Method.
Sample.
Qualitative data was collected from fifty-seven students from Stonehill College, a small liberal arts school in Easton, MA. Twenty males and thirty-seven females comprised the group. The female-dominate ratio reflected the college's male to female ratio. The sample represented all grade levels, which includes classes 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Diversity in race, economic background, sexual preference, and religion was not negotiated, but was represented as reflective of the college within the random sample. Fifty-seven was a large group to process, but was worth the work for solid statistics. Without the retrains of time and energy, I would have surveyed more students. .
Materials and Procedure.
Each participant completed an inventory entitled, "Dating Survey." They completed the two-page questionnaire at the convenience of their own time. They were assured confidentiality and told to answer each of the twenty questions honestly. I designed the survey based on the data I was interested in collecting. After all the surveys were completed, I arranged the information into a table. To determine the results I used simple statistics such as percentages and averages. .
Results.
The results both confirmed and challenged my beliefs about college dating. Figure 1 displays the actual statistic results. I would like to point out the interesting finds within those results. The majority of Stonehill College students do not currently have a significant other. Of those 64% who are single, most seem to be comfortable in their status and are not actively pursuing a boyfriend or girlfriend. No participant reported not being interested in having a boyfriend or girlfriend. Of the students currently with a significant other, a large majority of 75% found their partner at Stonehill. According to a 2001 national survey, six in 10 women reported having had at least one boyfriend while in college (EMP, 7).
