Socialization in Professional Schools: A Comparative Study

D. A. Ondrack Socialization in professional schools was postulated to be a function of the degree of attitude and value consistency among significant others during the educational process. Three otherwise comparable schools of nursing having varying degrees of consistency in profession-relevant attitudes and values among teachers, staff nurses, and head nurses were studied. As a test of socialization, students entering and graduating from each school were compared for evidence of a shift in attitudes and values toward those of significant others in each of the schools. The school with the most consistency among significant others evidenced the greatest socialization, the school with the least consistency evidenced the least shift in attitudes and values. It was concluded that degree of socialization among students does vary directly with degree of attitude and value consistency among significant others in a school.