Factors of Stress among International Students in University of South - Essay Example

 The Analytical Study of Factors of Stress among International Students in University of South Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Research Objectives 4 1.3 Research Questions 5 2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 Theoretical Framework 5 2.2.1 Theory of Cognitive Appraisals 6 2.2.2 Cultural Difference 6 2.2.3 Social Circle 7 2.2.4 Role Skills or Competencies 7 2.2.5 Demographic Attributes 7 2.2.6 Gender Difference in Stress Experience 7 2.2.7 Coping Stress 9 2.8 Conceptual Framework 10 2.9 Summary 11 3.1 Introduction 12 3.2 Adopted Research Methodology 13 3.2.1 Qualitative vs. Quantitative Study 13 3.3Sources of Data Collection 14 3.3.1Primary Data 14 3.3.1.1 Semi-Structured Survey Questionnaire 14 3.3.1.2Sampling Technique 15 3.3.1.3Analysis of Data Collected 15 3.3.2Secondary Data 16 3.5 Limitations 16 4.1 Cronbach’s Alpha Assessment 17 4.2 Demographics 17 4.3Academic Stressors 17 4.3.1 Frustration 18 4.3.2Conflicts 18 4.3.3Pressures 18 4.3.4Changes 18 4.3.5Self-Imposed 19 4.3.6 Ways of Curbing Stress 19 4.4 Qualitative Results 19 4.5 T-Test 20 4.6 Discussion 22 4.7 Summary 23 5.1 Conclusion 24 5.2 Recommendations for Future Research 25 Appendix-I 31 Descriptive Statistics 31 Appendix-II (a) 67 Reflective Log 67 Appendix-II (b) 72 Reflective Log 72 Appendix-II (c) 77 Reflective Log 77 81 Appendix-II (d) 82 Reflective Log 82 Appendix-III 87 Semi-Structured Questionnaire 87 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction The universities in Western countries like UK, Australia, USA or Canada are considered as a hub of providing state of the art facilities to its students and educate them in a manner that they become more competitive in the employment arena as compared to students seeking education in their local national universities (Poyrazil et al., 2011). This is because of the low standards followed by local national universities or macro-economic factors that have a direct impact on educational institutions weakening the education system. For this reason, Western universities attract thousands of international students who are looking for sophisticated knowledge management mechanisms and technologically driven education delivery systems. The international students’ population in USA, UK and Australia has increased greatly in the last two decades due to strength in purchasing power in emerging economies across the globe (Yan & Berliner, 2011). The trend of growth or increase in the number of enrolment of international students in foreign universities reflects that the number of students is likely to continue to grow in the coming years (Eustace, 2007). It is evident that international students complete their studies in foreign countries with ease however, they still they need to cope up with challenges such as language barriers, cultural differences, and financial obstacles etc. These factors contribute to the overall feeling of being lost or left out that international students face when they move to another country for seeking education. In addition to these factors, another major hurdle is the lack of confidence amongst the international students, which stems from the differences in social interaction norms followed by the local students and international students (Sandhu & Asrabadi, 1994). On the whole, these stressors might become so severe that they start to affect international students’ academic and personal lives, which in return affect their efforts to become part of the new cultural settings that they are not familiar with. As a result, the happiness level of being in a foreign country and alone reduces which contributes to the reduction in the morale and results in sadness or disappointment (Yeh & Inose, 2003). Considering this background, the current research work focuses on understanding whether or not international students experience stress en route to completing their studies in foreign countries. 1.2 Research Objectives The main objective of this study is to identify and evaluate factors that lead to stress amongst students studying at foreign universities. This objective is achieved by ranking these factors for their relevance and importance according to students’ views about them and also tests the difference in opinions between male and female students studying at foreign universities. 1.3 Research Questions This research project aims at identifying the stressors that international students experience while studying abroad and evaluating those stressors as to understand which factor of stress contributes more to the fatigue. The research questions set for this study are as follows: 1. What stress factors are experienced by international students while studying at University of South Wales? 2. What is the significance of each stress factor perceived by students? 3. Is there a significant difference between views of male and female international students towards stress and how they deal with them? Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This section of the research work focuses on providing theoretical perspective of the stress faced by international students and help in identifying common stressors experienced by foreign students who are studying at foreign universities. Additionally, the conceptual design is also provided in this chapter which forms basis for formulating hypothesis to be tested with statistical analysis. 2.2 Theoretical Framework 2.2.1 Theory of Cognitive Appraisals In an attempt to understand the stress experienced by students in foreign universities, Lazarus (1976) describes stress as a result of a transactional process in which people commit two types of cognitive appraisals given the demand of the situation. These two types of cognitive appraisals are primary and secondary appraisals. Further elaborating on his theory, Lazarus (1976) defines primary appraisal as being the cognitive process of assessing academic scenarios and the intensity of these scenarios to have an impact on emotional and physical health of a human being. Secondary appraisal is defined by Lazarus (1976) as being the cognitive process of assessing and monitoring the performance of different coping skills to deal with stressful situations. Thus, the difference between levels of stress experienced by students is actually the difference of their cognitive appraisals. Lazarus (1976) classified these differences as being the resultant of four factors that have an impact on international students’ lives at foreign universities. These are: 1. Culture shock or cultural differences between cultures of international students’ and the host country. 