Equity theory and students' commitment to their college

The present study tested the power of equity measures to predict students' commitment to college. Different patterns of results were observed across three academic disciplines (physics, economics, and political science), which are characterized by different levels of environmental uncertainty. Equity was found to be a more relevant predictor of students' behavior and attitudes in fields with a high level of paradigm development. In political science, the major predictor of students' commitment was the comparison of one's group with another. The dominant independent variable in economics was the comparison within the membership group, while in physics the main predictor was the internal standard. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.