Increasing the Institutional Commitment of College Students: Enhanced Measurement and Test of a Nomological Model

Measurement shortcomings have hampered the understanding of institutional commitment (IC) in college students. Therefore, this study sought to (a) develop validated indices of IC and associated psychosocial attributes and (b) use these indices to test a nomological network of variables and their direct and indirect relationships to IC. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses performed upon the responses of 2,982 undergraduates at eight schools produced psychometrically desirable constructs that were then used to examine a structural equations model of IC. Results confirmed the direct effects of academic integration, social integration, and degree commitment. Also, three constructs had indirect effects: advising effectiveness, academic efficacy, and collegiate stress. These findings offer schools the opportunity to collect reliable and valid scores on key variables in the nomological network surrounding IC and provide a tool for designing efficient interventions.