The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1 - 72

Jörg Vianden • Jeff T. Ruder

beneficial to students (Conneely et al., 2001; Karney-Hall, 2008; Taub, 2008). In addition, parents cherished their strong bonds with their students, which have the potential to positively affect students’ self-reliance, responsible independence, competence in college, and psychological health (Larose & Boivin, 1998). Some consensus exists among educators that the helicopter parent phenomenon has been exaggerated (Hoover, 2008), and results of this study support this claim. In fact, several participants indicated that they planned to handle potential roommate conflicts and alcohol situations the way student affairs professionals prefer—by assigning the responsibility for resolving the conflicts to their student. However, the design of the study may also point to the difficulty of predicting helicopter parent behavior, as the survey asked parents to anticipate rather than report their behaviors. Further, responses may have been influenced by the high percentage of participants who had other students in college or who had attended college themselves. Perhaps these parents had already learned effective ways of dealing with student conflicts in college.

may have yielded different results. The study is further limited by a small sample of eligible participants (all parents who helped their students move into the residence halls); more parents visited the complex during these days than those who participated in the survey. The limitation of a small sample is compounded

As more and more colleges and universities seek stronger, more effective relationships with parents, more research is needed in the area of parent transition and continued involvement in their student’s college life . This study indicates that parents can be valuable partners rather than hovering obstacles in the quest for student development and success in college .

LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
This study has several limitations. First, the study took place in the fall of 2005, and newer research on parents may be available. However, considering the absolute dearth of research on the topic of parent transition, the authors contend that informing residence life professionals about the implications of this study is essential. Second, the sample is heavily swayed by gender, as three times as many mothers as fathers participated. A more balanced sample
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by a possible self-selection bias; that is, only those parents who wanted to fill out the survey completed it. This may have limited results in that parents who were more open to thoughts about the potential hardships or conflicts of their students were perhaps more likely to complete the survey. Second, parents were pressed for time and consequently provided mostly 2-3 word answers or short phrases. A survey allowing participants more time or focus groups outside

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1