The central purpose of this study was to determine if teaching the subject matter of diversity or social psychology to military sponsored college students would change the level of sensitivity (behavior and attitude) to diversity as measured by an instrument called The Inventory of Cross Cultural Sensitivity developed by Kenneth Cushner (1986). The test was made up of 5 scales which measure Cultural Integration, Behavior, Intellectual Interaction, Attitude Toward Others, and Empathy. Scores range from low to high with total score possible from 32 to 224 points. The participant population consisted of 2 groups of students enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis in a diversity class (Group A), a social psychology class (Group B) and the same number of non-students in a control group of new recruits to the military (Group C) who received no class in either of the subjects. The design of the study was experimental, utilizing a pretest followed by an identical posttest administered eight weeks later.;Participants were given a Demographic Questionnaire just before the pretest designed to reveal their experience with cultural diversity preceding the test. Results of the Demographic Questionnaire showed that the populations of Groups A and B were older, more than 60% non-Caucasian (as opposed to Group C's more than 60% Caucasian), more culturally experienced and better educated than the population of Group C.;Descriptive statistics were applied to pre- and posttest scores providing tables of data showing mean, standard deviation, standard error of measurement, range and sum of scores. One-way analysis of variance between and within groups was performed resulting in no findings of significance at the p .05 level. Results of the study supported the null hypotheses for all 3 groups. There were no significant changes in level of sensitivity from pre- to posttest.;The main conclusions from the study were that level of sensitivity is not changed significantly under the conditions of this study; the time between pre- and post testing may need to be longer for significant change to occur; and that a younger population with less cultural experience might respond more successfully to a similar study.
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