第一志望の大学に入学できなかった大学生における Benefit Finding

Benefit finding describes the process in which people who experienced negative events found a positive meaning after revaluating the experience. The purpose of this study is to reveal, using the concept of benefit finding, the sequence of processes that lead to meaning-making and personal growth, while taking in consideration the specific negative event and its context. To achieve this purpose, we examined the benefit finding of university students who went to a university that was not their first choice.
In study 1, we classified the sample who engaged in benefit finding in university entrance exams. Through cluster analysis of the scale for perception of university entrance exams for university students (N=127), three clusters were identified: passive attitude (Group 1); positive and negative perceptions (Group 2); and positive perceptions (Group 3).
In study 2, we conducted semi-structured interviews about awareness over the university entrance exams with university students who attended a university that was not their first choice and belonged Groups 2 or 3, and respondents who answered that they gained awareness during university entrance exams (N=8). The results of the thematic analysis revealed that participants in study 2 acquire two benefit findings, “Acquisition of personal skills for growth through teacher or parental support” and “Acquisition of new perspectives through comparisons between classmates’ and their own university exam experiences”.
These studies provide clinical and educational implications for helping students who unwillingly enroll in their university.