Affinity disciplines and the use of principles of good practice for undergraduate education

Academic disciplines with soft paradigmatic development tend to have an affinity for more readily enacting practices designed to improve undergraduate education than do hard paradigmatic development disciplines. This study extends the affinity discipline hypothesis to Chickering and Gamson's seven principles of good practice. The affinity discipline hypothesis garners empirical support for four of the seven principles of good practice: encouragement of faculty-student contact, encouragement of active learning, communication of high expectations, and respect for diverse talents and ways of knowing. Implications for theory and practice are suggested by the findings of this study.