice in college decisions would benefit her.
Working with children has always been an interest of Nicole’s. Her parents always thought
that she would be a teacher but never pressured her into anything. When she began at MNSU she
started working towards a major in Elementary Education but quickly changed it to
Communication Disorders. The draw to Communication Disorders was the one on one
experience with students rather than a large classroom. Nicole also says, “I like working with
kids, teaching people all the time, and helping people so it seemed to fit”. She is also considering
leaving the four year college to pursue a two year degree as a Speech Language Pathologist
Assistant. This has been an option unfolded to her recently. Her long term boyfriend has been
informed that he will be inheriting his grandparent’s farm land which will provide enough money
for the two of them to live comfortably on. Since Nicole and her boyfriend plan to marry, she
feels it may be a waste of time to finish the four year degree and go to grad school if she may not
have to work.

Having to make this decision has been stressful for Nicole. When I asked her how she felt
about her plans now she said, “I’m confused, there are too many options with no “winning
option”. It’s all up in the air”. With either option Nicole chooses she feels in the next five to ten
years she will be married, have children, and live near her parents. She and her boyfriend are
talked about marriage, family, and work. During their discussion they have decided that they
would like to both work until they have kids at which point Nicole would stay home with the kids
for the first five years.
When we changed the interview to questions about herself and her experience in college she
seemed to open up a bit more. She felt that she had changed a lot in college. The biggest change
she felt was her sense of independence. She now enjoys alone time much more and does not feel
the need to continue friendships with people who cause drama. The experiences she had in
college were part of what shaped her into the person she is today. The leadership she obtained,
jobs she had, and the relationship with her family. She also said, “I want to be proud of myself
and want everyone to be happy with me.”
Based on the interview that I had with Nicole I felt that she has yet to accomplish a majority
of Chickering’s seven vectors. I felt that Nicole has successfully gone through Developing
Competence, Managing Emotions, and Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships. I also
feel that she had at one time gone through Moving Through Autonomy Toward Interdependence,
but because of the recent life decisions she needed to make she had resorted back to relying on
her family and friends outlook on situations to make decisions. I also felt that Nicole had a good
start on Establishing Identity but when she said “I want people to be happy with me” I felt that
showed some lack of self-confidence. She is confident in the type of work she wants to be
involved in, working with children. Although she has not engraved her path for the future I do

feel that she is in the beginning stages of Developing Purpose. Once she concurs all six vectors I
feel that Nicole will easily be able to establish Developing Identity.
The second interview I had was with a male student with the pseudonym of Billy. He is a
sophomore at MNSU. Billy is considered a nontraditional student. He entered the Army after
high school and was deployed shortly after. Billy came to college two years after high school
graduation. He said he chose MNSU because he, “talked to friends back home while deployed
and they said I should come and room with them. So I did”. Billy’s mother received a four year
degree from a school in North Dakota and his father went to a trade school in Minnesota.
Making a decision for what he wants to major in has been a challenge. Billy relies heavily
on his friend and family for advice for the future. His parents always told him, “the world is at
your fingertips” so he could be whatever he wanted to be. His usual list was doctor, marine
biologist, and the military. His parents supported everything he wanted to do with the exception
of hesitation when the military came up. When I asked Billy what he was majoring in he said,
“it’s really a flip of the coin, keeps changing”. His major is currently listed as Athletic Training
with the thought of continuing on to graduate school for Physical Therapy. What was attractive
about this major is that he can see results right away as opposed to working for a company
without seeing the benefits of the hard work he puts in. He said would be open to any major that
involves helping people.
When I asked Billy how he felt about his plans he said, “Things change, life happens. It’s not
going as smoothly as I hopped”. The plans that Billy did seem sure of was his five to ten year
plan. He sees himself graduated from college, married with children, and owning a home. He has
talked with his girlfriend about the future to ensure they agree on a “life plan”. Billy and his
girlfriend agree on their future plan including how many children, if someone will stay home with
the children, and where they want to live.