2. The social circle of international students. 3. Role skills or competencies of international students. 4. Demographic attributes of international students (Lazarus, 1976). 2.2.2 Cultural Difference Cultural difference or distance refers to the extent by which the culture of the host country is different from that of a student’s home country (Ward et al., 2001). For example, the cultural difference felt by a Senegalese student in the UK would be greater as compared to the cultural difference experienced by an Australian student in the UK. This is because Australia is a former part of the British culture and inherits almost same cultural traits as those of the UK. Therefore, it will not be difficult for the Australian students to settle in the UK’s academic and social setting as compared to the Senegalese students attempting to study in the UK (Sun et al., 2011; Thomson et al., 2006). 2.2.3 Social Circle The social circle or support group of international students refers to the extent by which students have support and encouragement from local residents or students in the host country. The social circle of international students at foreign educational institutions helps them to settle in sometimes completely different cultural settings and gain self-confidence in order to succeed in the challenging and demanding environment (Alan, 2013; Li & Gasser, 2005). 2.2.4 Role Skills or Competencies These include personal and academic skills of international students. It includes students’ ability to solve problems, stand firm in a crisis situation, speak the official language of the host country, and attain knowledge about the host country and its educational environment (Lazarus, 1976; Chen, 1999). 2.2.5 Demographic Attributes The personality and physical attributes of students also have an impact on the level of stress that they feel while studying at foreign institutions. These attributes include age, gender, academic qualifications, study area of interest, length of stay abroad, and financial strength of students (Lazarus, 1976; Kaczmarek et al., 1997). 2.2.6 Gender Difference in Stress Experience There have been researches conducted in the past that conclude that gender differences have a huge impact on psychological and physical health of students affected by stress faced by them while studying at foreign universities (Lord & Dawson, 2002). Women easily fall into anxiety, depression, and suffer from other physical illness, which are evidently caused by different stress levels experienced as compared to men. There are evidences that personality differences also make women more vulnerable when it comes to responding to cognitive or physiological stress (Matud, 2004; Barnett et al., 1987). The gap between both genders further gets widened as it has been found that each step of the stress process is affected by the difference in gender. The mental, emotional and physical changes experienced by both men and women under stress are entirely different. It has been noted that men have the tendency to cope up with stress without significantly exhibiting a change in their physical appearance (Brown, 2004). On the other hand, women might adopt such behaviour which affects their physical appearance such as excessive eating when they are under stress (Baum & Grunberg, 1991). Almeida and Kessler (1998) found women to face stressful situations more often than men. These scholars are of the view that under threatening or crisis situations, women usually finds themselves under stress, but on the other hand men tend to look for alternatives and solutions to the stress situation. Landrine et al. (1995) argues that there are various reasons as to why women fall into a stressful situation easily as compared to men. The author states that women are more affiliated with their social circle that might include their family, friends, and colleagues as compared to men. This is because they more emotionally involved in the social and family life. Their role in the development of the society and family urges them to get involved in daily affairs which are overseen by men living in the same society. Therefore, women are usually more exposed to stressful situations because women have entirely different role occupancy in the social setup in comparison to men (Teh-yuan et al., 1992). The coping up process with stressful situations among men and women is also different. Miller and Kirsch (1987) found that women cope with stress by keeping their emotional involvement at one side and modify their attitude and behaviour according to the situation. On the other hand, men tend to cope up with stressful situations adapting a problem-focused stress coping plan. Keeping in view the above arguments presented regarding differences in both genders’ experience of stressful situations, the present study implements these ideas into the methodology. In the academic life, international students are exposed to many stressful situations. There is a significant difference between behaviours and reactions of female and male international students to stressful situations they experience while studying at foreign institutions (Maestripieri, 2012). Female students are more inclined towards seeking help to cope with the stressful situations whereas; male students tend to deal with stress on their own and by developing a contingency plan to avoid stress (Emslie et al., 2002). In those societies, where women’s status is considered lower than that of men, female students either give up their studies while experiencing stress; whereas, male students are able to fit themselves in new cultural settings. The physical and mental strength of men differentiate them from women when it comes to their ability to cope up with stressful situations (McDonough & Walters, 2001). 