Abstract
In Exp. 1 20 male and 20 female undergraduates responded to questionnaire items requiring choice between two types of advisors for help in solving two types of problems. Subjects chose either a lower- or upper-classman as the help-giver when the hypothetical problem was either related to personal adjustment or academics. Subjects preferred younger advisors for personal problems and older advisors for academic problems. 20 undergraduates with siblings (10 male, 10 female) and 20 undergraduates without siblings 10 male, 10 female) in Exp. 2 responded to questionnaire items requiring choice between two types of advisors (parent, peer) for help in solving two types of problems (moral, career). When moral decisions were involved, male subjects with siblings and female subjects without siblings showed no preference; however, females with siblings and males without siblings preferred peers over parents. When career decisions were involved, parents were preferred. These findings suggest that help-seeking and choosing an advisor are behaviors that can be predicted by personal and situational factors.
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