Sample Of College Students Research Articles

Psychometric properties and validation of the depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-18) in a sample of Moroccan university students

Objective: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) in a sample of Moroccan students. Method: A total of 208 Moroccan students participated in this study. The dimensionality of the DASS-21 scale was assessed using exploratory factor analysis. Construct validity was assessed using the Stress Perception (PSS-10), State Anxiety (SAI), and Depression (CESD-10) scales. Results: Correlation analyses between Depression, Anxiety, and Stress subscales showed significant results. The exploratory factor analysis results confirmed the DASS’s three-dimensional structure. Furthermore, correlation analyses revealed positive correlations between the DASS-18 sub-dimensions and the three scales for Stress (PSS-10), Anxiety (SAI), and Depression (CESD-10). Conclusion: In line with previous work, the results of this study suggest that the DASS-18 reflect adequate psychometric properties, making it an appropriate tool for use in the university context.

Burnout Assessment Tool for Students (BAT-S): evidence of validity in a Chilean sample of undergraduate university students

This brief report examines both within-network and between-network construct validity of the Burnout Assessment Tool for Students (BAT-S) in a sample of 461 Chilean undergraduate university students (70.9% female) ranging between 18 and 58 years old (M = 21.6, SD = 4.34). The reliability analysis results showed adequate internal consistency for the overall burnout score and for each dimension. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a second-order factor (academic burnout) and four first-order factors (exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment) solution. Moreover, the results of multiple-group CFA supported gender invariance. Finally, structural equation model (SEM) analysis showed that academic resources and academic demands are associated with academic burnout. Overall, the BAT-S was found to be a reliable and valid tool to assess academic burnout in chilean sample of undergraduate university students.

Risk Factors for Love Addiction in a Sample of Young Adult Students: A Multiple Mediation Model Exploring the Role of Adult Attachment, Separation Anxiety, and Defense Mechanisms

In certain situations, romantic engagement with a partner can have detrimental effects on an individual’s well-being and overall health, exhibiting features attributable to addictive behaviors. Considering the clinical significance of this phenomenon and its prevalence among adolescents and young adults, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential associations between some risk factors for love addiction in a sample of university students, with a specific focus on adult attachment, separation anxiety, and defense mechanisms. A total of 332 participants (Mage = 23 years; SD = 2.462) completed a survey consisting of the Love Addiction Inventory—Short Form, Relationship Questionnaire, Seven Domains Addiction Scale (Separation Anxiety domain), and Forty Item Defense Style Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation, and a multiple mediation model was also implemented. Results showed that fearful attachment was significantly and positively associated with love addiction. Furthermore, this relationship was mediated by separation anxiety and neurotic/immature defense mechanisms too. These findings contribute to the existing literature on love addiction and provide valuable insights for future research and clinical practice.

The Scientific Approach to Divine Parables on Creation (SADPC):

The primary goal of this research is to introduce instances of a scientific approach to divine parables on creation SADPC as insights into empirical research, entrepreneurial, and intellectual development. The research also examines the relationship between divine parables’ engagement and cognitive science enhancement for the selected case samples of university students in Uganda and Malaysia. The deductive and descriptive correlational analyses were used. On the one hand, the deductive approach used the selected Qur’anic parables as benchmarks for methods, procedures, analyses, and SADPC generalizations. On another hand, the descriptive correlational methods were used to analyze the perceived relationship between divine parables’ engagement and cognitive science enhancement using the two samples’ statistics in question. The deductive findings demonstrated the novelty, comprehensiveness, and relevance of the divine parables’ insights into human scientific cognition. The correlational analyses yielded the rejection of (H0) and installed a (Ha) that there is a significant relationship between divine parables’ engagement and cognitive science enhancement for the selected samples. This research introduced both the Islamic intellectual development model (IIDM) and the Islamic entrepreneurial planning model (IEPM) using SADPC. The SADPC significantly demonstrated an insight into empirical research, entrepreneurial, and intellectual development outlook for future Islamic science research.

The Mediating Role of Trait Mindfulness in Academic Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Italian University Students.

