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The effects of social anxiety and social skills on academic performance
Abstract
This 2-year longitudinal study examined whether social anxiety, social skills, and other academic variables affect college grade point average (GPA) and academic persistence. First-year students (n=253) provided baseline data. Those who reported emotional control (e.g. hiding emotions) were less likely to persist. For GPA over the first 2 years of college, predictors included social skills, institutional commitment, academic and social adjustment, high school class rank, quantitative aptitude scores, gender, and ethnicity. Emotional control became a significant predictor of lower GPA by the third semester. Those with higher college adjustment scores, higher class ranks, higher quantitative aptitude scores, and female gender were more likely to earn higher GPAs. Social anxiety did not emerge as a significant predictor of college persistence or GPA.
... A longitudinal study on Western university students also found social anxiety had a significantly negative direct effect on academic achievement (Brook & Willoughby, 2015). However, some studies found social anxiety did not longitudinally predict college students' academic persistence or their average GPA (Strahan, 2003). Given these mixed findings, the present study explored whether social anxiety mediates the relationship between bullying and academic performance (Research question 1). ...
... Indeed, previous findings on the relationship between social anxiety and academic performance have been inconclusive. Although some cross-sectional studies have found social anxiety affects academic engagement (Mou et al., 2022), one 2-year longitudinal study found no association, as social anxiety did not predict college GPA (Strahan, 2003). Another study on primary school students looked into different symptoms of social anxiety and their relationship with GPA. ...
To investigate how bullying victimization affects academic performance and the mediating effects of social anxiety and short video addiction among adolescents, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 2055 secondary school students in China. A Structural Equation Model was employed to analyze the data. The results showed that bullying victimization, social anxiety, short video addiction, and academic performance correlated significantly with each other. Bullying victimization directly influenced academic performance, and indirectly affected academic performance through the independent mediator of short video addiction, and the chain mediation of social anxiety and short video addiction. This study provides a novel perspective on understanding the underlying mechanisms through which bullying victimization impacts academic performance, emphasizing the importance of addressing the adverse effects of bullying among adolescents.
... A possible interpretation is that performance in mathematics requires repeated practice that may cancel out the gender differences which are expected to be found in pure Mathematics achievement, whereas performance in languages is more independent of math ability; so the differences in verbal performance are quite visible. It is reported that girl's students were more likely to achieve greater Grade Point Average (GPA) as compared to boy's students (Strahan, 2003;Roussel et al., 2021). It is reported that the better performance of girls than boys is the fact that girls have greater study motivation as compared to boys. ...
... The effect of gender on academic achievement has been studied by many researchers, their findings have some differences; however, most of the research shows girls ahead of the boys in academics (Skalvik, 1990). Boys surpass girls in the subject of mathematics which is supported by the previous literature (Skaalvik, 1990).It is reported that girls were more likely to achieve greater Grade Point Average (GPA) as compared to boys at the university level (Strahan, 2003). Additionally, parents' education has been found to have a significant impact on the academic achievement of the students. ...
The current research was carried out to explore the relationship of demographic variables with academic achievement in boys and girls using 1000 students (boys = 500, girls = 500) with age range 13 to16 years (M = 13.87, SD = 1.73) of 9th grade using stratified random sampling technique from different public high schools. A valid achievement test was prepared to measure academic achievement. Descriptive statistics, correlation, regression analysis, and independent samples t-test were carried out for data analyses. The findings suggest that academic achievement has a significant positive correlation with demographic variables of gender, father's education, and profession, mother's education and profession, monthly income, and study hours. Gender, parental education, and monthly income of family turned out to be the significant predictors of the academic achievement of 9 th grade students. Girls outperformed boy's academic achievement on all subjects except mathematics in grade 9.
... The key factors to success in university life are participating in cocurricular activities and involvement in various social settings which causes distress and anxiousness in students with social anxiety, hampering their achievement in academics. Socially anxious students reportedly had less social control and limited social expressiveness; they were fearful and anxious to get involved in verbal communication (Strahan, 2003). ...
... Social anxiety halts students to participate in academic group activities out of fear and embarrassment (Strahan, 2003). There have been researches that show socially anxious students avoid academic tasks related to public speaking or group work. ...
Academic self-efficacy is an important determinant of academic success which could be affected by many factors both psychological and social. The present research was conducted to highlight the role of academic self-efficacy and social anxiety which could affect the academic performance of the students. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between academic self-efficacy, social anxiety and academic success with the hypothesis that academic self-efficacy positively and social anxiety inversely related and predicted academic success. Researchers choose to study the topic with a cross-sectional research design. Through the survey method, a convenient sample of 250 undergraduate students in the age range of 18 to 24 (M=21.35, SD=1.54) was obtained. Educational Self-Efficacy Scale for academic self-efficacy, Social Interaction Anxiety scale for measuring social anxiety and CGPA for academic success, along with a demographic sheet were used to collect data. Pearson product-moment correlation results indicated that academic self-efficacy has a statistically significant positive association with academic success (r=.367, n=250, p=.05) and has an inverse relationship with social anxiety(r=-.463, n=250, p=.01). Likewise, social anxiety shares a significant, inverse relationship with academic success (r=-.389, n= 250, p=.05). Moreover, Academic self-efficacy positively (β= .472, p< .001) and social anxiety inversely predicted academic success (β= -.431, p< .001). For improving academic performance, the focus of students, educators, counsellors and parents must be on improving academic self-efficacy and managing psychological issues like social anxiety as per the implications of the present research.
... They reported that satisfaction has a greater impact on GPA than GPA has on satisfaction, a finding which provides insights into how to establish a temporal sequence between these elements. From this point, we can hypothesize that institutional commitment may be positively linked to academic performance, as evidenced in many studies (e.g., Strahan, 2003;Wilkins et al., 2016;Woosley & Miller, 2009). ...
... These students are therefore more likely to achieve higher levels of academic performance than their peers as evidenced by Chemers et al. (2001). Surprisingly, our study suggests an insignificant impact of institutional commitment on academic performance, evidence that contradicts Allen and Nelson (1989), Strahan (2003), Miller (2009), Wilkins et al. (2016)-but it reinforces Tinto's interactionalist theory (1975). The contrast implies that institutional commitment may not necessarily lead to a high level of academic performance, as it may be a product of excessive involvement in extracurricular activities. ...
This study aims to reveal how the interplay between institutional integration and self-efficacy affects academic performance. We obtained the data from 520 first-year students in the business school of a public university in Turkey. The results suggest that academic self-efficacy and academic and intellectual development are positively linked to academic performance. Institutional commitment, however, showed no positive association with academic performance in any of the models we developed. A multigroup analysis indicated that the proposed relationships are moderated by financial aid. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
... In turn, these students may shy away from class participation, not speak up in group discussions, or be very slow to make new friendships. Strahan (2003) conducted a study that concluded social anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting university students and can have a significant impact on their academic and social experiences. Counselling services and strong peer networks can be a great place to start for students working to overcome social anxiety, as professional help will assist in handling the psychology of the problem while being part of an encouraging group brings more communication skills that build confidence. ...
Psychological struggles among university students are complex, with various factors intertwining to impact their well-being. These factors encompass pressures, financial strains, social hurdles, adjustment challenges, and a lack of support systems. The psychological challenges faced by university students can manifest in ways such as anxiety, depression, stress-related issues, and burnout. A prior study revealed that around one-third of university students encounter distress during their academic pursuits. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the factors linked to the distress caused by the shift in learning methods during post-COVID periods among university students in Malaysia. A convenience sampling survey collected data from 346 UiTM students at the Puncak Alam campus within 3 months, starting from April to June 2023, via an online survey. The survey tool utilised in this research was adapted from established questionnaires, and data analysis was conducted using STATA software. According to the results of the regression analysis, both academic workload and changes in learning methods play roles in influencing students’ levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Social involvement significantly impacts depression and anxiety levels, while effective communication only affects depression among respondents. The key takeaway from these findings is that alterations in learning approaches among university students influence their experience of distress, specifically depression and anxiety. Understanding how workload affects students, the factors that affect successful management, and the effects on educational policies and practices is important for universities to create safe learning environments that help students do well in their study and grow as individuals.
... A pesar de que algunos estudios muestran una relación indirecta entre logro académico y malestar emocional, otras investigaciones señalan que esta relación no es tan clara. Se podría considerar la presencia de malestar emocional como predictor o no de logro académico (Rueger y Jenkins, 2014;Strahan, 2003;Xie y Cui, 2022). ...
Indudablemente, resulta prioritario trabajar en favor del logro educativo del estudiantado que cursa el bachillerato. Por tanto, es importante conocer los factores psicosociales con los que está relacionado. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue establecer la relación que existe entre la cooperación, la pertenencia escolar, el acoso escolar, el malestar emocional y la adaptabilidad con el logro educativo en este grupo de población. Para ello se utilizó la base de datos pública del Programa para la Evaluación Internacional de Alumnos (PISA). Participaron un total de 7.299 estudiantes de México, con edades entre los 15,33 y 16,33 años. Se elaboró un modelo teórico comprobado empíricamente a través del modelaje de ecuaciones estructurales en el que se muestra la relación existente entre cada uno de los factores analizados con el logro educativo. La participación docente y de la familia, bajo la pauta de los factores en mención, son pieza clave en el ámbito académico del país mexicano.
... Social anxiety frequently emerges during adolescence and early adulthood, particularly during transitional periods such as the college years, when students face heightened social and academic pressures [14]. These pressures can make college students especially vulnerable to social anxiety, affecting their ability to form relationships, participate in academic activities, and adapt to new environments [15,16]. ...
As mental health issues become increasingly prominent, social anxiety is prevalent among university students and significantly affects their social behaviors and environmental preferences. With the increasing reliance on social media, understanding how these behaviors shape preferences for physical social environments is crucial for designing supportive campus spaces. This study investigates the relationship between social anxiety, social media usage, and environmental preferences in campus settings. We aim to identify the key environmental factors that can promote healthier social interactions for students with varying levels of social anxiety and social media use. Data were collected from university students through a structured questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, online and offline behavior, social media usage intensity, social anxiety level, and environmental preferences. Using K-means clustering, participants were grouped into four clusters based on their social media usage and social anxiety levels. ANOVA and Multivariate Multiple Regression (MMR) were conducted to examine differences in environmental preferences across these clusters. Significant differences in environmental preferences were observed across the four clusters. Gender and grade influenced social anxiety levels, with females and undergraduate students reporting greater anxiety. Individuals with high social media use, regardless of their anxiety levels, generally exhibited stronger preferences for various environmental dimensions, including openness, convenience, facility provision, safety/comfort, and cultural landscape. However, individuals with higher social anxiety tended to prefer enclosed, facility-rich, and more controlled environments. The relationship between social anxiety and preferences for convenience, safety/comfort, and cultural landscape was minimal or non-significant. This study highlights the importance of considering both behavioral and psychological factors when designing university social environments. By identifying specific environmental preferences of students with high social anxiety, the findings offer evidence-based recommendations for creating more inclusive and supportive campus spaces that promote positive social interactions and well-being.
