Publication
Generalized Anxiety, Optimism and Pessimism in Higher Education Students
| Summary: | Anxiety in higher education students has been widely studied, however, its relationship with disposicional optimism has not been as investigated, especially in Portugal. This study aims to explore the relationship between anxiety, optimism and pessimism in a sample of higher education students. The sample was composed of 177 students from Portuguese higher education institutions with age ranging from 18 to 39 years (M= 22.69 years; SD= 4.35). Participants filled in the Portuguese versions of the Life Orientation Test – Revised (LOT-R) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). The results showed that the sample´s anxiety mean score was considered mild, although approximately 38% of the participants reported having moderated to sever anxiety levels. Regarding disposicional optimism, participants had higher levels of optimism than pessimism. No significant differences were found in anxiety, optimism, and pessimism, considering gender and age groups. The correlation between anxiety and optimism was found to be negative and statistically significant; anxiety and pessimism were positively and significantly correlated. The results as well as their implications are discussed. |
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| Main Authors: | Madeira, Guilherme Vaz |
| Subject: | Ansiedade Ensino Superior Estudantes Otimismo Pessimismo |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | master thesis |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade da Beira Interior |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | uBibliorum |
| Summary: | Anxiety in higher education students has been widely studied, however, its relationship with disposicional optimism has not been as investigated, especially in Portugal. This study aims to explore the relationship between anxiety, optimism and pessimism in a sample of higher education students. The sample was composed of 177 students from Portuguese higher education institutions with age ranging from 18 to 39 years (M= 22.69 years; SD= 4.35). Participants filled in the Portuguese versions of the Life Orientation Test – Revised (LOT-R) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). The results showed that the sample´s anxiety mean score was considered mild, although approximately 38% of the participants reported having moderated to sever anxiety levels. Regarding disposicional optimism, participants had higher levels of optimism than pessimism. No significant differences were found in anxiety, optimism, and pessimism, considering gender and age groups. The correlation between anxiety and optimism was found to be negative and statistically significant; anxiety and pessimism were positively and significantly correlated. The results as well as their implications are discussed. |
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