Stress is a significant factor influencing the mental well-being of students, and mindfulness strategies have been associated with reduced academic stress. Nevertheless, there is a limited body of research investigating stress and trait mindfulness in a sample of Italian university students. This study aims to explore the relationship between academic stress, effort-reward imbalance, and trait mindfulness. Perceived stress, effort-reward imbalance, and trait mindfulness in 442 Italian university students (mean age = 23.37 ± 4.33) were assessed through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Effort-Reward Imbalance - Student Questionnaire (ERI-SQ) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Pearson correlation analysis showed that PSS negatively correlates with FFMQ and it positively correlates with ERI-SQ, while FFMQ negatively correlates with ERI-SQ. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that FFMQ partially mediates the effect of ERI-SQ on PSS. This study provides the first examination of the relationships between perceived stress, effort-reward imbalance, and trait mindfulness among Italian students. The findings suggest that trait mindfulness is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and could potentially mediate the relationship between effort-reward imbalance and stress. These insights may inform future research and interventions aimed at reducing academic stress.

Correlates of Borderline Personality Disorder Traits and Internet Gaming Disorder in College Students.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) frequently co-occurs with addictive behaviors. One such behavior that is increasing, especially among college students, is pathological gaming. However, to the best of our knowledge, no prior research has been conducted on BPD in relation to internet gaming disorder (IGD), despite the two sharing correlates such as negative emotionality and impulsivity. We therefore explored the relationship between BPD traits and IGD. We sampled a large (N = 407) sample of college students using two non-overlapping measures of BPD traits. We additionally examined the unique relationship of BPD traits with specific motivations for internet game playing and the perceived positive and negative impacts of internet games. On a bivariate level, BPD traits were associated with IGD, motivations to play internet games, especially for reasons of escapism or coping, and self-reported negative impact of gaming on participants' lives. However, the associations with IGD for escapism/coping motivations did not remain after controlling for demographics, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Instead, only depression uniquely predicted IGD and various motives for internet gaming. The results highlight the robust predictive power of negative effect on IGD, and it is suggested that future studies may benefit from continuing to focus on this relationship.

Contemporary Partner Preferences in Mate Selection: An Expanded List of Characteristics and the Addition of Constraints

There is a long history of research on the topic of mate selection using college student samples. Much of this research focuses on desired partner characteristics using an instrument developed in 1939. While the data accrued over more than three-quarters of a century have provided insights about the ways in which evolving cultural values influence the importance of these characteristics, there has been little research on how well this list of characteristics reflects contemporary mate selection criteria. The current study addresses this gap in the research in two ways, First, an expanded list of partner characteristics, more reflective of contemporary mate selection criteria, was developed. Second, a constrained approach in assigning value to each characteristic was employed in order to assess the relative importance of each characteristic. Results indicate that several of the new characteristics were significantly more important than some in the original measure, demonstrating a need for an update to the 1939 instrument. Additionally, when choices were constrained, a clearer picture of priorities emerged. Finally, results produced categories of desired mate characteristics identified as deal breakers, necessities, preferences, luxuries, and unimportant.

A comparison of health literacy measurement tools in a sample of college students

A comparison of health literacy measurement tools in a sample of college students

Client Characteristics and the Effectiveness of Embedded Counseling Services in a College of Veterinary Medicine.

Despite the widespread implementation of embedded counseling models in veterinary training programs, limited information is available about veterinary students and house officers who seek help, and researchers have not evaluated the effectiveness of counseling services. This study sought to describe clients' characteristics, presenting concerns, and mental health histories, in addition to determining if participating in counseling was associated with decreases in psychological distress. The sample included 437 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students and house officers receiving embedded counseling services between August 2016 and March 2024 at a public university in the Midwestern United States. Approximately half were first-year students when they initially accessed services. The most common presenting concerns included stress, anxiety, depression, academic performance, perfectionism, self-esteem/confidence, attention/concentration difficulties, mood instability, sleep difficulties, adjustment, family issues, career concerns, eating/body image concerns, and specific relationship problems. DVM students and house officers reported higher scores on some, but not all, measures of psychological distress prior to participating in counseling, compared with a normative sample of college students seeking counseling at university counseling centers. However, these differences tended to be small in magnitude. Participating in counseling was associated with meaningful improvements in depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns, frustration/anger, family distress, substance use, suicidal ideation, and overall psychological distress. Clients who reported improvements in depression and anxiety also tended to report reductions in academic distress, which underscores the value of embedded counseling services in improving the well-being and academic retention of DVM students and house officers. Implications for outreach, research, and clinical practice are discussed.

