Conservative Students

Two years ago the scientific curiosity of Dr. Erland Nelson, a psychology professor at Newberry College (Newberry, S.C.), was aroused by frequent reports in the press that this one or that one had called U.S. university youth radical. Equipped with an "opinionaire" (a test with questions on 60 controversial issues), Professor Nelson went to the horse's mouth, examined students on 18 campuses--four State universities, 14 denominational colleges--mostly in the Middle West. Sample issues raised: capitalism, communism, divorce, free trade, race toleration. Students who favored maintaining the status quo were rated "conservative," those who favored moderate changes were "liberal," extremists were "reactionary" or "radical." Last week Dr. Nelson reported that some conservatives have been losing sleep unnecessarily. Chief findings:

> University students as a whole are somewhat right of centre.

> Freshmen arrive at college overwhelmingly conservative, are less conservative but not yet "liberals" by the time they become seniors.

> Students in Friends (Quaker) colleges are least conservative, Catholic students by far the most reactionary. State universities are in the middle, but they have more liberalizing influence than any other type of college.

> Of the 3,758 students examined, only 22 (one-half of 1%) were thoroughgoing radicals, 745 (20%) were way over on the right.

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