Factors related to the selection of Psychology university studies. An approach by structural equation models

Abstract

Students take into account different factors in their choice of career and college. Some more global as the quality of the degree (sometimes estimated from the cut-off marks, etc.) and other more subjective (my friends also go to this degree). This paper presents the first multivariate model that accounts for the weight of the different variables and factors linked to the decision literature studies and college students do and applied for specific university degree in Psychology. These aspects have been studied in a sample of 872 psychology students of 2010-2011 course. All of them were feshmen and had chosen psychology as first choice. A Structural Equation Model was proposed as statistical approach. The fit indices GFI, AGFI, NFI, NNFI and CFI show values higher than 0.9 and value of RMSM was .003, indicating good model fit. It seems that the elements of the qualification (cut marks, availability, demands in first option) outweigh social and personal factors (recommendations from friends or parents, for example) and, therefore, the election system is based more in circumstantial aspects than in the variables related with the student