Examining Resilience among University Students with Reading Difficulties Using Internal and External Protective Factors

• Author / Creator

  Stack-Cutler, Holly L

• This dissertation consists of three papers investigating the impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors on life satisfaction and academic achievement of adults with reading difficulty (RD). Participants were university students or recent graduates. The first paper examines the impact of intrapersonal and interpersonal resilience, persistence, and number of difficulties in addition to RD on life satisfaction and academic achievement among 120 adults with RD. Intrapersonal resilience related positively to interpersonal resilience and persistence, and both resilience factors associated negatively with number of difficulties. Intrapersonal resilience explained general and self satisfaction and interpersonal resilience explained social satisfaction. Academic achievement did not correlate with any study variables, thus I did not examine it further. The second paper examines three different models to understand the impact of number of difficulties, social support, and community support on life satisfaction and academic achievement among 120 adults with RD. Participants responded to surveys assessing perceived social support, perceived community support, number of difficulties in addition to RD, life satisfaction, and academic achievement. Results supported a main effect model in which social, but not community, support explained life satisfaction. Social and community support did not moderate number of difficulties and life satisfaction, lending no support to a buffering effect. A mediation model showed that social support partially mediated number of difficulties and life satisfaction. Academic achievement did not correlate with any study variables, thus I did not examine it further. The third paper examines what social ties 107 adults with RD report assist them to achieve goals, outlets for developing social ties, resources mobilized within relationships, and impact of social ties’ status on academic achievement. Adults often named friends, parents, and significant others as social ties. They developed personal ties through social media networking and close relationships, and institutional ties through academic centres and university services, among others. Resources mobilized among personal and institutional ties included emotional and social support, advice and planning, writing and studying help, and goal setting. Institutional ties also afforded job search aid, accommodations, skill development, financial support, and mental health services. The status of employed, but not student, ties explained academic achievement.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Academic achievement
  • Life satisfaction
  • Social support
  • University students
  • Community support
  • Resilience
  • Social capital
  • Reading difficulties

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3F47H150

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.