... The Japanese version of the SSI was developed by Kayano (1988), who confirmed its internal consistency and construct validity. Based on previous research (Strahan, 2003), the Social Control Skills subscale (15 items; e.g., "I can fit in with all types of people, young and old, rich and poor"), which assesses the skills to play appropriate roles and present oneself effectively in diverse social situations (Riggio, 1986), was chosen owing to its association with significantly lower self-evaluations among individuals with high social anxiety. Additionally, this subscale seems to be prone to eliciting feelings of superiority or inferiority when compared to others. ...
Introduction
Social comparison orientation comprises ability comparison, which entails superior and inferior ratings; and opinion comparison, which does not include such ratings. Previous research on negative emotions and the social rank theory of social anxiety indicates that social anxiety is positively associated with ability comparison. This is particularly true of individuals with a stronger sense of inferiority (e.g., lower self-evaluation of their social skills). Nevertheless, the relationship between the two aspects of social comparison orientation and social anxiety remains unclear.
Methods
Two hundred thirty-eight individuals (Mage = 40.53 ± 9.78 years, 50.4% men) participated in an online cross-sectional survey questionnaire.
Results
Social anxiety was positively correlated with ability comparison but not opinion comparison. The relationship between social anxiety in situations observed by others and ability comparison was stronger for individuals with lower (vs. higher) self-rated social skills.
Discussion
This study showed that the two types of social comparison are differentially related to social anxiety. The findings support the social rank theory of social anxiety, which states that social comparisons involving superior and inferior ratings lead to social anxiety owing to the perception of one’s inferiority. Making such social comparisons can result in heightened social anxiety, particularly for individuals with low self-evaluations of social skills. The results indicate the importance of these social comparisons in the emergence and persistence of social anxiety. Furthermore, the potential of interventions based on mindfulness, compassion, social media, and video feedback in mitigating the negative effects of such social comparisons is discussed.
... However, in her study Strahan (2003) did not find a direct link between social anxiety and grade point average. She speculated that the Association between social anxiety and academic achievement might be indirect; social anxiety may affect educational achievement by generating new social connections. ...
This study aimed to investigate the impact of psychological distress on students
academic achievement at the university level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study’s
objectives were (a) to find out the factors responsible for psychological distress (b)
to find out the academic achievement of university students (c) to examine the
impact of psychological distress on students academic achievement in public sector
universities of KP (d) to compare the impact of psychological distress on the
academic achievement of male and female students at the university level in KP and
(e) to compare the impact of psychological distress on students’ academic
achievement in different universities. The population of the study comprised of all
8,996 enrolled BS students in the 7th and 8th semesters. A multistage sampling
technique was used to select the sample respondents from universities. Data was
collected from 480 students of BS 7th and 8th semester through a questionnaire
consisted of 56 items covered in seven domains i-e, depression, generalized anxiety,
social anxiety, academic stress, eating concerns, hostility, drug addiction. For data
analysis, Mean score, standard deviation, and simple linear regression were used as
statistical techniques. Results revealed that academic stress as a psychological
distress factor is comparatively more affecting university students’ academic
achievement than other factors of psychological distress (depression, general
anxiety, social anxiety, eating concern, hostility, and drug addiction).
It was recommended that students be encouraged to participate in different
university social activities after consultation with the students’ counseling center.
Keywords: Psychological distress, Academic achievement,
... Gender is known to be a demographic variable that appears to discriminate students' academic achievements. For instance, research has shown female undergraduate grade point average to be higher than that achieved by male students after the first year of study (Strahan, 2003), and across three years of undergraduate study (Baker, 2003;Woodfield et al, 2006). ...
The use of mindfulness as a pedagogical tool is gaining ground given the great possibilities it offers in the development of students' emotional competencies in education for sustainable development. The main aim of this study is to show how mindful-ness plays a key role in the learning process, in response to the need to develop students' emotional competencies in education for sustainable development. Humans play a key role in global climate change. Therefore, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promote awareness of sustainability through proactive, global, and social measures that distance us from the Brundtland paradigm focused on meeting the needs of the present generation. However, these goals will not be achieved without transformations in the way societies function, and education plays a vital role in this. Literature review includes the analysis of Mindfulness and resilience, and Resilience and academic performance. Our results show how students' mindfulness has a positive impact on resilience. At the same time, resilience has a positive relationship with academic performance. Therefore, the results confirm our hypotheses regarding the role mindfulness plays as a promoter of resilience and the impact resilience has on academic performance. We also find that gender is significantly and positively related to performance. Thus, women have higher grades than men, although the relationships between variables remain the same. Gender is known to be a demographic variable that appears to discriminate stu-dents' academic achievements. The research model is tested with a questionnaire addressed to 497 students from three higher education institutions and one secondary school in three Spanish regions, comprising 22 academic disciplines (covering a wide range from business and economic sciences, technological and experimental sciences, health sciences, and social sciences). Experts in the education area revised the questionnaire and pretested it on a group of 25 students. This process allowed us to improve the wording and confirm the suitability of the questionnaire. The results of a structural equation analysis confirm the study hypotheses. We find mindfulness to be positively related to resilience, which consequently leads to better academic performance. Thus, mindfulness in the classroom incorporates strategies and tools that allow young people to face their education with the highest possibilities of training, experience, and personal growth. It also contributes significantly to the development of sustainable individual competencies such as resilience, which will contribute, in the mid-and long term, to the development of more sustainable societies. In sum, the basic question we have attempted to answer in this research is whether mindfulness influences students' academic performance through resilience. Our study provides empirical evidence that the mindfulness-academic performance relationship is mediated by resilience. Future research could replicate this study not only in other Spanish locations, but also in different countries, to consider other cultural and geographical settings.
... However, a partial mediation existed in this study. Our results showed that the feelings of inferiority affecting junior high school students in self-esteem (Jiang and Ngien, 2020), academic ability (Strahan, 2003), appearance (Titchener and Wong, 2015), and physical ability (Dimech and Seiler, 2010) could directly predict their level of social anxiety status. In addition, it predicts their social anxiety status, which is mediated by fear of unfavorable evaluation. ...
Introduction
This study aimed to explore the relationship between feelings of inferiority and social anxiety in Chinese junior high school students. In addition, it examined the potential mediating effect of fear of negative evaluation in this relationship.
Methods
A survey was administered to a sample of 734 Chinese junior high school students. The Feelings of Inadequacy Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, and Social Avoidance Distress Scale were used.
Results
First, there were significant positive correlations between all subscales for the inferiority feelings, social anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation. Furthermore, fear of negative evaluation mediated the predictive effects of four inferiority subscales (i.e., self-esteem, academic ability, appearance, and physical ability) for social anxiety. However, the total score for the sense of inferiority and social confidence subscale lacked this mediating effect.
Conclusion
The inferiority feelings of self-esteem, academic ability, appearance, and physical ability may directly and indirectly predict social anxiety through fear of negative evaluation.
... Consistent results were found in another study of 787 university students in the UK (Russell & Topham, 2012). Not surprisingly, SAD in emerging adults is associated with lower grades, compromised educational attainment, and greater absenteeism (Brook & Willoughby, 2015;Strahan, 2003;Urani et al., 2003). ...
This qualitative investigation explored the social and academic experiences of socially anxious adolescents and young adults in Portugal and the US as they lived through the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 10 Portuguese adolescents (mean age = 16.9 years; 50% female) and 7 young adults in the US (mean age = 19.67 years; 71% female; racially/ethnically diverse). Participants completed a semi-structured interview evaluating how the pandemic and social restrictions impacted social anxiety symptoms and associated functional impairment in social and academic domains. Thematic analysis was used to categorize responses across developmental stages and countries. Findings show consistent patterns across cultures, with symptoms of SAD extending to virtual contexts. Participants reported avoidance behaviors that were reinforced by social distancing mandates and declines in academic engagement during remote learning. Anticipatory anxiety about the return to normal social routines was also evident. Schools should be aware of the impact of social confinement on socially anxious students as they return to in person school schedules and social demands.
... Social anxiety is characterized by marked fear and anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others (American Psychiatric Association, 2022) and it is prevalent among college students (Strahan, 2003;Strahan & Conger, 1998;Zhao & Dai, 2016). From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, attachment to parents contributes to the development of social anxiety. ...
The main goal of this study was to investigate direct and indirect effects of attachment to parents on the formation of friendships, satisfaction with friends, and loneliness over the transition to college. Social anxiety and gender were tested as a possible mediator and moderator respectively. A total of 210 college freshmen at a large university in Spain participated in at a baseline assessment and a six-month follow-up assessment. Results demonstrated indirect effects of attachment to parents on ease forming friendships, satisfaction with friends, and loneliness through social anxiety, and a direct effect of attachment to loneliness. Gender did not play a moderating role. Taken together, these results suggest that programs to support the development of healthy social relationships across the college transition may be particularly beneficial for youth with challenges in familial relationships, and that screening for social anxiety may identify those students who would particularly benefit from support.
... We did control for social anxiety because research has shown that social anxiety relates to FoMO (Dempsey et al., 2019;Oberst et al., 2017;Wolniewicz et al., 2018), given that socially anxious people tend to prefer to communicate through social media, most likely because they feel safer in online settings than in real-life social ones (Lee & Stapinski, 2012). For similar reasons, we also examined for likely associations between social anxiety and school-related outcomes such as grades, though previous research has shown no relation to academic performance (but still, to poor academic adjustment; see Strahan, 2003). Specifically, research has pointed out that socially anxious people seem to opt for excessive online social interactions (Apaolaza et al., 2019), a preference that seems to have negative implications at school, such as missing classes, and having trouble with school because of being online (Caplan, 2007). ...
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) – people’s intense concerns that they might miss pleasant moments that their peers may enjoy—has been found to relate to a variety of undesired outcomes, including poor academic functioning. Yet, little is known about why some students may exhibit more FoMO than others. In this cross-sectional study with a sample of Turkish adolescents ( N 1 = 506; 50.8% males; M age = 15.8 years; SD = 0.83), we examined to what extent intrinsic and extrinsic life goals for using social media predict FoMO over and above social anxiety. We found through path analyses that extrinsic goals of attaining popularity, garnering attention, and conveying a positive image of oneself to others related to FoMO which in turn related to lower grades by means of in-class distraction and out-of-class study interference. Taken together, the present results suggest that the goals that adolescents try to attain through social media use may explain why FoMO might be more prevalent in that age group.
... Keeping in view these functions of elective courses it can be said that these elective courses improve individuals socially and culturally. Strahan (2003) conducted a study on finding out the relationship between social skills and academic success and he concluded that a lack of social skills development leads to low academic success. So, this study indicated that academic success is co-related with social skills development and this relationship is positive. ...
