This study examined the extent to which an individual doctoral student's characteristics and involvement in the academic and social life of the department influences the student's perception of growth and development during graduate school, and thus the student's persistence in pursuing a graduate degree. The study surveyed doctoral students (N=711) attending a research university in the Midwest during fall of 1991. Analysis of survey responses (N=570) indicated that students' involvement in the program, especially involvement with the faculty and intellectual involvement, directly influenced students' intention to persist. Intellectual involvement and students' satisfaction is a function of age, gender, and marital status. Older students expressed higher intellectual involvement than younger students, and female students appeared to have higher intellectual involvement than males (contradicting some previous studies about women doctoral students). Results suggest that graduate programs may eliminate some barriers to the progress of students toward doctoral degrees by implementing such policies as providing financial, social, and faculty support. (Contains 33 references.) (PRW)