2.2.7 Coping Stress Different researches have been carried out to understand how to cope up with stressful situations. Folkman and Lazarus (1985) states that coping styles depends upon the intensity of stress and the gender differences. There are coping systems that might work international students at foreign universities to cope up with stress. These might include seeking social support to the ideas and believes of an individual, solve problems rather than focusing on the problem, reflecting positive attitude towards life, focus on the problem and develop systems to avoid stress, avoid escaping away from the stressful situation, assuming responsibilities on your own rather than wait for someone and last but not the least self-control (Carver et al., 1989). Maestripieri (2012) argues that the response that both male and female individuals give to a stressful situation also varies on the social horizon. When men experience stressful situations, they tend to fight their way out of the situation and do everything within and outside social norms and practices to avoid stress. On the other hand, when women are exposed to a stressful situation, they tend to be more emotionally driven, focusing on eliminating the stress and try to be friends with other people. Women tend to be nervous and their nervous system starts to shackle. This is the reason that women report disorders in automatic biological functions such as breathing or smelling, when they are exposed to stressful situations. 2.8 Conceptual Framework Lee and Bradley (2006) studied the relationship between self-efficacy, assertiveness, spirituality, and acculturation stress amongst international students. Using independent samples t-test of significance and MANOVA technique, the researcher found that students in international universities with a high level of self-efficacy are experts in coping out with acculturative stress as compared to those who reflect a low level of self-efficacy. Bang et al. (2008) carried out an independent research in which they explored the role of gender difference in the stress levels experienced by male and female international students at a foreign institution. By using an online survey questionnaire, the researchers found that female students at international universities tend to fall easily into stress as compare to men. This assertion leads the author of the present study to formulate the first hypothesis of this study: H1: Female international students easily fall into stress as compare to male international students at University of South Wales. Wan et al. (1992) studied the academic stress experienced by international students at the American universities with the help of a cognitive framework. The authors of the research found that language barriers, cultural differences, self-perceived stressors, financial requirements, academic difficulties, differences in the education system and social acceptance are the main factors that arose stressful feelings amongst the international students. This leads to the formulation of the second hypothesis of the study: H2: Cultural differences, financial requirements, academic difficulties and social acceptance are the most significant stressors that international students experience. 2.9 Summary This chapter presented theories and ideas presented by various researchers and scholars regarding stress experienced by international students. These would help the researcher to justify findings of the present study. Furthermore, the conceptual framework presented above is helpful in developing the hypothesis of the study in light of findings of previous work carried out on the similar topic. The next chapter would present the methodology and research design followed to gather data and analyse responses collected in order to reach a logical conclusion and test hypothesis. Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction The purpose of this study for the topic analytical study of factors of stress among international students in University of South Wales is to address the stress caused to the international students and the tendency of each gender towards experiencing stress. This chapter focuses on the research methodology, design and procedures that are determined to complete the study goals. In this particular chapter, reliability of the research purpose and research goals are considered relying on the research design, adopted method, participants, data analysis and particular limitations. 3.2 Adopted Research Methodology 3.2.1 Qualitative vs. Quantitative Study Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials, interview whereas quantitative research uses numbers and statistical methods, seek explanations and predictions that will generalize to other persons and places (Marlow & Boone, 2011; Daymon & Holloway, 2002). The simplest way to distinguish between qualitative and quantitative is that qualitative methods involve a researcher describing kinds of characteristics of people and event without comparing event in terms of measurement (Ernst, 2003; Kumar, 2010). Quantitative methods, on the other hand, focus attention on measurements of the characteristics displayed by the people and event that the researcher studies (Thomas, 2003; Newman, 1998). The present study makes use of mixed research approach which uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data and then interpret the data into meaningful form to reach conclusion to the study. This is the reason that the questionnaire developed for this particular study consists of both close and open ended statements which allows the researcher to gather in-depth data regarding ranking of different stressors and the identification of gender which is more inclined towards experiencing stress (Gratton & Jones, 2010; Bryman, 2012). 