... También podemos encontrar trabajos que centran su atención en los tiempos de reacción de la persona, y en como la ansiedad produce una merma significativa sobre estos (Murray y Janelle, 2003) y trabajos que acentúan la interferencia de la ansiedad sobre la memoria, encontrando que la ansiedad produce efectos negativos directos sobre la misma (Strahan, 2003). ...
La ansiedad es uno de los tópicos más ampliamente tratados en la literatura psicológica. Existe cierto consenso en admitir que la ansiedad es un estado afectivo aversivo anticipatorio de una situación de peligro (Bellack y Hersen, 1977; Carrobles y Díez-Chamizo, 1987). La respuesta de ansiedad, desde un punto de vista conductual, se caracteriza por ser una reacción excesiva o desproporcionada, involuntaria, irracional, persistente, no adaptativa y dependiente del contexto del individuo. La ansiedad, en principio, es una función adaptativa. Ante la visión o percepción de un estímulo, potencialmente aversivo/agresivo para la integridad personal, el individuo pone en marcha un "sistema de defensa", la ansiedad. Ésta provoca una activación generalizada del organismo, de forma que éste se prepara para dar una respuesta rápida a un problema que amenaza su integridad, esta respuesta suele ser, en la gran mayoría de los casos, una conducta de lucha o de huida. Se puede interpretar esta activación para la respuesta como un sistema de facilitación conductual. Para lograr esta facilitación, el sistema cognitivo utiliza: la priorización, que afectaría a la selección atencional y la interpretación sesgada de la información ambigua, y la compensación, que afectaría a la reducción en la capacidad de la memoria operativa y al uso extraordinario de recursos auxiliares para procesar la información no priorizada (Gutiérrez Calvo, 2000). En la mayor parte de las ocasiones, las situaciones donde se valoran los conocimientos y aptitudes de las personas constituyen un foco de ansiedad. Esta ansiedad ha sido clasificada de muchas formas distintas, dependiendo de los estímulos que la provocan. Así encontramos en la literatura las distintas denominaciones de fobia social específica, fobia social generalizada, o fobia específica, por citar algunas. Pero las distintas denominaciones que se le han dado pueden registrarse bajo el nombre de ansiedad de evaluación, que englobaría el hecho que en sí mismo desencadena la respuesta de ansiedad. Es difícil encontrar alguien a quien le guste ser evaluado. Una evaluación implica necesariamente un resultado, que se relaciona directamente con la capacidad de Con el presente trabajo se pretende observar la relación existente entre la ansiedad percibida, en un examen real de una asignatura, y la influencia de ésta sobre el rendimiento, la nota obtenida. Observar si existen diferencias intergrupos en cuanto a la reactividad psicofisiológica del individuo, en relación al nivel de ansiedad que dicen experimentar. Y observar en que medida la ansiedad que el sujeto dice experimentar interfiere en el resultado final de la prueba. Hipotetizamos que el aquellos sujetos que informan experimentar un nivel de ansiedad mas elevado obtendrán un rendimiento menor en la prueba como consecuencia directa del estrés.
... Katılımcıların akademik başarıları ile sosyal beceriler puanları arasında pozitif yönlü anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur. Bu araştırmanın bulgularına paralel olarak gençlerle yapılan bir başka araştırmada katılımcıların sosyal becerileri ile akademik başarıları ve okula uyumları arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur (55). Yine benzer şekilde 136 üniversite öğrencisinin katılımıyla gerçekleşen araştırmada katılımcıların sosyal becerileri ile üniversite memnuniyeti ve üniversiteye katılımı arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur (56). ...
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı 13-17 yaş arası çocukların dijital oyun bağımlılığı ile sosyal becerileri arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek ve çocukların sahip oldukları sosyal becerileri açıklamada onların sosyo-demografik bilgileri ile birlikte dijital oyun bağımlılığının anlamlı bir ilişkiye sahip olup olmadığını ortaya koymaktır.
Yöntem: Çalışmada dijital oyun bağımlılığını ölçmek için yedi maddeden oluşan Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığı Ölçeği ve sosyal becerileri ölçmek için kırk yedi maddeden oluşan Matson Çocuklarda Sosyal Becerileri Değerlendirme Ölçeği’nden yararlanılmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemi Ankara Yenimahalle ilçesinde yaşayan 13-17 yaş arası çocuklar içerisinden seçilen 389 çocuktan oluşmaktadır.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan çocukların tamamı erkek olup yaş ortalamaları 14,86±1,28 olarak elde edilmiştir. Çocukların sosyal beceri düzeylerini açıklamada ise sosyal becerileri değerlendirme ölçeğinin olumlu sosyal beceriler ve olumsuz sosyal beceriler boyutları ayrıca ele alınmıştır. Dijital oyun bağımlılığı ile sosyal beceriler arasında da anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur.
Sonuç: Dijital oyun bağımlılığı ile çocuklarda olumsuz sosyal beceriler ve sosyal davranışlar arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Anahtar kelimeler: Oyun bağımlılığı, dijital oyun bağımlılığı, sosyal beceriler, ergen
Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between digital game addiction and social skills of children between the ages of 13-17 and to determine whether digital game addiction has a significant effect in explaining the social skills that children have with their sociodemographic information.
Method: In this study, the Digital Game Addiction Scale consisting of seven items was used to measure digital game addiction and The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) consisting of forty-seven items was used to measure social skills. The sample of the study consisted of 389 children aged between 13-17 years living in Yenimahalle district of Ankara.
Results: All of the children were male and the mean age was 14.86±1,28 (mean ± standard deviation). In explaining the social skill levels of children, positive social and negative social skills dimensions of the social skills assessment scale were also considered. There was also a significant relationship between digital game addiction and social skills.
Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between digital game addiction and negative social skills and social behaviors in children.
Keywords: Game addiction, digital game addiction, social skills, adolescent
... In addition, traditional Chinese culture emphasizes interpersonal harmony, with the transition from childhood to early adolescence serving as an important period for youth to move from reliance on family relationships to greater reliance on peer relationships [45]. During this period, some youth may not have acquired the necessary social skills and to deal well with their peers, which may lead to social anxiety [46]. However, more studies are needed to verify this notion. ...
This study examined the joint trajectories of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety from middle childhood to early adolescence and their associations with suicidal ideation. A total of 643 Chinese elementary school students (55.2% male; Mage = 9.01; SD = 0.75; range = 7 to 11 years at T1) completed measures on six occasions at 6-month intervals. Parallel process latent class growth models revealed five distinct trajectories of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety: “congruent-low” (45.1%), “moderately low with predominant loneliness and depressive symptoms” (15.7%), “moderate with predominant loneliness and depressive symptoms” (4.2%), “moderately low with predominant social anxiety” (24.9%), and “congruent-high” (10.1%). The highest suicidal ideation was observed among adolescents who persistently experienced two or three symptoms, followed by those who persistently experienced one predominant symptom, and finally, adolescents who persistently experienced low levels of all three symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of individual differences considerations in understanding the joint patterns of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety among youth during the transition into adolescence and the need for more sophisticated intervention programs tailored to the unique characteristics of the relevant trajectories to reduce the risk of suicidal ideation.
... Gender is a demographic variable that discriminates against students' academic achievements. For instance, research has shown female undergraduate grade point average to be higher than that achieved by male students after the first year of study [65] and across three years of undergraduate studies [66,67]. ...
A mindful person is prone to be open to novelty, attentive to distinctions, sensitive to context, aware of multiple perspectives, and focused on the present. Therefore, the role of mindfulness in educational contexts is gaining ground given the great possibilities it offers in developing students’ competences in education for sustainable development (ESD). The main goal of this study is to explore how mindfulness plays a key role in the learning process in response to the need to develop students’ emotional competencies in ESD, and specifically how mindfulness has an impact on academic performance through resilience. We tested the research model with a questionnaire addressed to 497 students from three higher education institutions and one secondary school. The results of a structural equation analysis confirm the study hypotheses. We find mindfulness is positively related to resilience, which leads to better academic performance. Thus, being mindful is a key competence in ESD since it allows young people to face their education with the highest possibilities of training, experience, and personal growth. This exploratory study offers further evidence of the need to invest in mindfulness to foster resilience and academic performance and represents a first step for designing additional interventions on this line.
... If social skills are not developed correctly, the social communication process becomes problematic and causes students high social anxiety (Strahan, 2003), leading to worse academic results. Developing strong social skills, in contrast, leads to higher AP through skill in leadership, communication, influence, conflict management, relationship building, good teamwork and collaboration skills, and the ability to mentor others (Boyatzis et al., 2000;MacCann et al., 2020). ...
Emotional Intelligence is becoming a significant concept in Education and Management study programs. This paper analyses emotional intelligence through different emotional competencies (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, leadership and social skills) and these competencies' influence on students' academic performance (AP). It also analyses the moderating role of cooperative learning (CL) in the foregoing relationship. The results, which are based on data from a questionnaire administered to Spanish university students enrolled in Management courses, were obtained through hierarchical regression. The findings show that only development of students' self-awareness and self-regulation fosters AP directly. These results change slightly in a CL environment, which encourages closer relationships of self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and social skills to AP. However, only self-awareness and self-regulation continue to affect AP positively and directly. Contrary to our expectations, motivation affects AP negatively. The paper's primary contribution is to spotlight the individual contribution of each emotional competency in fostering AP. As the results show that very few of these competencies have a direct effect, the paper opens critical debate on the efficacy of both emotional competencies and CL, as well as how to implement them.
... Social anxiety refers to the negative cognitive and emotional responses of individuals who are or may be evaluated by others in real or imagined social situations (Schlenker & Leary, 1982). Social anxiety is very common among college students from both Eastern and Western cultural backgrounds (Brook & Willoughby, 2015;Li et al., 2019a, b;Li & Yang, 2008;Russell & Shaw, 2009;Strahan, 2003;Zhao & Dai, 2016). Previous research indicates that nearly half (45.7%) of Chinese undergraduate students experience social anxiety (Li et al., 2019a, b) and approximately 10% of undergraduate students in the United Kingdom demonstrate marked or higher levels of social anxiety (Russell & Shaw, 2009). ...
Interpersonal communication and interaction are important parts of college life. However, college students with high social anxiety fear others’ negative evaluation, feel distress, and avoid social situations, which adversely affects their academic achievement and mental health. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the factors that influence social anxiety. This research aimed to examine the relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety among Chinese undergraduate students, and further investigated the multiple mediating roles of loneliness and self-esteem. A total of 618 Chinese undergraduate students (64.7% female) aged 17 to 25 years completed an online survey. Participants were recruited through online methods from several colleges and universities in the Zhejiang province of China. Significant correlations were found between social anxiety, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, and self-esteem. Higher rejection sensitivity was related to higher social anxiety, and loneliness and self-esteem respectively not only played a partial mediating role but also served as chain mediators between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety. These findings deepen our understanding of the psychological processes underlying the link between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety, which in turn provides a new perspective for college administrators, psychology teachers, college counselors, and parents to help promote undergraduates’ academic achievement and mental health.