Billy felt that the biggest factor that shaped who he is today is his childhood. During the
recession in the early 2000’s, his father lost his job and it had a large impact on his family. Since
then he has been very focused on finding a job that will support his family to reduce stress. This
was also one of the factors that led him to join the Army. He felt the Army changed the kind of
person he is now. He is much more responsible and independent because of it. However he does
feel that a negative affect that came along with that is the lack of ability to make decisions for
himself. For two years after high school the Army directed him on what to do. Now that the
majority of his time is in the civilian world he is trying to improve his decision making skills.
Reviewing the interview that I had with Billy I felt that his is more advanced in the seven
vectors than Nicole. I felt that he had accomplished Developing Competence, Managing
Emotions, Moving Through Autonomy Towards Interdependence, Developing Mature
Interpersonal Relationships, and Establishing Identity. The reason I feel that Billy has developed
Moving Through Autonomy Towards Interdependence is because he is able to support himself,
make decisions for himself, and still maintain healthy relationships with friends and family. He
cares deeply about friends and families opinions but does not use them as the final say. I also feel
this is the reason Billy has mastered Establishing Identity. He wanted to make decisions that
please people but mentioned several times that he wants to make himself happy over making his
family happy. I feel that Billy has not yet begun to Develop Purpose because he is not sure what
he enjoys or wants to pursue in his occupational life. I also feel that he will need to Develop
Purpose before he can Develop Integrity.
After interviewing Nicole and Billy I saw many similarities. Some of which that stood out
were the lack of confidence in the future, difficulty in picking a major, and stability in
relationships. From the small study that I have performed I see a strong correlation between
sophomores and being “lost and confused” about the future. I feel that this stems from the lack of

Developing Purpose. The students carried an “I’ll figure it out” attitude. I got the impression
with both students that bringing up the near future was stressful to think and talk about. As a
Student Affairs Professional this seems alarming. I feel that a program should be in place for
sophomore students to help develop goals and plans for their “college future”. I also feel that the
correlation of strong relationships are due to the need of support in a time of confusion. I feel
that the sophomore students are guided into Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships
rather than Developing a purpose.
The first senior Minnesota State University, Mankato student that I interviewed was a
female transfer student. Lori chose to transfer to MNSU because her boyfriend was attending the
university. She also had financial aid issues with her private institution and was no longer able to
afford that school. Neither of Lori’s parents attended post-secondary institutions. This made her
an independent student from the beginning because of the lack of knowledge from her parents.
She chose Human Recourses as a major because she was planning on opening her own dance
studio.
As a senior now nearing graduation she has had a change in plans. Lori is no longer
interested in Human Recourses. After consulting with her advisor she decided to stick with the
major, in order to graduate in four years, but to so to graduate school instead of the work filed.
She does not feel that it is a waste because she can always come back to Human Recourses. She
said, “There’s lots of job opportunities and aspects. I mean HR is in every business”. Lori is
excited about her graduation coming up and thrilled about her decision to transfer to MNSU three
years ago.
Part of the reason she is so excited is because she never felt that she would graduate from
college. As a child her parents never had plans for her or told her to go to college. Part of what
made her the person she is today was the lack of her parents’ interest in school. Lori had to build

