Too Anxious to Talk: Social Anxiety, Academic Communication, and Students’ Experiences in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 106342662110600
Author(s):  
Kristen A. Archbell ◽  
Robert J. Coplan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Emotional Functioning ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Academic Communication

Social anxiety is related to a host of negative student outcomes in the educational context, including physical symptoms of anxiety, reduced cognitive functioning, and poor academic performance. Despite the prevalence of social anxiety, little is known about mechanisms that may underlie associations between social anxiety and outcomes in the context of higher education. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate a conceptual model linking social anxiety, communication with peers and instructors, students’ experiences (i.e., engagement, connectedness, and satisfaction), and indices of socio-emotional functioning at university. Participants were N = 1,073 undergraduate students ( Mage = 20.3 years, SD = 3.49) who completed a series of self-report measures. Among the results, social anxiety was negatively related to communication with instructors, socio-emotional functioning, and student experiences, and academic communication accounted for significant variance in the links between social anxiety and student experiences. In addition, there was at least some evidence that student experiences partially mediated the association between social anxiety and socio-emotional functioning. Gender effects suggest that social anxiety is related to less communication with instructors, lower engagement and satisfaction, and poorer socio-emotional functioning among females compared with males. Results are situated within current literature examining social anxiety in education. The discussion provides concrete suggestions for educational practitioners to increase support for students who experience social anxiety.

The wheel of fortune as a novel support for constructive alignment and transformative sustainability learning in higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Noy ◽  
Teresa Capetola ◽  
Rebecca Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Constructive Alignment ◽  
Common Framework ◽  
Changing Times

Purpose Education for Sustainability in Higher Education (ESHE) sits within and across disciplinary settings that share the need for a framework that provides a basis for pedagogy, assessment and learning outcomes (Kalsoom, 2019). ESHE strives to create transformative learning spaces that help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to understand and contribute to shaping a world based on communities living within the limits of earth’s resources. This paper aims to offer a novel solution to the challenge of teaching students from different disciplines struggling with the complexity of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the development of an interdisciplinary subject designed for undergraduate students from four faculties. It presents a case study of pedagogy that moves away from three pillars/concentric circles approaches towards practices based in systems thinking and interactive transformative learning. It describes the iterative process of developing and implementing an infographic: the “Sustainability Wheel of Fortune” (Wheel), to support constructive alignment of content, assessment tasks and learning outcomes. Findings The Wheel provides a holistic, interconnected and dynamic focus for framing content and teaching. The pedagogy aligns with sustainability competencies, builds in flexibility in response to changing times and student experiences and provides teachers and students with a common framework for interrogating the possibilities for sustainable futures. Originality/value The Wheel is a novel learning tool for contemporary sustainability education. It captures key elements of approaches to and concepts about sustainability, visually reinforces the idea of a holistic interconnected approach and provides a framework that supports the constructive pedagogy of an interdisciplinary sustainability subject.

Examining Ethnic Differences in the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Emotional Adjustment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucille Fay Ling
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Emotional Adjustment ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Eastern Cultures ◽  
High Standards ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Level Of Acculturation

Perfectionists are people who set excessively high standards for their own performance, adhere to these standards rigidly, and define their self ­worth in terms of achieving these standards. Research has shown that perfectionism is linked with emotional and psychological maladjustment. This study is aimed at examining potential differences in perfectionism and emotional adjustment across two ethnic groups: Caucasian and Asian. Previous literature has shown that Eastern cultures are more self ­criticizing than Western cultures, thus we may expect to see differences in perfectionism across these two cultures. Also, researchers have found that individuals from Eastern cultures may manifest depression in physical symptoms (e.g., headaches) while individuals from Western cultures may express depression in more emotional symptoms (eg, sadness). Thus, differences in how Asians and Caucasians express their emotional maladjustment will be examined. Finally, acculturation may be an important factor because perfectionism in a Western context may have more adverse consequences than in an Eastern context. Method:Asian and Caucasian undergraduate students completed self ­report measures of perfectionism, emotional adjustment, and acculturation. Expected results: First, we expect that Asians will score higher than Caucasians on perfectionism measures. Secondly, there will be a positive correlation between perfectionism and poor emotional adjustment. Thirdly, emotional adjustment will be expressed more physically in Asians and more emotionally in Caucasians. Finally, within the Asian group, level of acculturation will moderate the relationship between perfectionism and emotional maladjustment. Discussion: These results will be discussed in terms of how perfectionism is conceptualized, assessed, and treated.