... La relación entre las aptitudes mentales y rasgos de personalidad integran una cantidad importante de estudios: Allik y Realo, 1997;Bellow, 2001;Castejón y Navas, 1992;Clemente, Albinaña y Domenech, 1997;Diseth, 2002Diseth, y 2003Diseth y Martinsen, 2003;Escudero, Bernard y Castañer, 1981;Fass y Tumban, 2002;GlenMage y Oakes, 2002;Gónzalez, 1989;Kahn y Nauta, 2001;Lounsburg et al. 2003;Paunonen y Ashton, 2001;Roy, 2002;Strahan, 2003;Valle et al., 1998;Valle, González, Núñez, Vieiro, Gómez y Rodríguez, 1999;Williams y Worth, 2001, entre otros. Lo característico de estos trabajos es que no se ha encontrado una alta correlación entre rasgos como inteligencia, control emocional, etc., y el rendimiento académico. ...
Este libro es resultado del trabajo académico realizado en el marco de las actividades en la Línea de Educación Superior de la Red de Investigadores en Educación de Veracruz (RIEV). Esta Línea reunió a un grupo multidisciplinario de investigadores y profesores de distintas regiones (Coatzacoalcos, Poza Rica, Veracruz y Xalapa) y diferentes entidades (Facultades de Pedagogía, Psicología y Contaduría y Administración, así como el Instituto de Investigaciones en Educación y el Instituto de Psicología y Educación) de la Universidad Veracruzana, bajo el objetivo común de realizar investigación en el campo de la educación superior, enfocándose en sus actores, programas y procesos, desde una perspectiva glocal.
... Horwitz et al in Marwan (2008) advocate that language anxiety is a distinctive complex of self perceptions, beliefs, feelings and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process. Students who are socially anxious, not only report poor grades, but tend to avoid situations, and potentially units and ultimately career choices which might require public speaking Strahan (2003). Ansari (2015) also added that students with debilitating speaking anxiety tend to display avoidance of involvement in tasks by remaining silent, sitting in the back row, avoiding eye contact with the teacher. ...
The existence of Covid-19 has forced the migration of the teaching and learning paradigm from face to face interaction to online learning and to the combination of both known as blended learning. Blended learning is believed to provide opportunity for students to interact with each other with anxiety put at the lowest. This research was aimed to know 1) to what extent is the EFL Learners’ anxiety influenced by blended learning approach in this covid-19 pandemic?; 2) What factors contribute to student’ anxiety during Speaking activities in class in the Covid -19 age?. Mix research method was employed in this study as the data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. This study was conducted at second semester students of English department at Mandalika University of Education. The findings show that most students were anxious when communicating with each other. Factors like lack of confidence and fear of making mistakes, lack of vocabulary, low English proficiency, lack of practice, fear of being unable to follow and understand others were the primary causes of their anxiety.
... Stein and Kean (2000) in their one study found that high level of social anxiety increased risk of examination failure. Strahan (2003) conducted a study on the effects of social anxiety and social skills on academic performance. The findings showed that social anxiety negatively contributed to the prediction of Grade Point Average in first semester, but did not remain significant over 2 years. ...
The present study investigated relationship between social anxiety and academic achievement of children. Data were collected from 200 children (100 boys and 100 girls) selected randomly from different schools of Rajshahi city, Bangladesh. Bangla version (Sultana, Shirin & Islam, 2017) of Social Anxiety Scale (La Greca et al. 1988) was used to measure their social anxiety and the respondents' previous final examination grade point average (GPA) was considered as their academic achievement. The respondents were classified into three groups-high (above 75 th percentile), medium (from 25 th to 75 th percentile) and low (below 25 th percentile) on the basis of their obtained social anxiety scores. Data were analyzed employing one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test. Results through one way ANOVA showed a significant difference in academic achievement among the three social anxiety groups. The results through t-test also revealed that academic achievement of lower social anxiety group was significantly higher than from medium and high social anxiety groups.
... Stein and Kean (2000) in their one study found that high level of social anxiety increased risk of examination failure. Strahan (2003) conducted a study on the effects of social anxiety and social skills on academic performance. The findings showed that social anxiety negatively contributed to the prediction of Grade Point Average in first semester, but did not remain significant over 2 years. ...
The present study investigated relationship between social anxiety and academic achievement of children. Data were collected from 200 children (100 boys and 100 girls) selected randomly from different schools of Rajshahi city, Bangladesh. Bangla version (Sultana, Shirin & Islam, 2017) of Social Anxiety Scale (La Greca et al. 1988) was used to measure their social anxiety and the respondents' previous final examination grade point average (GPA) was considered as their academic achievement. The respondents were classified into three groups-high (above 75 th percentile), medium (from 25 th to 75 th percentile) and low (below 25 th percentile) on the basis of their obtained social anxiety scores. Data were analyzed employing one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test. Results through one way ANOVA showed a significant difference in academic achievement among the three social anxiety groups. The results through t-test also revealed that academic achievement of lower social anxiety group was significantly higher than from medium and high social anxiety groups.
... Studies of adult clinical and community samples find that social anxiety disorder in particular is associated with a range of functional impairments, including occupational and student role functioning and high school noncompletion (Aderka et al., 2012;Stein & Kean, 2000). Although there have not been studies among counseling center clients specifically, studies of social anxiety among college students report either no associations (Strahan, 2003;Topham & Moller, 2011) or negative associations (Brook & Willoughby, 2015) between social anxiety and academic outcomes. Because the Social Anxiety subscale results in the present study are contrary to theoretical expectations based on the empirical record, and there was a substantial suppression effect regarding social anxiety (i.e., full-model associations were substantially larger than zero-order associations), the significant associations between social anxiety, term GPA, and second-year dropout may be spurious. ...
College students experiencing psychological distress are at risk for negative academic outcomes. The Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62) is a symptom inventory designed for and widely used in college counseling centers. However, the relationships between the CCAPS-62 and functional outcomes in the college environment have not been examined. This study examined the validity of the CCAPS-62 in predicting term grade point average (GPA) and dropout. Data from 297 first-year students at a university’s counseling center were analyzed using multiple regression to determine associations between CCAPS-62 subscales, term GPA, and dropout within the subsequent three academic years. Results show that academic distress was predictive of all academic outcomes in the expected directions, social anxiety was associated with higher term GPA and retention, and hostility was associated with lower term GPA and dropout. Results demonstrated support for the instrument’s predictive validity in the identification of students at academic risk.
... Their focus on the present characterized by helplessness may affect the way in which an exam is approached rather than the actual knowledge or skills that the exam tests. Such an interpretation is in line with the fact that Present-Fatalistic had no effect on GPA, as the latter remains far more influenced by factors unrelated to actual performances, such as nonobjectivity of the teacher or social functioning of the student (Richardson et al., 2012;Strahan, 2003), when compared to exam results. ...
Individual differences in time perspectives (TPs) have often been analyzed in the context of educational achievement. But most studies have focused solely on future orientations, and the roles of other temporal perspectives have largely remained unexplored. Moreover, studies carried out to date have neglected the considerable overlap between TPs and personality. We provide an empirical analysis of the effects of TP dimensions on school performance as measured by junior high school final exam scores and high school first term grade point average (GPA), using a sample of 216 Polish high school students. Students' Future-Positive TP scores showed a significant positive correlation with their GPA, whereas inverse relationships with GPA were observed for Present-Hedonistic and Present-Fatalistic TPs. However, effects became nonsignificant when intelligence and Big Five personality dimension scores were controlled. Increasing Present-Fatalistic TP scores predicted poorer exam scores, and controlling for personality and cognitive capacity did not make this effect redundant. Also, more balanced TPs predicted greater GPAs. Our results provide some insight into the role of TPs in school performance. They also highlight redundancy between TP dimensions and personality, emphasizing the necessity to consider such potential redundancy when considering various psychological and behavioral outcomes.
This study aims to identify epistemological, ontogenic, and didactic barriers to Islamic Religious Education learning in public higher education. A qualitative approach with a case study design was used to collect data through in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The findings indicate that students' difficulties connecting Islamic teachings with modern sciences, such as economics and technology, arise from epistemological barriers. As many as 75% of students complained about the lack of relevance of Islamic Religious Education materials to their fields of study. Ontogenic barriers are related to students' mental unpreparedness, including anxiety, lack of self-confidence, and inability to participate actively in learning. Unstable psychological conditions, such as stress and time management disorders, exacerbate this problem. On the other hand, didactic barriers were identified in using one-way lecture teaching methods that reduce student engagement and the lack of variation in learning strategies that connect theory to contemporary issues. This study suggests improvements in teaching methods, emphasizing interactive and problem-based approaches and increasing student involvement in discussions to deepen a comprehensive understanding of religion. In addition, strengthening practical learning, such as teaching Tajweed and applying religious teachings in a modern context, is expected to overcome these barriers
Supporting student success requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. Researchers have explored machine learning models for academic performance prediction; yet key challenges remain in ensuring these models are interpretable, equitable, and actionable within real-world educational support systems. First, many models prioritize predictive accuracy but overlook human-centered considerations, limiting trust among students and reducing their usefulness for educators and institutional decision-makers. Second, most models require at least a month of data before making reliable predictions, delaying opportunities for early intervention. Third, current models primarily rely on sporadically collected, classroom-derived data, missing broader behavioral patterns that could provide more continuous and actionable insights. To address these gaps, we present three modeling approaches-LR, 1D-CNN, and MTL-1D-CNN-to classify students as low or high academic performers. We evaluate them based on explainability, fairness, and generalizability to assess their alignment with key social values. Using behavioral and self-reported data collected within the first week of two Spring terms, we demonstrate that these models can identify at-risk students as early as week one. However, trade-offs across human-centered considerations highlight the complexity of designing predictive models that effectively support multi-stakeholder decision-making and intervention strategies. We discuss these trade-offs and their implications for different stakeholders, outlining how predictive models can be integrated into student support systems. Finally, we examine broader socio-technical challenges in deploying these models and propose future directions for advancing human-centered, collaborative academic prediction systems.
