Social Psychological Effects of Wilderness Therapy Programs: A Proposed Study of the LandSea Program at Kalamazoo College

Abstract

This study examines the psychological effects of the LandSea wilderness program in terms of self-esteem, social anxiety, social avoidance, and locus of control. 50 first-year college students comprised the experimental group by participating in a wilderness adventure program prior to attending college. The group's scores on the 4 scales were measured prior to their wilderness experience, 4 days after the experience, and 6 months after the experience. A control group was tested to determine whether changes were due to outside or school-related factors. Existing literature and personal accounts of the LandSea experience suggest that this proposed study will affirm predictions that LandSea will have the following effects: 1) increase levels of self-esteem; 2) decrease levels of social anxiety; 3) decrease levels of social avoidance; 4) shift locus of control internally.