The use of the learning styles questionnaire (LSQ) in the United Arab Emirates

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwish Abdulrahman Yousef
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Characteristics ◽  
Learning Style Preferences ◽  
Style Preferences

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the use of Honey and Mumford’s (1986) learning styles questionnaire (LSQ) in the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE) higher education. In particular, it aims at exploring the learning style preferences of United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) students using LSQ. It also investigates whether there are statistically significant differences in students’ learning style preferences because of their demographic and academic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a sample of 1,463 undergraduate students at the UAEU. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present the main characteristics of respondents, to explore the learning style preferences of UAEU students and to find out whether there are significant differences in students’ learning style preferences because of their demographic and academic characteristics. Findings Results indicated that UAEU students have strong preferences for the four learning styles. Results showed that about 68 per cent of UAEU students have strong or very strong preferences for the activist leaning style, whereas about 84 per cent have strong or very strong preferences for the reflector learning style, 78 per cent have strong or very strong preferences for the theorist learning style; about 60 per cent have strong or very strong preferences for the pragmatist learning style. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in certain learning styles because of students’ demographic and academic characteristics. Research limitations/implications There are a number of limitations associated with this study. First, data were collected from a single university in the UAE. Second, the results are based on a self-report survey and this in turn might affect the reliability of the results. Another limitation is that this study is of snapshot type. Hence, it might not capture the dynamic nature of learning style. On the other hand, it has a number of implications for students, educators and administrators. Originality/value The present study is the first attempt to explore learning styles preference of undergraduate students using LSQ, not only in the content of UAE higher education but also in the Arab world.

scholarly journals Perceived Discrimination and Motivation to Pursue Higher Education in Ethiopian-Origin Students: The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ortal Slobodin ◽  
Tamar Icekson ◽  
Lee Herman ◽  
Ofri Vaknin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Career Motivation ◽  
Personal Career ◽  
The Relationship

Research has increasingly recognized the adverse effects of perceived discrimination on the academic outcomes of children and adolescents from ethnic and racial minority backgrounds. However, little is known about the association between perceived discrimination and the motivation of ethnic minority students to pursue higher education. Guided by an academic resilience framework, the current study examined the relationship between perceived discrimination and two types of motivation to pursue higher education (personal/career-driven and expectation-driven) among Ethiopian undergraduate students in Israel. In addition, we examined the role of ethnic identity as a potential moderator of this relationship. Participants were 183 undergraduate students of Ethiopian origin (77% females) who studied in 18 different higher-education institutes. Participants completed self-report questionnaires concerning their experiences of perceived discrimination, affiliation with their Ethiopian identity, and their reasons for pursuing higher education. Results showed that frequent discrimination experiences were positively related to a stronger ethnic identity and to higher levels of personal/career motivation to pursue higher education. Ethnic identity moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and personal/career motivation so that the association was significant under low and moderate levels of ethnic identity but not under high levels. Our findings suggest that the awareness of discrimination may motivate students to pursue higher education and succeed in academia. However, the motivating force of perceived discrimination diminishes under high levels of ethnic identification. Further investigation is needed to explore how discrimination and ethnic identity work together to impact academic motivation in different developmental stages and socio-cultural contexts.