Measuring eating behavior and motivations in the United Arab Emirates and the United States: Evaluating measurement and predictive invariance of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short Form and the Eating Motivation Survey.

Considerable proportions of college students in White, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic countries, such as the United States, suffer from eating disorders and other problematic eating behaviors. The prevalence of eating disorders in Western Asia has been historically low but is rapidly increasing. One of the most dramatic increases is occurring in the United Arab Emirates. Advancements in eating disorder research and intervention that would benefit college students in the United Arab Emirates are inhibited by the lack of psychometrically sound measures of eating behaviors and motivations that have been empirically demonstrated to perform well in this population. The present study took initial steps in filling this need by evaluating the measurement and predictive invariance of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short Form and The Eating Motivation Survey using college student samples from the United Arab Emirates (n = 366) and United States (n = 317), followed by a series of cross-country comparisons. Results offer important evidence supporting the measurement invariance of both instruments and the predictive invariance of the The Eating Motivation Survey when used to predict scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short Form. Although no significant cross-country differences in eating disorder features and behaviors were found, some cross-country differences in eating motivations were observed. Similar eating motivations emerged in both countries as possible protective and risk factors for eating disorders. The implications of these findings for eating disorder assessment and practice are discussed, along with their implications for theory and research on eating motivations, nutritional health, and people's relationships with food. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing EFL learners’ attitudes on Generative Artificial Intelligence: Development and validation of Generative Artificial Intelligence attitude scale for EFL learners (GenAIAS)

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as a transformative force in education, particularly in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction. This study aims to develop and validate the Generative Artificial Intelligence Attitude Scale (GenAIAS) to assess EFL learners’ attitudes toward GenAI. The research involved two independent samples of university students in Türkiye, with data collected through scales and analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The final scale, comprising 33 items, was categorized into four factors: Learning/Utility, Enjoyment, Usefulness, and Interest. The scale demonstrated good psychometric properties, including satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and measurement invariance across genders. The findings indicate no significant gender differences in attitudes toward GenAI, suggesting a general acceptance of GenAI technologies among EFL learners. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between daily internet usage and attitudes toward GenAI. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on GenAI in language education and offers practical implications for integrating GenAI into language learning, highlighting the importance of fostering positive attitudes for successful technology adoption. Future research should further validate the scale with diverse populations to enhance its reliability and applicability.

Development and Validation of the Japanese Version of the Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory in University Students

Abstract: Introduction: The Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory (CATI) comprises six subscales, including “social camouflage” and “sensory sensitivity,” developed to address the limitations of comprehensive evaluation (English et al., 2021). In this study, we report the development of the Japanese version of the CATI (CATI-j) for university students and validate its reliability and validity. Methods: All 43 items of the original CATI were translated into Japanese using a cognitive interview ( N = 12) and back-translation method. The data from 509 participants were used to examine the item characteristics, the gender differences, and the factor structure. Results: Using samples of Japanese university students ( N = 509), we found good reliability and validity for the CATI-j. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a bifactor model, assuming two general factors for “social communication and interaction” and “repetitive and restricted behavior,” along with six specific factors, best fit the data. However, in contrast to previous studies, no significant differences between men and women were observed for each scale. Limitations: Several limitations remain for future exploration, including examining samples beyond university students, determining cutoff values for distinguishing autism spectrum disorder, and investigating cultural differences. Discussion: The CATI-j is applicable to Japanese university students.

Spiritual Resilience: Navigating College Stress with Religious Support

This study examines the relationship between religious support and stress in college students, focusing on the challenges of the college transition period. The research explores the potential role of religious support in mitigating stress, building on previous findings linking religiosity to coping skills and well-being. Incorporating a convenience sample (N=188) of college students from a private Christian University who identified as religious, the study employed a bivariate Pearson r correlation to examine the relationship between religious support and stress. Results revealed a negative relationship between the variable and highlighted the significance of religious support in alleviating stress during the critical college transition phase. The findings contribute to understanding the potential benefits of incorporating religious and spiritual factors in stress-reduction interventions for college students, emphasizing the importance of addressing stress for overall well-being and academic success. Keywords: religious support, stress, college students, college transition, coping skills, well-being

Drug Use among a Moroccan Sample of College Students

Introduction: the pressures that college students face and the sensitivity of their age put them at a significant risk of developing drug use-related problems. Objective: this study aims to evaluate some of the associated factors with drug use behavior among a sample of Moroccan college students. Method: the study included 1147 students (703 females and 444 males) with a mean age of 20 (SD = 2.6) who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Arabic version of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT). Results: the results demonstrated that it identifies gender, alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling, and medication for depression, anxiety, and sleep problems as potential risk factors of drug use behavior. Discussion and conclusions: more research is required on college students' drug use, and intervention strategies must be developed.

