Passion Versus Predisposition: How Engagement, Personality, and Trait-anxiety Predict Homesickness

Passion Versus Predisposition: How Engagement, Personality, and Trait-anxiety Predict Homesickness

Alvin Sherman Library

Homesickness is a prevalent condition affecting many college students. Several factors contribute to homesickness, including, but not limited to, adjustment difficulty, missing family and friends, rumination, and loneliness. To better understand homesickness, we explored how engagement, anxiety, and personality moderate each factor. Engagement and personality were hypothesized to negatively correlate with homesickness. Trait anxiety was hypothesized to positively correlate with homesickness. We examined these variables by having participants complete a Google form that included questions from four surveys: the Utrecht Homesickness Scale (UHS), the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI). The UHS measured homesickness, the NSSE engagement, the STAI trait anxiety, and the TIPI five personality dimensions. Engagement and certain personality factors were found to have a significant positive correlation with homesickness. Trait anxiety had a significant negative correlation with homesickness. Uncovering how these variables interact with homesickness helps identify resources that may help mediate these feelings of isolation.