3.3 Sources of Data Collection 3.3.1 Primary Data 3.3.1.1 Semi-Structured Survey Questionnaire Primary data for the present stud is gathered with the help of a semi-structured survey questionnaire (McDaniel & Gates, 1998; McNeill, 2005). This questionnaire consists of four parts which are described below: A. Demographic Profile: This part of the questionnaire consists of 5 questions aiming at exploring the age, race, education level, gender and length of stay in UK. B. Academic Stressors: This part is further divided into 5 parts. This section would help the researcher to gather data regarding the impact of different academic stressors experienced by the international students at University of South Wales. The sub-division of this part is as follows: a. Frustration: This part of the questionnaire aims at exploring the role of frustration as a stressor. b. Conflicts: This part of the questionnaire aims at exploring the role of conflicts as a stressor. c. This part of the questionnaire aims at exploring the role of pressure as a stressor. d. This part of the questionnaire aims at exploring the role of changes in the surrounding as a stressor. e. This part of the questionnaire aims at exploring the role of self-imposed stressors. C. This part of the semi-structured survey questionnaire aims at identifying how international students at University of South Wales curb stressful situations. D. This part of the questionnaire contains interview questions which aim at identifying respondents’ views of stressful situations, gender differences in experiencing stress and the ways to curb stressful situations. 3.3.1.2 Sampling Technique The sampling technique acquired for this study is non-random convenient sampling which is also called purposive sampling technique. Within this technique, participants are selected on the basis of their requirement fulfilment instead of the probability technique. Participants considered for the non-random sampling technique are selected on the basis of their validation in becoming a research’s member. If they are familiarized with the context of the study and its aims and objectives, they can become suitable enough to conduct primary research on (Fuller, 2009; QMSS, 2011). 3.3.1.3 Analysis of Data Collected The analysis of data collected is carried out with the help of two methods: Cronbach’s Alpha and t-test for finding out the significant difference between male and female experience of stressful situations and the ways to curb out stress. The outcomes of the data collected are then entered into statistical software, SPPS for further summarization and analysis. SPSSS has an effective reputation and qualitative conformity among researchers nationally and internationally since it is the most diligent and accurate software to utilize for the interpretation of data in various researches (McDaniel & Gates, 1995). Cronbach’s Alpha is a coefficient of internal consistency used to determine the reliability and dependability of the research participants within the study for a sample of examinees (Andrew et al., 2011). T-test is another test tactic implemented to compare the differentiation between particular data sets (Allen, 2004). In this particular research, it is used to distinguish the genders on the basis of their tendency towards experiencing stress. 3.3.2 Secondary Data The secondary data for this particular study is retrieved from different online sources like libraries, journals, websites and books. In addition, different conventional sources such as university library, magazines and newspaper article are also utilized in order to provide empirical support to the findings of the current study (Jackson, 2010). 3.5 Limitations Following are the limitations of the research methodology adopted in current study: A. The sample size selected for this study, i.e. 50 male and 50 female international students at University of South Wales, is not sufficient given the number of international students getting enrolled at the university each year. Therefore; the results presented in this study does not represent the view point of majority of the students. B. The researcher had to cope up with time constraints. The time period provided to complete this research study was not sufficient to achieve higher reliability of t he study’s findings. C. There is possibility of certain level of subjectivity and biasness in the responses collected due to the sampling approach adopted for the current study. Chapter 4: Discussion and Analysis The results retrieved from the survey of 100 respondents at University of South Wales are presented in this chapter. These results are as follows: 4.1 Cronbach’s Alpha Assessment The Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.635 reflects that the responses collected against the survey are questionable and shows significant inconsistency in the responses provided by the respondents. Cronbach's Alpha N of Items .635 22 Table 1 Reliability Statistics 4.2 Demographics The assessment of primary data reveals that majority of the respondents fall in the age bracket of 21 years to 29 years old, whereas 27% of the respondents are less than 21 years old. Around 54% of the students interviewed have a bachelor’s degree whereas 30% respondents have a master’s degree. The statements aimed at exploring the racial representation within the selected sample reveals that 35% of the respondents are Asian, 24% are African, 20% are Middle-Eastern and 17% are European. Majority of the respondents, i.e. 36% are living in UK for 1 to 6 years, 32% of the respondents are living in UK for less than a year, 14% are living for 14% and only 18% respondents are living in UK for over 6 years. 4.3 Academic Stressors 4.3.1 Frustration When it comes to identifying the causes of stress due to frustration, the data reveals that majority of the respondents showed agreement with the statement that they feel frustration due to the fact that they are not being accepted socially in UK. With the mean value of 3.31, delay in achieving personal goals was identified as the second most common cause of stress due to frustration. Other causes that were ranked as the most common causes of stress due to frustration are lack of resources or finances, dating problems and lack of opportunities despite of academic qualifications respectively. 4.3.2 Conflicts The author of the present study tested conflict as a source of stress among the international students of University of South Wales. It was identified that with the mean value of 3.08, majority of the respondents showed agreement with the fact that conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives and conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives are the most common causes of conflicts. 