ERIC Number: ED402833
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996-Nov
Pages: 16
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Contrasts Between Science and Humanities Majors in Undergraduate Outcomes and Activities. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.
Pace, C. Robert
This paper seeks evidence of a culture gulf, first voiced by C.P. Snow in 1959, between science and humanities as reflected in the understanding which undergraduate science and humanities majors have of the other field. The 1995 study evaluated responses of students at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and California's Humboldt State University (HSU) to the College Student Experiences Questionnaire, which measures both general cognitive outcomes and personal/social outcomes. The study found some differences between science and humanities majors, although not as great as those reflected in Snow's study of eminent physical scientists and literary intellectuals. The study did find that science majors reported greater progress in analytical skills while humanities majors report greater progress in interpersonal skills. These differences were consistently greater at UCLA than at HSU. The data examining these differences, using Holland's (1959) theory of vocational choice, suggest that they may be the result of institutional environment and context. (Contains 8 references.) (CH)
Descriptors: Academic Education, Cognitive Processes, Higher Education, Humanities, Intellectual Development, Intellectual Disciplines, Liberal Arts, Majors (Students), Outcomes of Education, Science and Society, Science Education, Science Process Skills, Sciences, Scientific Literacy, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Student Development, Student Educational Objectives, Undergraduate Students
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: College Student Experiences Questionnaire
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A