Measuring early maladaptive schemas (EMS): preliminary development of a brief Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-Brief)

ABSTRACT Objective Although the Young Schema Questionnaire and its current variants have been widely used, its continued use would be strengthened practically if a briefer version was available for clinical assessment and research. This study aimed to provide an assessment of the psychometric properties of the original YSQ-S3 and to create a brief version (YSQ-Brief) with equal or superior psychometric properties to the YSQ-S3. Methods A non-clinical sample of university students (N = 800) completed an online test battery of questionnaires. Diagnostic groups were created based off current self-report of a mental health diagnosis (e.g. generalised anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder), and an eating disorder symptomatic subgroup created based on Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire scores. Psychometric evaluations were conducted, including confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistency and validity analyses (criterion and construct). Further, group differences and relationships between mental health symptomatology and early maladaptive schemas (EMS) were examined. Results Both the YSQ-S3 and the revised YSQ-Brief displayed good model fit. Further, using both measures, all 18 EMS dimensions displayed acceptable internal consistency, good construct validity, ability to discriminate between diagnostic groups, and relationships with depression, anxiety, stress, and eating disorder symptomatology. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that both the YSQ-S3 and the revised YSQ-Brief are valid, reliable and clinically useful measures. However, the YSQ-Brief provides greater efficiency and reduced burden, as well as equal psychometric soundness as compared to the original measure.

Creative Self-Efficacy and Social Skills in a Portuguese Sample of University Students: Links with Self-Esteem, Academic Achievement and Life Satisfaction

Creative Self-Efficacy and Social Skills in a Portuguese Sample of University Students: Links with Self-Esteem, Academic Achievement and Life Satisfaction

Bidirectional and Unidirectional Intimate Partner Violence: A Comprehensive Review

The debate over whether intimate partner violence (IPV) is primarily unidirectional by men (male-perpetrated violence against women) or bidirectional (both partners engaging in violence) remains significant. A 2012 systematic review determined the prevalence of bidirectional and unidirectional IPV in various population samples (Langhinrichsen-Rohling et al., 2012). The current comprehensive review updates the 2012 review, analyzing 64 empirical studies directly related to the bidirectionality of physical violence between 2012 and 2022. First, we examined bidirectional and unidirectional violence by the nature of the sample (i.e., large population, community, university or college students, adolescent or middle/high school students, and clinical or treatment-seeking) and other study characteristics including the type of measurements (e.g., the Conflict Tactics Scales versus other measures). Our review indicates that bidirectional violence remains prevalent among all sample types. The average amount of reported IPV that was bidirectional in nature was 52.8% (ranging from 44.8% among middle or high school students to almost 60% among clinical and university student samples). Our findings demonstrate substantial consistency with the 2012 review, which found 57.5% (ranging from 49.2% among female-oriented nonmilitary treatment-seeking samples to 69.7% among male-oriented military legal/justice samples). This validates the importance of considering IPV as a complex and nuanced phenomenon likely to occur with both partners engaged in violence—initiatively or reactively—during relationships. A second finding was that the ratio of unidirectional female-to-male IPV compared to male-to-female IPV differed significantly among all five samples. In all samples, the rates of female-perpetrated unidirectional violence were higher than the rates of male-perpetrated unidirectional violence (31.4% and 16.9%, respectively). This finding is consistent with the results of the 2012 study. Third, we explored the concordance of reporting bidirectional and unidirectional violence by male and female partners. Our findings indicate remarkable levels of agreement on reporting patterns of both bidirectional and unidirectional violence by men and woman suggesting that the results are likely valid and reliable. Moreover, the reporting consistency between males and females did not differ significantly depending on study characteristics, including sample type, measurement time frame, measurement instrument, and study location. Overall, it is essential to conduct more research on the nature and types of bidirectional violence, including the roles of both partners involved. The findings from such studies could have significant implications for researchers, clinicians, and practitioners in terms of screening, treating, and preventing various forms of violent dynamics.

