ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the clothing motivations and behaviour of female undergraduates in universities in Benue State. Specifically the study determined (i) The motivating factors or the reasons underlying the selection and wearing of clothing by female undergraduates in Benue State universities. (ii) The types of clothing items worn by the female undergraduates. (iii) Clothing guidelines of female undergraduates in universities in Benue State. (iv) Problems encountered by the female undergraduates in clothing themselves. (v) Solving problems of female undergraduates clothing in universities. Five research questions were developed and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05level of significance. The study was conducted in Benue state. The population for the study consisted of 6619 female undergraduates from federal university of agriculture. Benue state university and university of Mkar while 659 constituted the sample for the study. A structured questionnaire with five sections was used as instrument for data collection. Mean was used to analyse the data generated from the research questions while ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that fifteen motivating factors underlined the selection and wearing of clothing; sixteen types of clothing items were selected and worn, with eighteen guidelines for wearing clothing items by female undergraduates in the universities in Benue State. Twenty two problems were encountered by the female undergraduates in their choice of clothing and thirteen ways of solving the problems encountered by female undergraduates were identified. There was no significant difference in the mean responses of female undergraduate students in federal, state and private universities on the motivating factors underlying the selection and wearing of clothing and guidelines for wearing the items. It was recommended that the university administrations should incorporate element of good etiquette into the orientation programmes of the first year undergraduates. It was also recommended that good clothing for females should be incorporated into the programme of Nigerian universities as compulsory course to be taken by female undergraduate.