Abstract:
Study 1 (n = 356) a three culture (Caribbean, North America and East Asia) quantitative study conducted over the course of one academic year, examined the premise that a woman’s view of self and self-esteem impact on her emotional adjustment to graduate school (assessed in terms of measured levels of depression, loneliness, sense of control and impostor phenomenon). A separate but related study (Study 2), utilized 72 in-depth interviews to extend as well as validate the quantitative findings of Study 1. Study 1 results included the finding that the self-view of both women and men changed over the course of the school year to match the situation. Study 2 results included the use of more active coping strategies by female students in comparison to male students. In terms of culture, Caribbean and East Asian female students (to a lesser extent) were more likely to compartmentalize the different aspects of their lives while the North American female students reported ‘spillover’ from one role to another.