a work ethic on her own. She said, “My mom didn’t make sure I was getting homework done. I
had to tell myself that I couldn’t play with friends until I had my homework done. Or that I had to
go to work instead of going out with friends because I had to pay for everything after I turned
15.” Things did not change as she got older. She had to go on all of her college visits on her
own, fill out application on her own, and make decisions on her own.
Lori and her boyfriend are still dating and planning their lives together after graduation.
They have had the serious discussions about work, marriage, and family in their five to ten year
plan. With graduation growing near they had no choice but to discuss their next steps. Lori’s
relationship with her boyfriend and others on campus are what changed the most in her
undergraduate experience. She has feels that she has grown in her relationships because of the
student organizations she was involved in.
As a senior in college Lori has made it through many vectors of Chickering’s Theory of
Identity Development. I feel that she has Developed Competence, Managed Emotions, Moved
Through Autonomy Toward Interdependence, Developed Mature Interpersonal Relationships,
Established Identity, and Developed Integrity. Based on the interview I had with Lori I felt that
she was succeeding in all of the seven vectors except for Developing a Purpose. The reason I felt
that she did not succeed in Developing a Purpose is because she does not have a clear plan for
graduate school and after graduate school. I also feel that Lori went through most of the seven
vectors before coming to college because of the relationship she had with her parents.
The last student I interviewed was a male senior at MNSU. Hank transferred to this school
to follow is girlfriend (now fiancé). Neither of his parents attended a post-secondary institution,
because of this he relied on the information from his girlfriend and her parents for college advice.
Hank’s parents always encouraged him to attend college but never forced him into a major. Hank
said, “My parents have always told me money isn’t everything. As long as you are happy, that is

what we want”. He now plans on graduating in Automotive Engineering Technology this spring
and marrying his fiancé in the summer.
When I asked Hank how he feels about his plans he said, “I am happy with my plans. I do
not think I could have done anything much differently or better”. Before the wedding in the
summer, Hank plans to secure a job in this home town and an apartment to live in with his wife.
In the next five years he also plans to have children and find a permanent home for his family.
Hank and his wife have discussed their plans for work, family, and living. They have all of the
same plans and values for the future.
Some of the biggest influences in Hank’s life have been his parents, his fiancé, his fraternity,
his close friends, and his previous supervisors. All of those influences have helped him change in
college. When Hank was asked about changes he has encountered in college he said, “I grew up.
That was by far the largest change I have encountered”. Part of growing up for Hank was how he
handled himself in a relationship.
Hank is the most advanced in his Identity Development of all of the students that I
interviewed. I feel that Hank has gone through all of the seven vectors of Chickering’s Theory of
Identity Development. During the interview I felt that Hank was very sure of himself. He had the
answers to all of the questions, did not rely on anyone else to come to decisions, and cared about
all of the relationships in his life. Based on the interview, I felt that Hanks answers and actions
that he described to me correlated with the values that he upheld. This shows me that he has made
it to the last vector of Developing Integrity.
Both Lori and Hank were much more developed in their Identity Development in college. I
am curious if this is because they feel the pressure of senior year and feel they need to have things
figured out or if it is because they have truly been given the resources to help them develop
through the vectors. One of the common themes I found with the seniors is that they focused

more on their occupation in the interview rather than their relationships. I also found that in
talking about their experiences they did not only relate to the students they interacted with but
also spoke about advisors, professors, and supervisors that had guided them in their experience.
As a Student Affairs Professional I feel that the university has played a positive role in setting
students up for after graduation plans.
Now that I have compared the two sophomore and the two seniors I am going to point out
the key themes that I found in all of the students. The first common theme that I have found is
student’s decision on attending college and which college to attend is heavily influenced by
relationships. All four of the students chose MNSU because of friends of family who are
attending the university. This shows growing in Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships
but a slight lack in Moving Through Autonomy Toward Interdependence. The second common
theme that I found was that students have difficulty picking and sticking with a major because
uncertainty with themselves. All students have changed their major and/or school because of the
uncertainty in themselves to finish the program. This tells me that the students have a challenge
in Establishing Identity and confidence in their abilities.
The third common theme that I found was that students pick majors and change plans
according to what will make them “happy” in the future rather than what will make them
“wealthy” in the future. When making the decision to change their majors the students found
they would be happier in the major they are not choosing. I feel that this is a small sign of
moving towards Developing Integrity. The fourth common theme that I found was that
relationships and situations surrounding students shape the kind of person they are today. When
each student answered what shaped them into the people they are today they talked about the
people in their lives and the experiences they went through. This shows me that the students are
using experiences to Develop Mature Interpersonal Relationships and Establish Identity. The