In a globalizing world, social skills are becoming increasingly necessary on an individual and professional level. University students having these skills before graduation will provide them with significant advantages in both their professional and personal lives. Active learning is an approach that allows students to learn knowledge and skills by experiencing them. In this approach, students take an active role in the learning process. This research investigates the impact of social skills development workshops using an active learning approach on a group of 19 participants. Using a qualitative research approach, inductive thematic analysis was employed to examine the participants’ workshop experiences. Based on the research findings, it is evident that the social skills development workshops prepared with an active learning approach have provided many benefits to participants in their personal and professional lives. These workshops have positively influenced participants’ social skills, such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, and empathy, and have helped them gain positive perspectives on developing social skills.
emotional intelligence and academic performance
The present study is a descriptive and correlational study that was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between cognitive order-seeking, excitement and academic achievement motivation in Qazvin city. The statistical population of this research was the female students of Payam Noor University, Qazvin center, in the first half of the academic year 2017-2018. The statistical sample of this research consisted of 100 female students, 5 classes were selected using a multi-stage random sampling method, all female students of 5 classes filled the mentioned questionnaires. The tools used in this research are questionnaires; Cognitive order-seeking (CERQ-P) and achievement motivation (A.M.T) were. Pearson's correlation coefficient and univariate regression were used to analyze the data, and the results showed that there is no relationship between the cognitive order-seeking of emotion and the academic achievement motivation of female students. (p≥.05) Also, the findings showed that the cognitive regulation of emotion predicts the motivation of academic progress. (p≤.05)
The study examined the mediating effect of internalized shame on the relationship between affiliate stigma and interpersonal anxiety among adolescents with siblings who had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the moderated mediating effect of mother-adolescent communication openness. The participants consisted of 139 adolescents (boys 48.9%, high-school students 79.8%) who had siblings with ASD. Interpersonal anxiety, affiliate stigma, internalized shame, and mother-adolescent communication openness were measured using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (La Greca & Lopez, 1998), the Affiliate Stigma Scale (Mak & Cheung, 2008), the Internalized Shame Scale (Cook, 1988), and the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (Barnes & Olson, 1982), respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Process Macro Models 4 and 7 were used to examine the mediating effect and the moderated mediating effect. The results indicated that internalized shame mediated the effect of affiliate stigma on interpersonal anxiety among adolescents who had siblings with ASD. However, there was no significant moderated mediating effect of mother-adolescent communication openness on the relationship between affiliate stigma, internalized shame and interpersonal anxiety. These findings suggest that it is necessary to improve social awareness of individuals with ASD and their family members to prevent adolescents who have siblings with ASD from having affiliate stigma and to help them reduce interpersonal anxiety. The results also highlight the importance of counseling programs for adolescents with siblings with ASD as a way of preventing or alleviating their interpersonal anxiety by reducing internalized shame, even where they experience affiliate stigma.
Social link is an important index to understand master students’ mental health and social ability in educational management. Extracting hidden social strength from students’ rich daily life behaviors has also become an attractive research hotspot. Devices with positioning functions record many students’ spatiotemporal behavior data, which can infer students’ social links. However, under the guidance of school regulations, students’ daily activities have a certain regularity and periodicity. Traditional methods usually compare the co-occurrence frequency of two users to infer social association but do not consider the location-intensive and time-sensitive in campus scenes. Aiming at the campus environment, a Spatiotemporal Entropy-Based Analyzing (S-EBA) model for inferring students’ social strength is proposed. The model is based on students’ multi-source heterogeneous behavioral data to calculate the frequency of co-occurrence under the influence of time intervals. Then, the three features of diversity, spatiotemporal hotspot and behavior similarity are introduced to calculate social strength. Experiments show that our method is superior to the traditional methods under many evaluating criteria. The inferred social strength is used as the weight of the edge to construct a social network further to analyze its important impact on students’ education management.
In recent years, the number of players of otome games, which target the niche market of young females, has been rapidly increasing in Asia. Although previous studies have attempted to explain continued playing intention and in-game purchase intention in terms of social influence among players, the parasocial phenomenon has never been used to understand female players' emotional psychology and interactive behaviors. In this study, we obtained the responses of 615 female otome game players from China and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. The results show that social anxiety and real-life interaction had positive effects on parasocial interaction (PSI), real-life interaction had a negative effect on romantic PSI, and online social interaction had a positive effect on romantic PSI. In addition, PSI and romantic PSI positively affected continued playing intention, and romantic PSI positively affected in-game purchase intention. The present study also found a strong association between PSI and romantic PSI, meaning that, as the interaction and intimacy between female players and male characters in otome games increases, the PSI between players and game characters may convert to romantic PSI.
With individuals of all ages confined to their homes for extended periods of time, the pandemic laid the groundwork for an upsurge in online mobile gaming addiction and risky internet usage. According to research, those who are hooked to online gaming are more likely to experience social interaction anxiety. This research is an additional attempt to confirm prior findings in the context of Malaysian youth. The data was acquired via an online questionnaire as part of the survey research procedure. The respondents were reached through convenient sampling, and the 377 replies provided more evidence on the association between gaming addiction and social interaction anxiety. Keywords: Mobile addiction, social anxiety, youth eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behavior Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioral Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behavior Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.
This study was conducted with the aim of testing the causal relation among task value, cognitive engagement, achievement emotions, academic self-regulation, and mathematics achievement. For this, 560 students (267 boys and 293 girls) were chosen from the high school 3rd graders who studied mathematics in high schools of Tehran by multistage clustering sampling and answered the task value subscale questionnaire (Pintrich and DeGroot, 1991), Cognitive Involvement Scale (revised (2F-R-LPQ)) (KamberBigs and Liong, 2004), Pre-exam Development Scale (AEQ) (Pekran, Quitz, Teets and Perry,2005) and achievement Self- regulation Scale (Pintrich and DeGroot, 1990). The results of structural equation analysis with use of experimental data showed that academic achievement is influenced directly and indirectly by predictor variables such as task value, cognitive engagement, academic achievement emotions and academic self- regulation. The results of this study show that all the indices except for AGFI were reported highly satisfying and the model fits the data well and this points to the linear relation between latent variables and structures. Consequently, the general hypothesis of the study which is “the preconceived pattern of causal relation between task value and academic achievement with the mediation of cognitive engagement, academic achievement emotions and academic self-regulation fits the data patterns” was confirmed.
An annual 2019 survey of directors of college counseling centers reported that 60.7% of students seeking counseling present with the predominant concern of anxiety. Furthermore, counseling centers across the United States have seen a rise in the number of students requesting services in recent years, frequently resulting in wait lists for students to receive counseling. Group psychotherapy sessions may mitigate wait times; however due to student anxiety and negative stigma surrounding mental health treatment it can often be challenging to attract students to participate in groups compared to individual sessions. This pilot study aimed to investigate the efficacy of group psychotherapy incorporating equines for undergraduate women college students presenting with concerns of anxiety. Implementing the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association’s model of psychotherapy, six women participants attended one 90-minute group session per week for 7 weeks on the campus of North Dakota State University. Students completed the Self Compassion Scale (SCS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) at weeks 0 and 7 as pre and post measures of the intervention. A significant increase was observed in the common humanity subscale of the SCS; however, no other differences were found in the remaining SCS subscales nor in the DASS subscales. Anecdotally, multiple students expressed that they would not have persisted in coming to group without the horses present. Furthermore, there was markedly improved attendance rates in the psychotherapy incorporating equine group compared to other group therapies at the counseling center. We recommend that future research examine whether psychotherapy integrating both horses and the tenets of self-compassion can help woman college students improve their anxiety management skills and become more resilient.
Se expone el resultado de un programa para reducir el temor a hablar en público e incrementar la autoeficacia entre estudiantes de Magisterio. La muestra está compuesta por 158 personas del grupo experimental y 101 del grupo control. Los resultados evaluados a través del Cuestionario de Autoeficacia para Hablar en Público muestran que los participantes en el programa mejoran su autoeficacia, sobre todo aquellos con puntuaciones más bajas, y que estos resultados se mantienen a lo largo del tiempo. Se concluye que la intervención ha sido eficaz y ha dotado a los alumnos de más recursos para aprovecharse de los factores que el contexto académico ofrece para desarrollar la competencia para hablar en público.
Objective: The present study examines the relationship between minority stress and academic outcomes for ethnic minority college students in the U.S. We explore to what extent anxiety functions as a potential mediating mechanism for these relationships. Participants: Data were obtained from 347 undergraduate ethnic minority college students attending a public university in West Texas. Results: Results revealed that minority stress was significantly related to anxiety symptoms when controlling for ethnic minority group membership. Additionally, it was found that anxiety symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between minority stress and major satisfaction, controlling for ethnic minority group membership. Conclusions: This study contributes to the existing psychological literature on ethnic minority college students by highlighting the extent that minority stress is related to certain academic outcomes, taking a step further to investigate anxiety as a mechanism that may explain these relationships.
This study was conducted with the aim of testing the causal relation among task value, cognitive engagement, achievement emotions, academic self-regulation, and mathematics achievement. For this, 560 students (267 boys and 293 girls) were chosen from the high school 3rd graders who studied mathematics in high schools of Tehran by multistage clustering sampling and answered the task value subscale questionnaire (Pintrich and DeGroot, 1991), Cognitive Involvement Scale (revised (2F-R-LPQ)) (KamberBigs and Liong, 2004), Pre-exam Development Scale (AEQ) (Pekran, Quitz, Teets and Perry,2005) and achievement Self- regulation Scale (Pintrich and DeGroot, 1990). The results of structural equation analysis with use of experimental data showed that academic achievement is influenced directly and indirectly by predictor variables such as task value, cognitive engagement, academic achievement emotions and academic self- regulation. The results of this study show that all the indices except for AGFI were reported highly satisfying and the model fits the data well and this points to the linear relation between latent variables and structures. Consequently, the general hypothesis of the study which is “the preconceived pattern of causal relation between task value and academic achievement with the mediation of cognitive engagement, academic achievement emotions and academic self-regulation fits the data patterns” was confirmed.
Background
Despite robust evidence indicating the adverse academic, psychological, and school-related impacts of being victimized, the ways in which peer victimization indirectly affects children's academic performance by psychological and environmental distress remain poorly understood, especially in China.
Objective
We sought to investigate how peer victimization negatively impacts academic performance via the serial mediation effects of environmental and psychological distress among migrant versus non-migrant children in China.
Participants and setting
Participants were selected by multistage stratified cluster sampling, and data were collected with a cross-sectional survey administered in Nanjing and Guangzhou, China. The sample included 1747 students in Grades 4 to 9 (boys = 54.7 %, mean age = 11.7 years).
Methods
Structural equation modeling and group comparison analysis were conducted to examine the hypothesized model.
Results
Children's experiences with peer victimization significantly affected their academic performance and in relationships partially mediated by environmental distress (i.e., perception of school safety), followed by psychological distress (i.e., anxiety) (95 % CI: [−0.010, −0.001], B = −0.005, p < .01). The serial mediation model applied to non-migrant children only (95 % CI: [−0.026, −0.001], B = −0.008, p < .05), however, whereas environmental distress exerted a single mediating effect on the association between peer victimization and academic performance among migrant children only (95 % CI: [−0.125, −0.044], B = −0.076, p < .001).
