This study examined the effects of an adventure orientation program on the student development behaviors of incoming first-year students at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Student development was measured by a condensed version of the Student Development Task Inventory-2 (CSDTI-2; Gass, 1986; Winston, Miller, & Prince, 1979). Data analysis showed overall positive significant gains for adventure orientation program participants on certain measures of developmental tasks (i.e., developing autonomy, developing purpose) and subtasks (i.e., emotional autonomy, instrumental autonomy, appropriate educational plans). Changes in this study differed from those found by Gass (1986) and Hansen (1982) at their respective institutions. The different outcomes highlight that adventure orientation courses' variability in curricular design may have a strong impact on student developmental task and subtask outcomes. This finding demonstrates the importance of selecting program activities and processing techniques based on a program's intent, objectives, philosophy, experiences, and focus.
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