CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
Researchers focused much of their attention in studying the importance of
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ) because of the thought
that these two are important determinants of success. But few years back, Dr.
Paul G. Stoltz introduced another concept which talks about how well a person
was able to cope, handle and withstand adversities, to recover from those
adversities and to turn them into opportunities.
By understanding the concept of AQ® we can better understand how we
and others react to challenge and adversity in all aspects of our lives. In fact,
how people respond to adversity is a strong indicator of ability to succeed in
many endeavors
Today, most people are faced with different adversities. This is the reason
why there are organizations that offer help to those who are in need of it. For
students, most especially the freshmen who are experiencing the difficulty of the
transition from high school to college, they are also given some guidance by the
school through mentoring programs. Facing their new environment would mean
facing challenging and different obstacles in their career. But how do they face
some difficult situations that come up during their adolescent years? What would
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be the impact of these conflicting demands to their day-to-day life? How would
these young people respond in different adversities?
Adolescence, defined in books, as the transition period that links
childhood and adulthood (Davis et al. 2004). Erikson described it as a
moratorium, a temporal and psychological gap between the security of childhood
and the autonomy of adulthood (Santrock, 2003). Adolescents are prone to peer
pressure that can great influence or impact to their attitudes, values, and
behaviors.
According to Mendoza (2005), peer group is a contributory factor to an
adolescent. This gives strong motivation for gaining social learning. He starts to
associate with people. This social relationship with his group forms strong
bonding among them. This peer group influences his behavior and decision. And
the fact that adolescents are prone to social pressure and conflicting demands,
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Statement of the Problem
The study focused on the Effects of Mentoring Program on Adversity
Quotient of Selected Freshmen College Students of First Asia Institute of
Technology and Humanities during the Second semester of Academic Year 2008
– 2009 as measured by the Adversity Quotient Profile® Version 8.1.
Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:
1) What is the pre-test score of the Adversity Quotient® of the respondents
before the mentoring program?
2) What is the post test score of the Adversity Quotient® of the respondents
before the mentoring program?
3) What are the Control, Ownership, Reach and Endurance scores of
the respondents on their pre-test and post test as revealed by the AQ
Hypothesis
The hypothesis will be raised in the study and will be tested at .05 level of
significance.
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Ho: There is no significant effect of mentoring program on the
Adversity Quotient® scores of the respondents.
Scope and Limitation of the Study
This study focused on the Effects of Mentoring Program on Adversity
Quotient® of Selected Freshmen College Students of First Asia Institute of
Technology and Humanities during the Second Semester of Academic Year 2008
- 2009. The respondents of the study were composed of 181 randomly selected
college students which comprise 25% of the total population. The results of this
study is applicable only to the respondents of this study and
should not be used as a measure of the effect of mentoring program on the
Adversity Quotient® of the students who do not belong to the population of this
study.
The researchers considered working on this study to find out if there’s an
effect on the Adversity Quotient® of selected freshmen college students of First
Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities after taking the mentoring program.
And to assess the effectiveness of the institution’s mentoring program with
regard to the development of AQ® specifically enhancing the ability of the
mentees to withstand and overcome adversities.
Significance of the Study
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The study focused on explaining the effect of mentoring program on the
Adversity Quotient® of the freshmen students at FAITH. Moreover, the results of
the study will be beneficial to the following:
Respondents. The respondents will have an awareness on the importance
of the mentoring program and its role on the improvement of their Adversity
Quotient®.
Teachers/Mentors. The result of the study will help the teachers/mentors
provide encouragement to think of ideas that will give proper guidance to the
students/mentees. This may also increase their competency.
Guidance Staff. The result of the study may provide on assessment of the
mentoring program whether it is effective or not. This may also encourage the
guidance staff to think of other activities that will make the students/mentees as
well as their teachers/mentors enjoy the program.
Parents. The result of the study will help the parents of the respondents
feel secured because there are programs in the institution like the mentoring
program that will help their children cope and adjust with the adversities of
college life.
Future Researchers. The findings of the study will serve as a reference
material and a guide for future researchers who wish to conduct the same
experimental study or any study related to mentoring program and Adversity
Quotient®.
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Definition of terms
Adolescence - the period of transition between childhood and adulthood
(Corey, 2004).
Adversity - a state, condition, or instance of serious or continued difficulty or
adverse fortune (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversity)
Adversity Quotient (AQ®) - in this study, it pertains to the total score obtained
from the AQ Profile® Version 8.1. It is the science of human resilience in
which people who successfully apply it perform optimally in the face of
adversity (www.peaklearning.com).
Adversity Quotient Profile® - is a scale-based, forced-choice questionnaire
designed to reveal an individual’s response pattern to adverse situations
according to Stoltz (1997). It is a normative instrument; since higher AQ®
scores reflect greater resilience, they are more desirable than lower
scores (www.peaklearning.com/ measuring-aq_arp.html). It is composed
of the following dimensions:
Control Dimension - a measure of the degree of control a person perceives that he
or has over adverse events;
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Ownership Dimension– a measure of the extent to which the person owns, or takes
responsibility for, the outcomes of adversity or the extent to which the
person holds himself accountable for improving.
Reach Dimension – a measure of the degree to which the person perceives good
and bad events reaching into other areas of life
(www.peaklearning.com/ measuring-aq_arp.html)
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