Conclusion
Environmental and psychological distress exerted serial mediating effect on the association between peer victimization and academic performance. School-based comprehensive intervention programs designed for migrant versus non-migrant children are recommended.
em>This study identify the factors that influence the academic performance of students in Indonesia. Ease of use and social anxiety are considered antecedents of smartphone addiction. Data was collected through an online survey of 100 respondents who were students in the city of Malang. Data analysis using GSCA software. The findings of this study prove that ease of use and social anxiety have an impact on increasing smartphone addiction behavior. It also reveals the mediating effect of smartphone addiction playing an important role in students' academic performance. It is recommended that further researchers can also elaborate on this research model, especially with regard to the concept of smartphone addiction.</em
La habilidad para hablar en público es fundamental para los universitarios, incluye comportamientos verbales y no verbales para desarrollar las conductas que se espera en el perfil profesional de la carrera. El objetivo de este estudio es examinar la relación entre el autoreporte sobre hablar en público y la observación de la ejecución al exponer en clase. Participaron 41 estudiantes de licenciatura; se empleó el Cuestionario de Confianza para Hablar en Público y la Rúbrica de Habilidades para Hablar en Público en Estudiantes Universitarios para evaluar la ejecución. Los hallazgos concuerdan con investigaciones previas sobre la prevalencia de dificultades para hablar en público en la población universitaria en alrededor del 20 y 30%; se encontraron diversas combinaciones con respecto de la percepción y la ejecución al exponer un tema, destacando, por ejemplo, estudiantes que se perciben con temor a hablar en público pero que su nivel de ejecución es básico e incluso en algunos casos competente. Pese a que no se encontró una relación significativa entre la percepción y la ejecución al hablar en público, resulta necesario continuar con la línea de investigación derivada de las posibles combinaciones de percepción-ejecución, con la finalidad de ofrecer entrenamientos diferenciados para mejorar esta habilidad.
Social anxiety is associated with reduced educational achievement. Given that concentration is a predictor of educational achievement, and social anxiety symptoms are associated with reduced concentration in class, this prospective study examined the possibility that social anxiety may impair educational achievement through reduced classroom concentration. A sample of 509 participants (53.8% female; M age: 12.77 years [SD = 0.81]) recruited from secondary schools completed questionnaires assessing social anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and concentration in class. Educational achievement was assessed by internal grades within schools. An indirect effect of social anxiety on later educational achievement via concentration was observed, over and above baseline achievement and depression symptoms; adolescents with higher levels of social anxiety tend to have more difficulties concentrating in class, which in turn is associated with poorer academic outcomes. Findings underscore the challenges socially anxious adolescents will face trying to learn in school, and the need for education providers and clinicians to consider the effect of social anxiety symptoms on concentration and learning.
Social media has become an integral part of young people's lives. While its effects on students’ academic performance are extensively studied in the literature, there is still a lack of research on how social media combined with other lifestyle habits can affect academic performance in a developing country context. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the impact of social media and a collection of behavioral factors such as smoking, consuming alcohol, and romantic relationships on academic achievement in a context of developing countries. From a sample of 112 undergraduate students at a university in Lebanon, the study found that excessive social media use, smoking, and romantic relationships were significantly associated with a lower academic performance. No interactions have been detected between social media usage and other lifestyle habits. A classification model that predicts the likelihood of having good academic performance is also presented.
In their comment, Neale, Cox, Valdimarsdottir, and Stone (1988)argued that one should not conclude, based on our findings, that there is any positive effect of a brief psychotherapeutic writing treatment on immunocompetence. We disagree. Our experimental technique of having subjects write about the most traumatic experiences of their lives has now been shown to reduce health center visits for illness in three studies in two laboratories. In the Pennebaker, Kiecolt-Glaser, and Glaser (1988)study, we found that those subjects who wrote about traumatic experiences showed an improvement in one immunological assay (blastogenesis with the mitogen phytohemagglutinin) relative to control subjects who wrote about trivial topics. Furthermore, theoretically meaningful internal analyses demonstrated similar effects with another mitogen, concanavalin A. Although it is not possible to pinpoint the exact physiological links, consideration of all of the data indicate that confronting traumatic experience is, in all probability, physically beneficial.
Nonclinic socially anxious individuals, clinic socially anxious patients, and nonsocially anxious subjects were assessed for changes in patterns of physiological reactivity and cognitions across three interpersonal tasks. The clinic and nonclinic samples of socially anxious subjects differed significantly from the nonsocially anxious subjects in level of physiological reactivity and type of cognition. There were no significant differences between the two anxious groups. The results indicate that both thoughts and physiological reactivity were influenced by situational parameters. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of situational impact in assessments of behavior in socially anxious individuals and the comparison of subjects selected on the basis of performance on various social anxiety inventories to patients who seek treatment in an anxiety disorders clinic.
Cabrera, Castaneda, Nora, and Hengstler [18] found considerable overlap between Tinto's [50, 52] and Bean's [4, 5, 7] models of student attrition. This study integrated the major propositions underlying both theoretical frameworks. Findings supported most of the hypothesized links and uncovered that environmental factors play a far more complex role than the one envisioned by Tinto [52].
Although several theories have been advanced to explain the college persistence process [6, 39, 44, 46], the two theories that provide a more comprehensive theoretical framework on college departure decisions are Tinto's [44, 46] Student Integration Model and Bean's [5] Model of Student Departure [18]. These two theories have re-ceived considerable attention in the literature [see, for example, 13. 21, 22, 24, 26]. However, no research exists on the extent to which these two theories converge and diverge in explaining decisions to leave college. The purpose of this article was to examine, empirically, the convergent and discriminant validity between these two theories and document the extent to which the two theories could be merged to illuminate better our understanding of the college persistence process.
The development, reliability, and discriminative ability of a new instrument to assess social phobia are presented. The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is an empirically derived instrument incorporating responses from the cognitive, somatic, and behavioral dimensions of social fear. The SPAI high test–retest reliability and good internal consistency. The instrument appears to be sensitive to the entire continuum of socially anxious concerns and is capable of differentiating social phobics from normal controls as well as from other anxiety patients. The utility of this instrument for improved assessment of social phobia and anxiety and its use as an aid for treatment planning are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Undergraduate students (
N = 732) completed questionnaires about their perceived likelihood of seeking professional psychological help, attitudes toward psychotherapy, fears of psychotherapy, psychological distress, social support, and self-concealment. Self-concealment (a person's tendency to keep intimate information secret) was positively associated with self-reported distress and avoidance of needed psychological treatment. Although low social support was associated with greater perceived likelihood of seeking help, this effect was canceled at high levels of self-concealment. Specific types of distress selectively predicted perceived likelihood of seeking help as a function of the type of problem for which help would have been sought. Overall, the data contradicted previous findings and conclusions that suggested high self-concealers were more inclined than low self-concealers to seek psychological services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Proposes a conceptual framework for defining and assessing basic social skills derived from the attempts of social personality psychologists to measure individual differences in nonverbal communication skills. Preliminary testing resulted in the development of a 105-item, pencil-and-paper measure of 7 basic dimensions of social skills, the Social Skills Inventory (SSI). In a series of validation studies using 149 undergraduate students, the SSI demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity in relation to other measures of nonverbal social skill and traditional personality scales (e.g., the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire [16PF], the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale). Scores on the SSI also predicted some social group memberships, typical social behaviors, and the depth of social networks. Evidence suggests that the SSI could prove to be a valuable tool for research in personality and social psychology and for work in applied settings. (57 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The presence of Axis I and Axis II disorders in 71 social phobic patients was examined. Generalized anxiety disorder was the common secondary Axis I disorder, followed by simple phobia. Avoidant personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder were the most common Axis II diagnoses, and 88% of the sample exhibited features of these 2 personality styles. Ss with additional Axis I diagnoses were more anxious and depressed than those with no additional Axis I disorder. Social phobics with additional Axis II disorders were more depressed but not more anxious than those with no Axis II diagnosis. Furthermore, those with an additional Axis I disorder had higher scores on measures of neuroticism, interpersonal sensitivity, and agoraphobia. The prevalence and impact of additional Axis I and II disorders on the etiology, maintenance, and treatment outcome for persons with social phobia are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Provides an analysis of social anxiety set within a longitudinal study of students in life-transition from high school to college. The typical first-year student expected social life tasks (e.g., making friends) to be rewarding and easy to accomplish, whereas a minority of students approached these tasks with anxiety. Second-year interviews served as the basis of observer–judges' Q-sort assessments of the students' strategies in social and achievement tasks. Students who reported the atypical pattern of anxiety about social tasks were observed to use an atypical social strategy of humility and otherdirected action (social constraint). Path analyses showed that differences in adjustment outcomes were not due to direct effects of initial social anxiety, but rather were mediated through the social constraint strategy. Students' perceptions of family life and prior experiences were used to suggest an explanation of use of this strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
We conducted a meta-analysis using all available controlled treatment outcome studies of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments for social phobia (N= 24 studies, N= 1079 subjects). The mean social anxiety effect size for cognitive-behavioral treatments was .74 and for pharmacological treatments was .62. Both were significantly different from zero and the difference between them was not significant. Among cognitive-behavioral treatments, exposure-interventions yielded the largest effect size (ES) whether alone (ES = .89) or combined with cognitive restructuring (ES = .80). Selective serotonin reup-take inhibitors (ES = 1.89) and benzodiazepines (ES = .72) yielded the largest effect sizes for pharmacotherapy. According to cost projections, group cognitive-behavioral treatment offered the most cost-effective intervention.
The study empirically examined the role of finances on college persistence by presenting a causal model that relied on several theoretical frameworks. A quantitative model was tested via linear structural equations for categorical data that incorporated constructs from the financial aid literature as well as the persistence literature. The research design was longitudinal in nature and analyses were conducted on a sample of 466 college students who were attending a large public urban commuter institution in the spring of 1989. In sum, results appear to suggest that financial aid, and its concomitant attitude, is important not only because it equalizes opportunities between affluent and low-income students, but also because it facilitates the integration of the student into the academic and social components of the institution as well as by influencing his or her commitment to stay in college.
Drawing on cognitive adaptation theory, optimism, psychological control, and self-esteem were explored as longitudinal predictors of adjustment to college in a sample of 672 freshmen. Although a direct effect of optimism on adjustment was found, most of the predicted effects were mediated by coping methods. Controlling for initial positive and negative mood, the beneficial effects of optimism, control, and self-esteem on adjustment were mediated by the nonuse of avoidance coping, greater use of active coping, and greater seeking of social support. Alternative models of the causal relations among these variables did not fit the data as well as the a priori mediational model. The results of a 2-year follow-up indicated that self-esteem and control predicted greater motivation and higher grades, controlling for college entrance exam scores. Implications for cognitive adaptation theory and for interventions with populations under stress are discussed.
