Study Skills Profiles of Normal-Achieving and Academically-Struggling College Students

Profile analysis was used to compare the study skills of academically struggling college students to their normal-achieving counterparts using the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI; Weinstein & Palmer, 2002). Comparisons were made between: (a) students with high versus low GPAs; (b) students with a documented learning disability (LD) versus a non-LD control group; (c) students referred for a psycho-educational evaluation due to academic difficulties versus a control group; and (d) clinic-referred students with LDs versus clinic-referred students without LDs. Overall, the academically struggling groups displayed weaknesses in study skills relative to their comparison groups in five areas. When compared to the normative population of the LASSI, the groups also displayed weaknesses in seven of ten areas assessed.