The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 41, No. 2 & Volume 42, No. 1 - 67

Experiences of Students in Triples

Variables
The variables of interest included two grouping variables and eight outcome variables. The
grouping variables were Room Type (1-Standard;
2-Triple) and Gender (1-Man; 2-Woman). The
outcome variables included measures relating
to respondents' perceptions of their living environment, personal gains, and satisfaction.

Living environment. The researchers
measured respondents' perception of the
living environment using four variables: ﬂoor
climate, safety, ﬂoor empathy, and ﬂoor community. Floor climate was a four-item scale (a
= .942) that measured respondents' perception of the inclusiveness of their peers. The
respondents were asked to rate to what extent
they believed ﬂoor residents were respectful of
people with different religious beliefs, physical and mental abilities, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and sexual identities. The response
options for these prompts and the other living
environment scale items ranged from Strongly
Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (7). The middle
point (4) was labeled Neutral. Safety was a
four-item (a = .899) measure of the extent to
which respondents felt safe in their living environment. Respondents were asked to report
to what extent their ﬂoor felt safe emotionally
and physically. They were also asked to report
to what extent the residential neighborhood
felt safe during the day and at night. The third
variable, ﬂoor empathy, consisted of six items
(a = .923) that measured respondents' perception of the mutual respect and consideration
of ﬂoor residents. Respondents were asked to
report if they felt respected by ﬂoor residents,
if residents followed the rules, if the ﬂoor was
quiet enough when they wanted to study or
sleep, and if the respondents felt comfortable

approaching a resident if they had a concern.
Floor community was a four-item (a = .912)
measure of the extent to which respondents
viewed themselves as part of the residential
community. Respondents were prompted to
report if they viewed themselves as a valued
member of the ﬂoor community, if they knew
many residents on the ﬂoor, if ﬂoor residents
did things together, and if they enjoyed living
on their ﬂoor.

Personal gains. The researchers measured
the personal gains, or learning, of the respondents using two variables: alcohol and drug use
and personal development. Alcohol and drug
use consisted of two items (a = .906) and measured the extent to which living in a residence
hall increased respondents' understanding of
the consequences of alcohol and drug use. The
response options ranged from Not at all (1) to
To a great degree (7). Personal development was
a 13-item scale (a = .965) that measured respondents' gains in interpersonal and intrapersonal
skills, such as managing conﬂicts with others,
interacting with people from different backgrounds, compromising with others, and stepping out of one's comfort zone.

Satisfaction. The questionnaire asked two
questions regarding resident satisfaction. The
ﬁrst question prompted respondents to report
if they were satisﬁed with their on-campus
experience. The response options were Yes,
No, and Neutral. The second question asked
if respondents would recommend on-campus
housing to new students. The response options
were Yes, No, and Maybe.

Statistical Procedures
A preliminary analysis revealed skewed distributions and unequal variances for the living
67

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 41, No. 2 & Volume 42, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 41, No. 2 & Volume 42, No. 1