In their comment, Neale, Cox, Valdimarsdottir, and Stone (1988) argued that one should not conclude, based on our findings, that there is any positive effect of a brief psychotherapeutic writing treatment on immunocompetence. We disagree. Our experimental technique of having subjects write about the most traumatic experiences of their lives has now been shown to reduce health center visits for illness in three studies in two laboratories. In the Pennebaker, Kiecolt-Glaser, and Glaser (1988) study, we found that those subjects who wrote about traumatic experiences showed an improvement in one immunological assay (blastogenesis with the mitogen phytohemagglutinin) relative to control subjects who wrote about trivial topics. Furthermore, theoretically meaningful internal analyses demonstrated similar effects with another mitogen, concanavalin A. Although it is not possible to pinpoint the exact physiological links, consideration of all of the data indicate that confronting traumatic experience is, in all probability, physically beneficial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Examined whether writing about traumatic events would influence long-term measures of health as well as short-term indicators of physiological arousal and reports of negative moods in 46 introductory psychology students. Also examined were aspects of writing about traumatic events (i.e., cognitive, affective, or both) that were most related to physiological and self-report variables. Ss wrote about either personally traumatic life events or trivial topics on 4 consecutive days. In addition to health center records, physiological measures and self-reported moods and physical symptoms were collected throughout the experiment. Findings indicate that, in general, writing about both the emotions and facts surrounding a traumatic event was associated with relatively higher blood pressure and negative moods following the essays, but fewer health center visits in the 6 mo following the experiment. It is concluded that, although findings should be considered preliminary, they bear directly on issues surrounding catharsis, self-disclosure, and a general theory of psychosomatics based on behavioral inhibition. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Compared the level of physiological reactivity and frequency of negative cognitions in 26 nonclinic, socially anxious (SA) Ss (mean age 20.8 yrs), 17 clinic SA patients (mean age 40.8 yrs), and 26 nonsocially anxious (NSA) Ss (mean age 22.0 yrs) to investigate the consistency of cognitive and physiological reactivity in the assessment of social anxiety. A social interaction self-statement test served as the cognitive measure. Physiological reactivity was monitored continuously throughout Ss' completion of the following behavioral tasks: an unstructured interpersonal interaction with an opposite-sex confederate, a similar interaction with a same-sex confederate, and an impromptu talk on a topic selected by the S. The clinic and nonclinic samples of SA Ss differed significantly from the NSA Ss in level of physiological reactivity and type of cognition. There were no significant differences between the 2 anxious groups. The results indicate that both thoughts and physiological reactivity were influenced by situational parameters. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Patients with generalized social phobia (N = 32; 16 men, 16 women) and nonclinical control participants (N = 32; 16 men, 16 women) took part in a social interaction that was manipulated to be successful or unsuccessful. Participants rated their ability, perceptions of others' standards, social goals, and emotional responses before and after the interactions. As predicted, the successful social interaction produced a somewhat negative response in patients with social phobia. Social success led to self-protective social goals, negative emotional states and perceptions that others would expect more in future interactions. These results indicate that positive social events may not be processed in a way that leads to a revision of negative self- and social judgments in patients with social phobia.
Some cognitive and performance correlates of ‘worry’ and ‘emotionality’ components of test-anxiety were studied with particular reference to gender differences.An Italian adaptation of the Worry-Emotionality (W-E) Scale was administered to a sample of 99 high-school students, together with other scales devised to assess ‘Fear of negative evaluation’ and the subjects' perception of the real, ideal and social aspects of the Self. The Grade Point Average was taken as outcome measure of academic performance.The results show that in the male subjects, Worry correlates, as expected, with poor self-image and with negative academic performance; more complex correlations are found in females, whose Emotionality appears to have some facilitating effects on performance.A differential interpretation of the correlates of test-anxiety in the two sexes is proposed.
A conceptual model of the factors affecting dropout syndrome (a combination of intent to leave, discussing leaving, and actual attrition) was developed emphasizing academic, social, and personal outcomes of the selection or socialization of students at an institution. The model was estimated using path analysis, and the intervening variables (college grades, institutional fit, and institutional commitment) were found to be important predictors of dropout syndrome. The variables in the model accounted for 27 to 47% of the variance in the criterion. Findings indicate that a student's peers are more important agents of socialization than are informal faculty contacts, that students may play a more active role in their socialization than previously thought, and that college grades seem more the product of selection than socialization.
This study investigated whether socially anxious people differ from less socially anxious people in how they interpret the facial expressions of an interaction partner. Undergraduates answered a series of questions about themselves in a structured interview, replying to what they thought was the TV image of another undergraduate but was actually a videotape. The videotaped interviewer either maintained a consistently neutral facial expression or varied in expression (positive, neutral, negative) across three blocks of questions and answers. After each block, subjects rated the interviewer's approval of and interest in them. Analysis of these ratings revealed that the two social anxiety groups were equivalently responsive to changes in facial expression. Independent of this, socially anxious subjects made ratings that were consistently less favorable than the ratings made by subjects lower in social anxiety. Additional analyses tended to support the most straightforward interpretation of this finding: that persons high in social anxiety construe others' reactions to them more negatively than persons low in social anxiety.
A five-scale instrument developed from a theoretical model of college attrition correctly identified the persistence/voluntary withdrawal decisions of 78.5 percent of a sample of freshmen in a large, residential university. Particularly important discriminators of freshman year persisters and voluntary dropouts were scales assessing the quality of relationships with faculty.
This research examined differences between types of perfectionists and whether perfectionism related to attachment, academic integration, and depression. University students completed the same attachment and perfectionism measures in two studies. In the 2nd study, measures of academic integration and depression were also used. Replicated cluster analyses revealed 3 groups of perfectionists: adaptive, maladaptive, and nonperfectionists. Attachment predicted type of perfectionist, with adaptive perfectionists reporting more secure attachments than did maladaptive perfectionists. Adaptive perfectionists also had better academic integration than maladaptive perfectionists. Maladaptive perfectionists, on average, reported depression in the clinically significant range. Results revealed academic and emotional benefits of adaptive perfectionism, contrasted with the adverse emotional effects and no academic advantages of maladaptive perfectionism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Discusses factors contributing to the college dropout problem and examines the differences between the home and college environments and the personal and academic characteristics of 201 persisting and 165 nonpersisting university students. Factors found to influence the dropout rate include (1) parental pressure and familial problems, (2) dissatisfaction with the general atmosphere at school, (3) poor student/faculty relationships, (4) lack of interest in school work, (5) lack of basic academic skills, (6) discouragement and unhappiness, and (7) perception of the university or college as failing in its purposes. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Patients with circumscribed speech phobia, generalized social phobia, and generalized social phobia with avoidant personality disorder were assessed with modified Stroop color-naming tests. The two generalized social phobia groups demonstrated cognitive interference on a General Social Stimuli Stroop Test (e.g., party), which was not evident in the circumscribed speech phobia group. As expected, cognitive interference was manifested across all groups in a Specific Speech Stimuli Stroop Test (e.g., speech). Interference effects were found among all groups in a Negative Social Evaluative Stroop Test (e.g., foolish) as well. No differences were noted on any test between the generalized social phobia patients with and without avoidant personality disorder. Results support the distinctiveness of the circumscribed speech phobia group. Together with the similarity of response between the generalized social phobia groups with and without avoidant personality disorder, findings are consistent with contemporary conceptualizations of subtypes of social phobia.
This study examined the role of instrumentality, expressivity, satisfaction with social support, and size of the social network in predicting problem-solving appraisal in both male and female college students. Two-hundred fifteen primarily white undergraduates (137 female, 78 male) completed the Problem Solving Inventory, Social Support Inventory, Personal Attribute Questionnaire, and Social Network. Simultaneous regression analyses revealed that for both men and women, instrumentality was related to all three factors of the PSI, and expressivity was related to approaching problems. Satisfaction with social support, however, was related to different PSI factors for men and women. As more information is acquired about how men and women each learn gender-related traits and obtain various problem-solving skills, we will be able to assist people in acquiring new perspectives and adaptive problem-solving activities.
A prospective design was used to examine the relations between problem-solving scores derived from the Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI) and later academic performance in college students, while controlling for the level of academic aptitude. The SPSI is a new, multidimensional, self-report measure of social problem-solving ability that provides for a separate assessment of a person's problem orientation (i.e., generalized cognitive—emotional—behavioral response set) and his or her problem-solving skills (i.e., problem definition and formulation, generation of alternative solutions, decision making, solution implementation and verification). The results showed that the skills measure, but not the orientation measure, significantly predicted cumulative grade point average at the end of the academic year, even after controlling for academic aptitude. The results were interpreted as contributing to the validity of the SPSI and are discussed in relation to other predictors of academic competence.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the determinants of student attrition in institutions of higher education. A causal model was developed which synthesized research findings on turnover in work organizations and on student attrition. Questionnaires were distributed to university freshmen (N = 1,171). The data was analyzed using multiple regression and path analysis. The regressions produced anR
2 = .36 for females and .27 for males. Findings indicate that three surrogate measures for pay were significantly related to intent to leave for both sexes and that the theories and determinants developed in research on turnover are useful in studies of student attrition.
The purpose of this study was to estimate a conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition. Data were gathered from 624 nontraditional (commuter, part-time) freshmen at a midwestern urban university enrolling 22,000 students. For these nontraditional students, dropout was a function of GPA and credit hours enrolled, as well as the utility of education for future employment, satisfaction with the student role, opportunity to transfer, and age affecting dropout through intent to leave. In addition, absence from class, age, high school performance, and ethnicity had indirect effects on dropout through GPA. These results suggested that nontraditional students dropped out of college for academic reasons or because they were not committed to attending the institution, but their reasons for leaving were unrelated to social factors at school. The findings helped validate the conceptual model.
This study was an empirical investigation of gender and sex-role attributes as they relate to the utilization of natural support systems during personal stress events. Compared to male subjects, female subjects reported significantly higher levels of requested assistance and perceived more help as being available from their natural support systems during the most stressful event encountered during the previous year. Subjects' scores on the femininity dimension of the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire were significantly correlated with amount of support asked for during stress events. Along with the variable of perceived level of stress, gender and femininity score accounted for 36% of the variance of natural support system utilization during a personal crisis. The results of the study are discussed in the context of current research on (a) the utilization of natural support systems and (b) the relationship between person variables and psychophysiological disease.
While higher education researchers have long been concerned with the development and application of methods to adequately assess the impact of college on students, strong advances in statistical theory and computational practice have shifted this focus from the fundamental issues of research design to the application of appropriate statistics. This study focuses on the practical implications of applying logistic regression, probit analysis, and linear regression to the problem of predicting college student retention. Rather than simply assuming that one technique is analytically superior to others based on theoretical grounds, this study explores how these techniques compare in predicting student retention using data provided by registrars from a national sample of colleges and universities. Results indicate that despite the theoretical advantages offered by logistic regression and probit analysis, there is little practical difference between either of these two techniques and more traditional linear regression.
A causal model of student attrition developed by the author (Bean, 1981) was reduced to 10 independent variables. Background variables were excluded from the analysis. The sample was partitioned into high- and low-confidence men and women based on interaction effects. The model was estimated using a sample of 1,574 college freshmen. TheR
2 for dropout ranged from .42 to .50. Based on the effects coefficients, the overall ranking of the independent variables in influencing dropout in descending order of importance was as follows: intent to leave; grades; opportunity to transfer; practical value; certainty of choice; loyalty; family approval; courses; student goals; and major and job certainty.
The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a new instrument designed to assess symptoms of social phobia. Although the scale has been shown to have a good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity, no studies have examined its concurrent validity with respect to other measures of social anxiety and avoidance. In the present study, the relationship between the SPAI and several self-report measures of social anxiety was examined in a sample of 23 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for social phobia. The relationship between the SPAI and other measures of psychopathology, as well as performance during a role play test and an impromptu speech, was also examined. The results strongly support the concurrent validity and the specificity of the SPAI. The Social Phobia subscale may be a better index of social anxiety symptoms than the Difference subscale.