The Safety Bias: Risk-Avoidance and Social Anxiety Pathology

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn N. Lorian ◽  
Jessica R. Grisham
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavioural Inhibition ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
Risk Avoidance ◽  
Bias Risk ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractBackground:The pervasive tendency to avoid perceived risks has been recently implicated in the maintenance of anxiety pathology, and more specifically, social phobia. Social anxiety symptoms are thus hypothesised to be associated with a global risk-avoidant decision-making bias.Aim:This study investigated: (1) the relationship between risk-avoidance and social anxiety symptoms using both self-report and behavioural measures of risk-taking; and (2) whether risk-avoidance mediates the relationship between a dispositional vulnerability to anxiety (Behavioural Inhibition System [BIS] sensitivity) and social anxiety symptoms.Method:Fifty-five undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing for social anxiety symptoms, risk-taking across various domains, and BIS sensitivity. Risk-avoidance was also assessed using a behavioural computer task.Results:As hypothesised, risk-avoidance correlated significantly with both social anxiety and BIS. Multiple regression analyses revealed that risk-avoidance served as a partial mediator between BIS and social anxiety.Conclusion:These results confirm the hypothesised relationship between BIS, risk-avoidance, and social anxiety symptoms. Risk-avoidance is one possible mechanism by which personality characteristics may be linked to anxiety pathology.

Longitudinal effects of emotion regulation on social anxiety and affect among young adults

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Koninika Mukherjee ◽  
Dilwar Hussain
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Life ◽  
High Social Anxiety

Purpose Due to ongoing significant life changes during the transition into higher education, social anxiety can be problematic, especially for college students. It has adverse effects on various aspects of one’s life, including one’s feelings and emotions. The study investigated the interplay between social anxiety and emotions and its impact on affect. The aim of this study is to examine the role of difficulties in emotion regulation in the relationship between social anxiety and change in affect. Design/methodology/approach This is a longitudinal study. Data was collected with self-report instruments at two time points with a gap of four months. Participants were Indian undergraduate students from a technical institute. Findings The result revealed that high social anxiety in tandem with difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior significantly impacts changes in positive affect. However, this effect was significant only in the presence of depression. Research limitations/implications This study highlights the harmful impact of comorbid issues such as depression in socially anxious individuals. The present study might have implications for educators and clinicians working with college students. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only study to test the proposed research model in a sample of Indian college students. The use of a moderated moderation analysis with the three regulation strategies and depression also adds to the uniqueness of this study.

Students’ Non-Cognitive Profiles and their Relationships with Academic Stress and Persistence in Higher Education

2022 ◽  
pp. 152102512110693
Author(s):  
Wan Hoong Wong ◽  
Elaine Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Academic Stress ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Study Programs ◽  
Academic Year

To reduce their attrition rates, institutions need to ensure that their students can manage the stressors they confront in their academic work and persist to complete their study programs. Given the significance of non-cognitive attributes in education, this study aimed to identify the non-cognitive profiles exhibited by students which related significantly to academic stress and persistence levels in the middle of a given academic year. Undergraduate students from one of the largest private higher education institutions in Singapore participated in two online surveys. A total of 565 and 122 students participated in the first and second surveys, respectively. Results indicated that three distinct non-cognitive profiles could be identified, which were associated significantly with students’ academic stress levels and their intentions to persist with their studies. Possible implications for enhancing student outcomes by offering students with opportunities to enhance their affective ‘readiness’ profiles are discussed.

Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)-like Symptoms: Is There A Hidden Relationship Between the Psychiatric and Physical Symptoms? An Internet-based Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitomi Kawanishi ◽  
Atsushi Sekiguchi ◽  
Norio Sugawara ◽  
Misako Funaba ◽  
Yoshitoshi Tomita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Moderate Severity ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Irritable Bowel