last common theme that I found was that the types of changes a student goes through in college
relate to the goals then set for themselves. Each student talked about changes they had gone
through in their undergraduate experience. The changes that they went through were leading
them towards their goals or out of situations that strayed them away from their goals. I feel that
this shows that the four students were using this to Develop Purpose.
As a Student Affairs Professional I used this experience to learn what I can do to increase
student’s development in my interactions. Understanding that Chickering’s Theory of Identity
Development is a nonlinear theory, I believe that students can move in and out of the vectors
throughout their lives (Evans, 2009). Chickering and Reisser believed that the collegiate
experience would move students only through the first four stages (Foubert, 2005). However I
feel that students are capable of achieving all seven vectors in their collegiate experience. For
Student Affairs Professionals to help students in their development I feel it is important to: guide
students towards the institutions that they will succeed in, connect them with organizations they
can relate to, provide recourses for picking a major, and be more involved in the process of
setting goals during college and after college. Chickering and Reisser, “Noted the importance of
student development staff serving as advocates for “the education of the whole student”” (Evans,
2009). If Student Affairs Professionals can succeed in these things I believe students will
achieve the highest Identity Development.

Instrument: Per Dr. Romsa’s Example Paper
1. Where are you from? Where are you living now?
2. How did you happen to come to this college?
3. How do you imagine your future in the next year? Next 5 years? Next 10 years?
4. Did your father go to college? Where? What does he do now?
5. Did your mother go to college? Where? What does she do now?
6. What are you majoring in? What do you plan to do with it? Does your major seem
masculine, feminine, or neutral?
7. When did you decide to major in______? Did you ever consider anything else?
8. What seems attractive about your major?
9. Most parents have plans for their children, thing they would like them to go into
or do. Did your parents have any plans like that for you?
10. How do feel about your plans now?
11. How willing do you think you’d be to change your plans if something better came
along? What might be better in your terms?
12. Do you plan to marry? Do you plan to work after you marry? Do you plan to have
children? Will you or your wife take time off from work to raise your children?
13. How do you plan to combine work and marriage and child rearing? What
problems do you think might exist? How do you feel these might be solved?
14. Have you ever felt differently about this? How does the woman in your life feel
about these things? How important would it be that she agreed about these things?
15. What important factors have shaped how you see yourself today?

16. How have you changed and what stimulated that change?
17. Have you noticed any differences in ways in which males and females are treated
on campus?
18. What is it like being a man on campus?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your learning style in the classroom? Do you prefer individual projects or
group work?
21. How do you communicate/show affection to your mom? To your dad?
22. How do you communicate with your female friends? Does your communication
style vary during an individual versus a group setting?
23. How do you communicate with your male friends? Does your communication
style vary during an individual versus a group setting?
References
Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido, F.M., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (2009). Ethnic
identity and acculturation. In N. J. Evans, D.S. Forney, F.M. Guido, L. D. Patton,
& K. A. Renn (Eds.). Student development in college: Theory, research, and
Practice (pp 66) (2nd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Practice (pp 70-71) (2nd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Practice (pp 80-81) (2nd edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Foubert, J., Nixon, M., Sisson, S., & Barnes, A. (2005, January 1). A longitudinal study of Chickering
and Reisser's vectors: Exploring gender differences and implications for refining the theory. .
Retrieved April 13, 2014, from http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1045&context=john_foubert
Komives, S., & Woodard, D. (2003, January 1). Student services: a handbook for the profession.
Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=WnsZ1CC2HDIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA153& dq=chickering
%27s+theory+of+identity+development&ots=cf3ZQG2-
tX&sig=hHAYbhnvVR9i_o5p1hGXVsqGsT4#v=onepage&q=chickering's%20theory%2
0of%20identity%20development&f=false

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