Kaye V. Cook

Professor, Department of Psychology
Department Chair
Project Director, "Challenges of Emerging Adulthood"
Licensed Clinician, Private Practice

Degrees
B.A., Math, Georgia College and University, Milledgeville
M.A., Developmental Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Master's Thesis: The verbal and nonverbal sharing of 2-and 3-year-olds
Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Dissertation: The learning of kindness

Research Profile
Kaye Cook has been a member of the psychology department at Gordon College since 1978. She has long-term research interests in developmental transitions, gender issues, qualitative research, and moral and faith development. As a licensed clinician, she specializes in the developmental issues of women and, more recently, of immigrants seeking asylum or with American-born children.

Contact Information
Ken Olsen Science Center 346
Gordon College
255 Grapevine Road
Wenham MA  01984
e: kaye.cookgordon.edu
p: 978.867.4402

EMERGING ADULTHOOD GRANT UPDATE:
ALL PHASES I to III ARE NOW COMPLETED!

Thank you for your participation in this study. We received surveys from over 1,000 of you, including 80 undergraduates, and interviewed 159 of you! Thank you particularly to those 80 who completed the endless survey twice! You 80 then participated in two interviews! We did not realize, at the beginning, how much we were asking of you. At the end, we were overwhelmed by your generosity. Thank you, in particular, to this select group.

I promised that I would publish findings regularly on this website but have not done so. The process of data collection proved mammoth. Nevertheless, we have produced four papers for publication and plan three more. Also, we have produced 22 presentations so far, many with Gordon and Wheaton undergraduates.

I am not yet able to do justice to the data, since we just completed Phase III (data collection from Gordon undergraduates) two weeks ago. I can however give you a brief report and also tell you the names of the winners of the gift certificates.

First, the winners from Phase I were: Linda Olsen, Alexander Oldfield, Stephen Waldron, Rebecca Hill, Melissa Best, Anna Quast, Leanne Williams, and Veronica Ponce. The winners from Phase II are: Joshua Carver-Brown, Sarah Childs Cahill, Chris Fossum, Michael Fox, Ariane Kimball, Marielle McFarland, Tom Molenkamp, and Josh Vanada. And the winners from Phase III are: Priska Biegel, Alex Jones, Amy Laing, Elijah Langille, Joe Loe, Alyssa McCarthy, Brian Mercer, and Nicole Rook. Congratulations, all! And thanks.

As we pursue the results further, I will try to update the following, but here is a quick summary of some preliminary findings that I think you will find interesting. First, I should say that sometimes, particularly in this study given the enormous amount of data, findings change somewhat. I apologize in advance if this happens.

• Christian college graduates retain their faith, to a striking degree!
• Christian college graduates show some “moralistic therapeutic deism”, a watered-down kind of faith identified by Christian Smith (preeminent sociologist and Gordon College graduate) but their faith is much more accurately characterized as a strong, orthodox faith that is practiced within community
• Most Christian college graduates stay within their home denominations or choose to attend a denomination that is similar to their home denomination.
• There are few differences between recent and long-term alumni. Thoughtfulness about and questioning of faith peaks around graduation and drops off afterwards; ego identity commitment increases with time; and those who make commitments in faith, love, and work show higher well-being.
• First-year students perceive the most stress in their lives, and perceived stress drops off significantly during their senior year and even immediately after graduation (surprisingly enough), and continues to drop off during the next four years. Perceived stress is measured by asking participants such questions as whether they feel in control of their lives.
• In contrast to their perception of how much stress they are under, when asked how much stress they are experiencing (e.g., did you change jobs last year? did a parent die?), participants reported that stress peaks during the first year of college and immediately after graduation.
• Females are more stressed than males (but they do not perceive themselves as any more stressed).
• Females cope better than males. If they are more stressed, how can this be?!
• Females have somewhat more mature, internalized faith (as measured by intrinsic religiosity).
• Females also use their religion to cope with stress more than males, and this improves coping.
• Females have stronger peer attachments, but males, when they have strong peer relationships, benefit from them as much as do females.

A press release and more full description of one component of the study, which explores the power of Freedom within the Framework of Faith, is available for download by clicking on the links to the right.

For further information, please email: Kaye Cook or Cynthia Kimball. Blessings!