BACKGROUND Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS) is characterized by a preoccupation focus on the belief that one emits a foul body odor. ORS preoccupied with stool/flatus odor is often comorbid in Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The association between gastrointestinal symptoms and ORS has not been extensively studied, and the pathological mechanisms are poorly understood. There is an underlying reason why the study has not been done because ORS patients with IBS often feel ashamed and embarrassed about their problems. It might lead to barriers to health care utilization. Therefore, we used an internet survey for maintaining anonymity. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the association between ORS and IBS-like symptoms to elucidate the hidden pathological mechanisms and to understand comprehensive features of individuals with the two symptoms. METHODS An internet survey was administrated between January 23, 2019 through February 28, 2019, to individuals who had both ORS and IBS-like symptoms on Japanese websites. ORS was assessed using the self-report Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale adopted to preoccupation with stool/flatus odor (Y-BOCS focused on ORS). IBS-like symptom was assessed with the IBS severity index (IBSSI-J). The types of sensory modalities, (a) vision (b) audition (c) olfaction (d) taste (e) touch and (f) interoception, triggering ORS symptoms as antecedent stimuli were examined. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and Oxford Schizotypal Personality Scale (STA) were measured. RESULTS A total of 203 usable responses was obtained. The mean score of 19.8 (SD = 7.6) on the Y-BOCS focused on ORS, indicating moderate severity of ORS in OCD. The mean IBSSI-J score was 243 (SD = 101.3), indicating moderate severity of IBS. Correlation between Y-BOCS focused on ORS and IBSSI-J was r = 0.37 (P <.001). The strongest correlation was seen between Y-BOCS focused on ORS and BDI-II (r = 0.62, P <.001). Of the sensory modalities, interoception such as abdominal pain or anal discomfort was the most common (82.2%) followed by audition (77.3%) and olfaction (76.8%). Mean scores of 25.4 for the BDI-II, 72.8 (SD = 28.0) for the LSAS, and 16.5 (SD = 6.8) for the STA. Concerning suicide risk assessed by BDI-II, item 9 showed 68.5% had experienced suicidal ideation within the two weeks prior. In particular, 14.8% (scored2) and 10.8% (scored3) indicating a high risk of suicide. CONCLUSIONS From the analysis of the relationship between ORS and IBS- like symptoms, ORS concerning stool/flatus odor may be influenced by IBS–like symptoms. The scores of the mental symptoms (depression/social anxiety) indicated moderate severity, and the suicide risk was high. It should be considered that a subset of IBS patients has comorbid ORS, which may lead to negative mental effects.

Social Anxiety, Fear of Negative Evaluation, and Distress in a Virtual Reality Environment

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir ◽  
Karen Soring ◽  
Karen Kristinsdottir ◽  
Sveinn Gunnar Halfdanarson ◽  
Kamilla R. Johannsdottir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Virtual Reality Environment ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Treatment Target ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract According to cognitive theories of social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation (FNE) may be the mechanism whereby social anxiety induces distress. However, studying this can be challenging, as individuals with social anxiety may be reluctant to enter anxiety-provoking social situations, such as speaking in front of others. The present study used virtual reality (VR) to examine if giving a presentation in front of a virtual audience induced distress among undergraduate students and to test the hypothesis that FNE would mediate the relationship between social anxiety and distress. University students (N = 58, 70% female) entered a VR environment where they stood in front of a virtual audience and gave a short, impromptu presentation about their university. Participants also completed self-report measures of social anxiety, FNE, and distress (estimated before, during, and after VR). Distress and FNE had positive relationships with social anxiety and FNE fully mediated the relationship between social anxiety and distress. As far as we are aware, this is the first VR study to show this effect. The findings indicate that FNE could be a useful treatment target to reduce distress when presenting in front of an audience, either in VR or in person.

Coping Style as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Deliberate Self-Harm

Crisis ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 272-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison S. Christian ◽  
Kristen M. McCabe
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Deliberate Self Harm ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) occurs with high frequency among clinical and nonclinical youth populations. Although depression has been consistently linked with the behavior, not all depressed individuals engage in DSH. Aims: The current study examined maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., self-blame, distancing, and self-isolation) as mediators between depression and DSH among undergraduate students. Methods: 202 students from undergraduate psychology courses at a private university in Southern California (77.7% women) completed anonymous self-report measures. Results: A hierarchical regression model found no differences in DSH history across demographic variables. Among coping variables, self-isolation alone was significantly related to DSH. A full meditational model was supported: Depressive symptoms were significantly related to DSH, but adding self-isolation to the model rendered the relationship nonsignificant. Limitations: The cross-sectional study design prevents determination of whether a casual relation exists between self-isolation and DSH, and obscures the direction of that relationship. Conclusions: Results suggest targeting self-isolation as a means of DSH prevention and intervention among nonclinical, youth populations.

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