The Case for Academic Regulation: Preliminary Results from an Innovative Intervention for Entry-Level College Students

Abstract

Although there are many benefits to a college degree, student attrition continues to be an issue in higher education. Students in low SES, rural areas may be disproportionately impacted by the general factors that influence attrition, including lack of academic preparation and psychological distress. Combining academic skills training and the therapeutic approach of Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) may help alleviate both issues, promoting student success in college. The current study examines a small pilot application of TIGER PAWS (Targeted Intervention for enhancinG Educational Readiness and Promoting Affective Wellbeing in Students) in sample of 33 entry-level undergraduate students (73% female, age = 18-33 years) in the southern United States. Before and directly following the 8-week intervention, students completed measures of self-efficacy for learning, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and emotional dysregulation. Results indicated encouraging improvements in self-efficacy for learning (t(32) = -5.205, p < .001). There was no change in anxiety symptoms (t(32) = .862, p > .05). Surprisingly, there were modest increases in depressive symptoms (t(32) = -2.219, p < .05), which may be the result of enhanced emotional awareness, rather than symptoms per se, as emotion dysregulation significantly decreased (t(32) = 2.336, p < .05). Although these findings need replication in a larger RCT design, results indicate early promise of a novel intervention to address the academic preparation and psychological wellbeing of entry-level college students.