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Abstract

Ample research suggests that self-authorship may serve an important role in helping students develop as whole people. Therefore, the time is ripe for Christian student affairs professionals to further investigate the construct of self-authorship, specifically how it may be shaped in the college context. To that end, the purpose of this study was to identify key factors that influence self-authorship among a sample of first-year students attending a Christian university (N=428). Drawing on the work of Kegan (1994) and Baxter Magolda (2001), this study utilized hierarchical multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between self-authorship and a set of predictor variables, namely, civic engagement behavior, problem-solving ability, strengths self-efficacy, spirituality, religiosity, and social support. Findings indicate that strengths self-efficacy, civic engagement behavior, and problem-solving ability were significant predictors of self-authorship. Implications for research and practice are outlined and discussed.

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