What makes a collegial higher education student? How personality and goal orientations contribute to prosocial behavior

Figures & data

Table 1. Means and standard deviations for single items on student collegiality.

Items	M	SD
Positive student collegiality
I have a warm and supportive relationship with other students.	4.23	0.82
I spend my breaks at university with other students.	3.96	0.96
I also meet privately with other students.	3.76	1.12
I help other students when they have personal problems.	4.12	0.86
I work with other students on assignments in courses (e.g., presentations, term papers).	4.37	0.85
I take over tasks from other students when they are unable to do so.	3.75	1.05
I support other students when they need help with their studies.	4.36	0.74
I share important materials (scripts, exam papers, etc.) with other students.	4.45	0.81
I show other students praise and appreciation.	4.31	0.77
I discuss with other students how I can improve my university performance.	3.18	1.15
I give other students tips on how they can improve their academic performance.	3.20	1.18
I also try to help other students outside the university.	3.90	0.99
I also suggest other students for academic prizes or scholarships.	2.32	1.19
I recommend other students’ work or documents to other students.	3.52	1.16
I also praise the work of other students to professors.	3.34	1.30
I inform other students about where they can find tips on scholarships.	3.13	1.31
I also take up the opinions of other students when I have questions about my studies.	3.99	0.84
I listen to other students when they exchange information about courses.	4.65	0.62
I pursue goals together with other students.	4.21	0.93
I try to learn from other students how I can avoid mistakes.	4.16	0.83
I am open and honest with other students.	4.32	0.64
I inform other students about important information.	4.64	0.60
I tell other students what I think, even if I am uncomfortable.	3.56	0.99
I treat information confidentially if other students so wish.	4.81	0.50
I stand up for other students, whom I value.	4.42	0.82
I think it’s good what other students do.	4.21	0.72
I defend other students.	4.13	0.82
I support other students.	4.44	0.76
Negative student collegiality
I ignore the work of other students, even though it is relevant to my own work.	1.55	0.77
I do not take part in courses in which other students give presentations.	1.29	0.57
I do not take part in celebrations of other students.	1.87	1.12
I try to avoid meeting other students at the university every day.	1.30	0.64
I think other students are unsuitable for studying.	1.63	0.99
I interrupt other students in joint meetings.	1.57	0.72
I speak ill of other students.	1.35	0.62
I criticize other students with regard to their interaction with other students.	1.84	1.02
I consider the work of other students to be of inferior quality.	1.37	0.73
I write negative comments about the work of other students.	1.11	0.45
I criticize the work/presentations of other students in seminars.	1.66	0.94
I make fun of other students’ work.	1.10	0.36
I support students who are critical of some of other students.	1.95	0.99
I act strategically with some students against other students.	1.12	0.41
I meet with students who limit the efficiency of other students.	1.23	0.56
I encourage others to be more critical on the results of other students.	1.69	0.93
I sabotage the work of other students.	1.04	0.28
I speak about personal problems of other students in public.	1.39	0.83
I spread rumors about misconduct by other students.	1.03	0.25
I make decisions that put other students at a disadvantage.	1.10	0.30
I use incorrect information when communicating with other students.	1.19	0.57
I exaggerate the problems of other students.	1.38	0.74
I am only critical of other students.	1.30	0.63
I cheat on other students.	1.04	0.24
I have negative intentions towards other students that I don’t like.	1.14	0.43
I don’t like other students.	1.38	0.70
I wish bad things for other students.	1.05	0.34
I fight against other students.	1.06	0.36

Table 2. Descriptive statistics, scale reliabilities and correlations.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
1. Gender	-
2. Age	0.16	-
3. College major	0.15	0.18	-
4. Semesters at the college	0.07	0.48*	0.36	-
5. Acad. self-concept	0.09	−0.04	0.04	0.12	.85
6. Conscientiousness	−0.05	−0.07	−0.15	−0.03	0.33*	.79
7. Neuroticism	−0.28*	−0.09	−0.01	−0.12	−0.35*	−0.39*	.86
8. Extraversion	0.06	0.00	−0.08	−0.05	0.27*	0.19	−0.26*	.84
9. Agreeableness	−0.20	−0.17	−0.18	−0.10	−0.02	0.16	−0.09	0.00	.63
10. Openness	−0.11	0.13	−0.16	−0.03	0.27*	−0.06	0.00	0.12	0.05	.76
11. Altruism	−0.18	−0.11	−0.23	−0.07	0.14	0.20	−0.11	0.24	0.30*	0.20	.84
12. Courtesy	−0.10	−0.21	−0.23	−0.11	0.14	0.21	−0.14	0.09	0.35*	0.07	0.45*	.67
13. Approach goal orient.	−0.09	−0.19	0.07	0.00	0.23	0.06	0.15	−0.03	0.05	−0.02	0.02	0.08	.80
14. Avoidance goal orient.	−0.09	0.02	0.07	0.18	−0.14	−0.13	0.29*	−0.20	−0.03	0.00	0.05	0.07	0.61*	.88
15. Learning goal orient.	−0.19	−0.10	−0.32*	−0.07	0.27*	0.36*	−0.10	0.09	0.40*	0.17	0.27*	0.36*	0.04	−0.16	.89
16. Collegiality positive	−0.22	−0.11	−0.33*	−0.14	0.18	0.29*	−0.16	0.39*	0.31*	0.20	0.72*	0.51*	0.06	−0.02	0.32*	.92
17. Collegiality negative	0.26*	0.18	0.36*	0.17	−0.09	−0.30*	0.16	−0.14	−0.40*	−0.06	−0.43*	−0.49*	0.12	0.07	−0.40*	−0.47*	.82
N	196	196	189	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196	196
M	1.32	23.02	1.15	3.77	3.84	3.58	2.32	3.46	3.97	3.70	4.35	4.73	3.08	2.74	4.44	3.98	1.35
SD	0.47	5.10	0.36	3.07	0.64	0.64	0.75	0.69	0.44	0.66	0.71	0.42	0.70	0.79	0.56	0.51	0.28
Number of Items	1	1	1	1	5	8	8	8	8	8	4	2	7	8	8	28	28

Note: All * are p < .05 (after Bonferroni correction: p < 0.05/136). Cronbach’s Alpha (for variables with two or more items) is depicted in the diagonal.

Figure 1. Parameter estimates of the tested model.

Note: The figure shows standardized path coefficients from the LISREL analysis. All lines represent significant paths, p < .05.

Data availability statement

Data and material are available on request.