Graduate Transition Study

Status: ACTIVE
Priority Area: Psychology of Student Success
Population: Incoming first-year undergraduates; incoming graduate and professional students
Delivery: Online pre-matriculation activity (30 minutes)
Mechanism: Social belonging, attributional reframing

Key Findings

Beginning in the fall of 2021, we adapted and launched the study for matriculating graduate and professional students at Pitt. Although data analysis is in its early stages, thus far we have largely replicated the retention benefits seen in the undergrad-facing PTS mentioned above. The figure below is based on data from the 2021 and 2022 participants who are identified as Black, Latinx, and Indigenous (BLI) and not.

As shown in the second figure below, recruitment efforts for the GTS have consistently yielded a sample consisting of 35-36% of the matriculating class each term.

Data Visualizations

Bar chart showing first-year retention rates for graduate and professional students by experimental condition and BLI (Black, Latinx, Indigenous) status, 2021 to 2023. Results largely replicate the retention benefits observed in the undergraduate study, with BLI students in the belonging condition showing higher retention.
This figure depicts graduate and professional students’ first-year retention rates, broken down by experimental condition and BLI status (data from 2021-2023).

 

Bar chart showing Graduate Transition Survey recruitment rates by year and intervention progress, 2021 to 2023. Recruitment has consistently yielded a sample of approximately 35 to 36 percent of each matriculating class.
This figure depicts graduate and professional student participation recruitment rates, broken down by participation year and intervention progress (data from 2021-2023).

 

Publications

  • Binning, K. R., et al. (2020). Ecological belonging. Psychol Sci.
    Walton, G. M. et al. (2023). Where and with whom does a brief social-belonging intervention promote progress in college? Science.

Key People: Kevin Binning, Leo Schumann