A revised Stroop color-naming task was used to test hypotheses derived from Beck's cognitive theory of anxiety disorders which proposes that social phobics are hypervigilant to social-evaluative threat cues. Color-naming latencies for social and physical threat words were compared to matched neutral words for both social phobics and individuals with panic disorder. As predicted, social phobics showed longer latencies for social threat words, and panickers had longer latencies for physical threat words. Latency for color-naming social threat words correlated with self-reported avoidance among social phobics. These results are consistent with Beck's notion of self-schemata which facilitate the processing of threat cues. Methodological issues and clinical implications are discussed.
This study examined the interrelations of a standardized, multidimensional measure of social skills and various self-report measures related to the psychosocial adjustment of college students. One hundred and thirty-six undergraduates were administered the Social Skills Inventory, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, an adaptation of the Dimensions of Social Support Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and self-report measures of participation in college activities, college satisfaction, and a general life satisfaction measure. Correlational analyses revealed that possession of social skills was positively correlated with perceived social support and with most of the measures of psychosocial adjustment. Regression analysis indicated that social skills combined with perceived social support predicted certain aspects of adjustment in college students, particularly satisfaction with college, satisfaction with life in general, and reduced perceptions of loneliness.
This prospective study, based on 198 college students assessed under neutral and evaluative test situations, was designed to shed light on the contextual and personal determinants of coping behaviors and situational anxiety. At time 1 (neutral daily routine situation), about 4 weeks before finals, data were gathered on students' coping styles, trait and state anxiety, depressive tendencies, and academic hassles. At time 2, during final exam period, students' state anxiety and situational coping responses were assessed. Consistent with predictions, a significant interaction was found between the situation (neutral vs evaluative) and social evaluation trait anxiety (high vs low) on state anxiety. Accordingly, greater increments in state anxiety were found among high trait anxious than low trait anxious students in the shift from neutral to evaluative conditions. Students high on negative affectivity (depressed, high evaluative trait anxiety) tend to employ more palliative and less active coping behaviors in dealing with an evaluative ego-threatening situation. They also show elevated levels of academic strain as well as state anxiety under both daily routine and evaluative situations. Personal variables (i.e. social evaluation trait anxiety, depression) appear to bear a direct impact on anxiety rather than working through coping styles. Emotion-focused coping behavior was a significant predictor of state anxiety at time 2, suggesting that emotion-oriented coping is associated with poor adaptation to stress. Furthermore, students who experienced a greater number of academic hassles also reported greater situational anxiety at both points in time and also showed increased emotion-focused coping. Task-oriented coping behaviors moderated the effects of ongoing academic hassles on anxiety in a stressful evaluative encounter. Coping styles were predictive of congruent coping responses at time 2. The data provides additional support for the interactional model of anxiety in an evaluative encounter and suggest that any account of the determinants of coping responses and situational anxiety in an evaluative situation needs to consider both personal factors as well as daily hassles in the individuals' environment.
The relationship between subtypes of social phobia and avoidant personality disorder (APD) and their effects on severity of impairment and outcome of cognitive behavioral treatment were examined. Before treatment, most assessment measures differentiated only between generalized and nongeneralized subtypes of social phobia. Individuals with generalized social phobia were younger when they developed social phobia and achieved higher scores on measures of depression, social anxiety and avoidance, and fear of negative evaluation. During treatment, subjects with generalized social phobia and nongeneralized social phobia improved similarly, but subjects with generalized social phobia remained more impaired after treatment. APD was not predictive of treatment outcome, but several subjects who received a diagnosis of APD before treatment no longer met criteria for APD after treatment.
The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a newly developed instrument to measure social phobia and social anxiety. In this report, the concurrent and external validity of the scale were examined. The results indicate that the SPAI successfully discriminates social phobics from non-social phobics, accurately predicts social distress, and has some ability to predict the occurrence of specific behaviors in social situations. In addition, the results suggest that the ratings made by a significant other closely matched the individual's own ratings of social distress, indicating a degree of external validity.
A meta-analytic comparison of studies testing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT; n = 12) and exposure treatment (n = 9) for social phobia indicates that the treatment modalities are equally effective. Compared to exposure, CBT did not lead to greater pretest-posttest or pretest-follow-up improvement on self-report measures of social anxiety, cognitive symptoms, or depressed/anxious mood. Length of treatment was generally unrelated to outcome, although a larger number of exposure sessions produced better results on measures of social anxiety at posttest.
Selected sociodemographic and clinical features of social phobia were assessed in four US communities among more than 13,000 adults from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. Rates of social phobia were highest among women and persons who were younger (age, 18 to 29 years), less educated, single, and of lower socioeconomic class. Mean age at onset was 15.5 years, and first onsets after the age of 25 years were uncommon. Lifetime major comorbid disorders were present in 69% of subjects with social phobia and usually had onset after social phobia. When compared with persons with no psychiatric disorder, uncomplicated social phobia was associated with increased rates of suicidal ideation, financial dependency, and having sought medical treatment, but was not associated with higher rates of having made a suicide attempt or having sought treatment from a mental health professional. An increase in suicide attempts was found among subjects with social phobia overall, but this increase was mainly attributable to comorbid cases. Social phobia, in the absence of comorbidity, was associated with distress and impairment, yet was rarely treated by mental health professionals. The findings are compared and contrasted with prior reports from clinical samples.
The evidence for the skills deficit and response inhibition models of social anxiety is reviewed. Evidence inconsistent with both hypotheses suggests that social anxiety may be better considered from a cognitive-behavioural perspective. There is already evidence that socially anxious patients underestimate their ability to deal with socially threatening situations. In this study it was demonstrated that, compared with matched control subjects, such patients overestimate the probability that unpleasant social events will occur in the first place, and that cognitively oriented treatment produced specific changes in this appraisal.
Investigated whether differences in the way that information related to danger is processed depend on voluntary attention to threat cues or on involuntary processes that may occur in the absence of awareness. 16 Ss (mean age 30.9 yrs) complaining of generalized anxiety states and 16 nonanxious matched controls (mean age 32.6 yrs) completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the synonyms section of the Mill Hill Vocabulary Scale. Ss then shadowed neutral passages in a dichotic listening task while simultaneously being exposed to threat- or non-threat-related words in the unattended channel. Anxious Ss were slower in performing a simultaneous reaction time (RT) task when the unattended words were threatening in content, although neither group could report on or recognize the words to which they had been exposed. This finding suggests that threat cues are processed differently by anxious and nonanxious individuals and that this effect depends on a preattentive bias operating prior to awareness. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
It was postulated that generalized anxiety states are associated with selective processing of threat cues arising from the activity of cognitive structures concerned with processing information related to personal danger (danger schemata). Selective processing was investigated using a modification of the Stroop Colour-naming Task, in which some of the target words were related to physical or social threat, while others were completely unrelated to danger. Anxious Ss were generally slower than controls in colour-naming all words, but were particularly slow with threat words. In the case of physical (but not social) threat words, there was also evidence that interference was most marked in those Ss reporting worries within the relevant domain. Taken together with correlational findings that degree of slowing was associated with mood state, the results were interpreted as evidence that the individual content of danger schemata determine the type of material that is selectively processed, while the extent of interference observed depends on current anxiety level.
This study examined potential differences between a clinically socially anxious group and a non-socially anxious control group in dealing with embarrassing events. Six scenarios of embarrassing events each paired with a method of coping with that event were presented to the two groups of subjects. Both groups evaluated their confidence in their ability to deal with each situation, described how they might actually deal with them (prior to reading the given method) and rated how well others might deal with each episode. There was little difference between the two groups in self-reported techniques for dealing with each episode, but clinically socially anxious patients, when compared to non-socially anxious controls, underestimated parameters of their own performance and overestimated the ability of others to deal with embarrassment. The implications of these results for clinical intervention are discussed.
32 generalized social phobic outpatients and 32 matched nonclinical control subjects participated in a dyadic 'getting acquainted' interaction with an experimental assistant who engaged in either positive or negative social behavior. The accuracy of social phobics' and control subjects' perceptions of themselves and their partners were compared in the two conditions. Relative to observers' ratings, the social phobics displayed a negative bias in their appraisals of some, but not all, aspects of their social performance. These results suggested that social phobics may have particular difficulty gauging the nonverbal aspects of their social behavior. The phobics discounted their social competence to the same extent in the positive interaction, where their behavior was more skillful, as in the negative interaction. The social phobics were also less accurate than nonclinical controls in their appraisals of their partners, however, these phobic subjects displayed a positive bias when appraising their partner's performance.
Generalized and specific social phobias are common, chronic, and potentially debilitating conditions. In recent years, there have been major advances in the pharmacotherapy of social phobia; efficacy has become better established for a diverse group of medications. Controlled studies have shown substantial benefit from monamine oxidase inhibitors, both irreversible (phenelzine) and reversible (brofaromine and moclobemide). The serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor antidepressants have shown promise in case reports, uncontrolled studies, and double-blind trials (fluvoxamine and sertraline). The benzodiazepines have been extensively used to treat social phobia, although only recently has a controlled, double-blind study confirmed efficacy (clonazepam). The beta-adrenergic receptor blockers have been widely used on an as needed basis to treat specific social phobia (i.e., performance anxiety), although their value in generalized social phobia has not been convincing. Finally, pharmacologic approaches to social phobia must take into consideration the common coexistence of other psychiatric conditions.
Information processing was examined in a sample of social phobic individuals using a revised version of the Stroop color-naming task. In the first of two experiments, the response latencies of social phobics and matched community controls were compared when color-naming socially threatening words, physically threatening words and color words. Social phobics demonstrated greater response latencies regardless of type of stimulus word and additional interference in color-naming social threat words compared to the control group. The second experiment examined the cognitive structural change that has been hypothesized to accompany successful treatment of individuals with an anxiety disorder. Social phobics who were treated with cognitive-behavioral group therapy, phenelzine or pill placebo were classified as treatment responders or nonresponders, and their latencies to color-naming on the Stroop task were compared. Treatment responders showed a significant reduction in latencies to color-name social threat words (vs matched control words) while nonresponders did not. This effect was not demonstrated with color words or physically threatening words. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
This study examined whether the socially anxious show deficits in performance on a social task as well as how their anxiety and competence relate to judgments they make about themselves and others. Ratings from a panel of judges were used to compare men of high and low social anxiety on their performances in a simulated job interview. Participants also viewed videotapes of themselves and others and rated responses for content, fluency, nonverbal, and global competence. Contradicting predictions of a performance deficit model, high levels of social anxiety had no detrimental effect on participants' performance or on their ability to judge their own performance. In contrast, observer-rated competence was related to a number of significant effects for social judgment tasks. Implications for treatment of social anxiety and research on social anxiety are discussed.