Comparing Hall Marks for Success test scores between college students from South Africa and the United States

The study sought to make a comparison of "Hall-Marks for Success" of college students from South Africa and the United States. The South African students showed significantly greater amount of "Hall-Marks for Success in a Democracy" than did those from the United States. The fact that the students from South Africa were almost twice as old as those from the United States likely accounted for the greater amount of "Hall-Marks for Success" for the South African students.

The present study sought to make comparison of Hall-Marks for Success in a Democracy between college students in South Africa and those in the United States. In 1987 The American Psychiatric Association introduced the "Global Function" concept as a means to depict the present overall functioning of individuals in relation health care. The Hall-Marks for Success in a Democracy Test (DEMO) used in this study is an effort to adapt the global functioning concept more specifically to a democratic society based on current test strategy (Cassel, et.al., 2001).

Groups Involved

There were 77 students from South Africa ranging in age from 28 to 53 with a mean age of 38.14, and with a standard deviation of 5.96 years. There were 57 females and 20 males. There were 1452 college students from the United States ranging in age from 18 to 43 with a mean age of 21.23, and with a standard deviation of 4.76 years. There were 982 females and 470 males.

Findings

A t-statistic was computed between the mean DEMO test scores for the 77 college students from South Africa and the 1452 college students form the United States as depicted in Table 1 below.

1. First, the college students from South Africa were nearly twice the age of the college students from the United States.

2. Second, there were almost three times as many females in the South Africa group than males

3. The students from South Africa had statistically significant higher Hall-Marks for Success scores than students from the United States for DEMO test being utilized: (1) EST, (2) ASS, (3) CFM, (4) SYM, (5) EFF, (6) SOCINT, and (7) DEMTOT-all at the 0.000 level of confidence.

4. The students from the United States had statistically significant higher DEMO scores than South Africa students in only one area: LOC-(Scientific Decision Making).

5. There was no statistical significant difference between students from South Africa and the United States as follows: (1) COP, (2) PERMAT, an d (3) CAR.

6. The Discerning Score (LIE) was within acceptable ranges for both groups, with very few exceptions.

Changing With Age

A multiple Regression Analysis using a constant was accomplished to determine the nature of change in the acquirement of "Hall-Marks for Success" in relation to age. In Table 2 below the regression was accomplished for the total group of stuUnited States. Clearly, when the younger students from the United States were included there was significant change with age, and in a direction of greater amount of "Hall-Marks for Success" as students grow older.

In Table 3 when the Multiple Regression was accomplished on the students from South Africa alone, and where the youngest student was 28 years old, there was no significant gain in the increase of "Hall-Marks for Success."

Discussion

The 77 students from South Africa were obviously a very select group of individuals from that nation, and displayed a proud superior achievement of "Hall-Marks of Success" as depicted by the data. It is clear that the "Hall-Marks" are an integral part of personal development in both South Africa and the United States.

References

Cassel, R.N. (2000). Third Force Psychology and the Person-Centered Theory. Psychology, 37(3/4), 44-48.

Cassel, R.N., Chow, P., DeMoulin, D.F., Reiger, R.C. (2001). The Hall-Marks for Success in a Democracy Test. DEMO. Chula Vista, California: Project Innovation.

DSM-IV (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington, D.C.: The American Psychiatric Association.

DR. CH VAN DER LINDE

Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education and Nursing, Rand Afrikaans University, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, South Africa

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