Self-perceived communication competence: Comparing first-generation college students, students whose parents had some college, and continuing-generation college students

The present study compared levels of self-perceived communication competence between: (1) first-generation college students, students whose parents had some college, and continuing-generation college students; (2) male college students and female college students; and (3) college students whose first language is English and college students whose first language is Spanish. Participants were asked to complete the Self-perceived Communication Competence scale and to report the highest level of education completed by each of their parents, their gender, and first language, along with other demographic information. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to evaluate differences among first-generation college students, students whose parents had some college, and continuing-generation college students. A second MANOVA was used to evaluate differences between female college students and male college students. A third MANOVA was used to evaluate differences between college students whose first language is English and college students whose first language is Spanish. MANOVA results found the following: (a) students whose parents had some college perceived themselves significantly less communicatively competent overall than continuing-generation college students; (b) first-generation college students perceived themselves significantly less communicatively competent when communicating in the public context than continuing-generation college students; (c) first-generation college students and students whose parents had some college did not perceive themselves significantly different in regards to self-perceived communication competence; (d) college students whose first language is Spanish perceived themselves significantly less communicatively competent when communicating with a friend receiver than college students whose first language is English; and (e) male college students and female college students did not perceive themselves significantly different in regards to self-perceived communication competence.