Validation of the Sense of Community Coherence Scale for German and Turkish cultures.

Sense of community coherence refers to how much a person perceives their communal life as comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. The study's purpose was to validate the Sense of Community Coherence Scale using two distinct groups of university students from Germany and Turkey. The scale was adapted to German and Turkish using the translation-back translation method and examined in terms of several indicators of reliability and validity, including cross-cultural measurement invariance with the data collected from 489 individuals from Germany and 533 individuals from Turkey. The findings exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties; specifically, high reliability, good construct and criterion validity, and partial measurement invariance across cultures were observed. As a result, Sense of Community Coherence Scale was concluded to be reliable and partially valid in the samples of Turkish and German university students. Validation of the German and Turkish forms of the scale is expected to contribute to mental health research and practice for allowing the measurement of how individuals feel about their community in the context of manageability, meaningfulness and comprehensibility. This study can help researchers and practitioners design enhancement, prevention and intervention programmes aiming to increase the community sense of coherence.

Exploring Greek Students’ Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence: Relationships with AI Ethics, Media, and Digital Literacy

This exploratory study (N = 310) investigates the relationship between students’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI), their attitudes toward AI ethics, and their media and digital literacy levels. This study’s specific objectives were to examine students’ (a) general attitudes toward AI, (b) attitudes toward AI ethics, (c) the relationship between the two, and (d) whether attitudes toward AI are associated with media and digital literacy. Participants, drawn from a convenience sample of university students, completed an online survey including four scales: (a) a general attitude toward AI scale (including two subscales, positive and negative attitudes), (b) an attitude toward AI ethics scale (including two subscales, attitudes toward accountable and non-accountable AI use), (c) a media literacy scale, and (d) a digital literacy scale, alongside demographic information. The findings revealed that students held moderate positive attitudes toward AI and strong attitudes favoring accountable AI use. Interestingly, media literacy was positively related to accountable AI use and negatively to positive attitudes toward AI, whereas digital literacy was positively related to positive attitudes, and negatively to negative attitudes toward AI. These findings carry significant theoretical implications by highlighting the unique relationship of distinct literacies (digital and media) with students’ attitudes. They also offer practical insights for educators, technology designers, and administrators, emphasizing the need to address ethical considerations in AI deployment.

Exploring the impact of physical exercise on mental health among female college students: the chain mediating role of coping styles and psychological resilience.

Female college students are a high-risk group for psychological conflicts, and they are more likely to adopt negative coping styles under stress, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and other psychological problems, as well as pose hidden threats to the healthy development of school education and social work. Although physical exercise is an important means of effectively alleviating the psychological health of female college students, and there may be a close relationship between coping styles and psychological resilience with physical exercise and psychological health, specific ways to promote the psychological health of female college students by influencing their coping styles and enhancing their psychological resilience have yet to be explored. The present study employed a cross-sectional design to investigate a sample of Chinese undergraduate female college students. A total of 659 participants were recruited during the second half of the 2023-2024 academic year, and they all completed assessments including the Physical Activity Rating Scale, College Mental Health Scale, Brief Coping Styles Questionnaire, and Psychological Resilience Scale. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the obtained reliable data. The study revealed two significant correlations among female college students, namely the associations between physical exercise, coping styles, psychological flexibility, and mental health. Specifically, physical exercise exhibited a positive relationship with positive coping styles and psychological resilience while displaying a negative association with negative coping styles and mental health. Moreover, psychological resilience demonstrated a positive correlation with positive coping styles but displayed negative relationships with both negative coping styles and mental health. Additionally, there was a negative relationship observed between positive coping styles and mental health. Furthermore, it was found that physical exercise significantly impacted the mental health of female college students in a detrimental manner; meanwhile, coping styles and psychological resilience played crucial mediating roles in linking physical exercise to mental health outcomes. Ultimately, our mediation model sheds the underlying mechanisms through which physical exercise predicts mental health levels among female college students; these findings underscore the importance of promoting physical exercise as an effective means to enhance overall well-being.