Journal Article Critique: The Effects of Outdoor Experiential Training on Perceptions of College Stress

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The Effects of Outdoor Experiential Training on Perceptions of College Stress

Part I- About the Article

            This timely article investigates the effect of short outdoor experiential training on perceived stress of college students. This was a worthwhile problem to investigate, since outdoor programs are often used as a part of orientation for new college students and the existing research focuses on less common longer orientation programs. This article contributes to the field by examining the accuracy of the expectation that short outdoor experiential programs can facilitate transitions to new experiences like college.

            This study used a quantitative quasi-experimental design. The groups used were not randomly selected, nor were they randomly assigned.  There were two control groups and one experimental group.

Part II- The Critique.

            The literature review of this article is excellent. It covers current trends and problems with college stress, some methods used to reduce that stress, the noteworthy association of stress with medical programs, and the background of research on outdoor experiential training activities with regards to reducing college stress. This background gives an excellent overview of the reasoning behind the researchers hypothesis and the meaning of the results.

            The sampling technique used was a convenience sample. Volunteers from two classes of veterinary medical students, 1997 and 1998, served as control groups, and volunteers from the class of 1999 served as the experimental group. This is a questionable sampling technique, but results could very loosely be generalized to comparable academic programs. This sampling could have been improved by randomly assigning individuals from the program to either the control or the experimental group without the use of volunteers.

            The researchers collected data through the use of seven written instruments measuring social support, personality and self-concept, perceived health, leisure behavior, and perceived stress. The instruments were administered early in the semester, and again near the exam period.  These instruments appear to be used properly in the context of this study. All instruments are reported as having excellent reliability scores.

            The treatment was a one-day outdoor experience of activities and group initiatives designed to create group cohesiveness and foster social support. The treatment was administered by a professional outdoor education organization. This treatment is typical of a short program that a university could use, and is appropriate for the research question. There are many threats to internal validity in this design. (INSERT HERE)

            This study used t-tests, post-hoc ANOVAs, and MANOVA. The study reports means for the different control groups, t values for comparisons between the control groups, means and t values between the early semester period and the exam period, and F values for the tests of variance. Asterisks were used to indicate the level of significance of results.

            This study reached several interesting conclusions. The first is that levels of stress are higher earlier in the semester as opposed to later in the semester. The second is that the outdoor experience appeared to have a positive effect on several of the measured mood states, and a negative effect on one. Recommendations are vague, but generally indicate a need for further research into this area. According to the researchers, short programs should be considered when the goal is to reduce student anxiety and depression. These conclusions and recommendations are presented along with acknowledgement of the inherent limitations of the study, and are valid considering the information presented in the article.

Part III- My Reflections

            A major strength of this study is that it builds on existing research into outdoor orientation programs, but investigates a more common technique than the more thoroughly studied longer programs. The design and results of the study are easy to understand and well presented. The major weakness of this study is the design, the use of three separate years of volunteer students for the three groups is a major source of possible error. The researchers did take steps to control for this error, but until more research is done with better sampling the nature of the effect of outdoor experiences for college orientation will remain unclear. This study taught me that longer programs are likely more effective than shorter programs for an issue as complex as reducing stress over the course of a semester of college. If I were working in a university setting, I would take this information into consideration when designing an incoming student orientation program.

Reference

Kanters, M., Bristol, D., & Attarian, A. (2002). The effects of outdoor experiential training on perceptions of college stress. The Journal of Experiential Education, 25(2), 257-367.