UC Santa Barbara Library

First-generation undergraduates have a more challenging time succeeding in higher education than non-first-generation undergraduates due to a lack of cultural capital and their familial background. Previous research has found that financial and academic are significant stressors for undergraduates. First-generation undergraduates displayed higher levels of stress and an internal locus of control. To further inform how higher education institutions can develop support systems and resources for first-generation students, this study examines how an individual's trait anxiety and generational status may influence their locus of control when faced with academic or financial pressures. In this study, 131 undergraduates were randomly assigned to a vignette depicting a financial or academic scenario regardless of their generational status, followed by a trait anxiety inventory and locus of control questionnaire. Although previous research suggests that first-generation undergraduates were more likely to exemplify an internal locus of control, our findings reveal no significant difference between first-generation and non-first-generation undergraduates' locus of control, regardless of college pressure type. Also, participants' trait anxiety did significantly affect their locus of control. However, it did not reflect substantially an interaction effect, indicating the relationship between college pressure type and locus of control varies based on their trait anxiety. Instead, this suggests that higher education institutions should prioritize mental health resources for first-generation undergraduates. Future research must examine these effects to accommodate better and foster success for first-generation higher-education undergraduates.