4.3.3 Pressures Majority of the respondents agreed that they experience pressure stressors due to the high level of academic competition within student groups. With the mean value of 3.28, the second most common pressure stressors was identified as pressure due to meeting academic deadlines and fee submissions. Pressure due to the tight academic schedule or burden of work was identified as the third most common pressure stressor. 4.3.4 Changes The rapid changes in the surrounding environment and academic schedule also causes stress among international students at foreign universities. When students at University of South Wales were surveyed to explore what causes stress due to change, majority of the respondents identified changes that cause contradiction and disruption with academic and personal goals as source of stress. Moreover, stress due to multiple changes at once was identified as the second most common change stressor. 4.3.5 Self-Imposed Stress experienced due to personal feelings or fatigue is known as self-imposed stress. When the respondents at University of South Wales were asked to identify the most common causes of self-imposed stress, majority agreed that their personal tendency to procrastinate causes stress. With the mean value of 3.36, respondents’ desire to find a perfect solution to their problems was identified as the second most powerful self-imposed stressor in this category. 4.3.6 Ways of Curbing Stress When the respondents were asked how they curb stress, with the mean value of 3.41, majority of the respondents were inclined towards finding positivity in every situation was identified as the best possible act to avoid stress. Exercise and jogging, detailed assessment of the problems and identifying the best solution to the problems were ranked second and third respectively. 4.4 Qualitative Results Results retrieved from the final part of the semi-structured questionnaire aimed at retrieving detailed perspective of respondents towards stressful situations, gender differences in experiencing stress and the ways to curb stressful situations. The first question in this section asks respondents how they see stress affecting their academic life. Majority of the responses reflects that stressful situations distort their concentration towards their studies and reflect in poor results achieved by the end of the semester. The second question in the interview section of the semi-structured questionnaire aims at identifying respondents’ view on gender differences and their tendency towards experiencing different levels of stress. The responses reflect that majority of the respondents, including male and female international students, think that female tend more towards experiencing stress due to the fact that they have less physical and mental ability to avoid or cope up with stress. The last question of the detailed section aims at identifying ways to curb stressful situations. The results retrieved revealed that women are more efficient in curbing stress out of their lives by using different exercises and keeping themselves busy in their domestic and academic lives. 4.5 T-Test This section of the report would help the readers to identify which gender has more tendencies to experience stress. The statements aimed at identifying the causes of frustration stressors and reflect a Sig. value of .054. This value implies that there does not exist a significant difference between the mean values of responses provided by male and female. It helps the researcher to infer that male and female experiences frustration stressors on the same level. The statements aimed at identifying the role of conflict as a stressor provides a value of 0.837 which is greater than 0.05 and explains that male and female both reflects the tendency to experience conflicts as stressors on the same level. The Sig. value of .004 reflects significant differences within the responses of male and female, when they are asked to identify the role of pressure situation as a source of stress. It helps the researcher to infer that women are more sensitive towards experiencing stress due to pressure situations as compare to men. When the respondents were asked to identify the role of changes in their surrounding as a source of stress, Sig. value of .005 was achieved. This value implies that there is no significant difference in the responses given by male and female students at University of South Wales and students of both gender have the same tendency to experience stress due to change in their surroundings. The Sig. value of .000 reflects that there was a significant difference between the responses provided by male and female students at University of South Wales when they were asked to identify the role of self-imposed situations as a source of stress. It implies that women tend more towards experiencing stress due to self-imposed situations as compare to men. When the respondents were asked if they make efforts to reduce impact of stressful situations, men tends more towards curbing stress through different measures as compare to men. It is evident from the Sig. value of .002 that women fail to curb stress by using different techniques. Stressor Sig. (2-tailed) Frustration .054 Conflicts .837 Pressures .004 Changes .005 Self-Imposed .000 Ways of Curbing .002 Table 2 T-Test for Significance Differences in Responses 4.6 Discussion The results retrieved against the primary and secondary research to identifying the level of stress experienced by the international students at University of South Wales reflect that women are more vulnerable to stressful situations as compare to men. As suggested by Bang et al. (2008), female students at foreign universities tend to experience more stress as compare to men, the results of present study justifies the validity of the first hypothesis of the current study. It also answers the third research question of the study which aimed at exploring the gender difference and its role in experiencing stress level. Cultural differences, financial problems, social acceptance, self-imposed stressors and language barriers are all identified as common source of stress experienced by international students at University of South Wales in the current study. These results validate the second hypothesis of the current study and are supported by the findings of research conducted by Lazarus (1976) to develop a framework that outline most common stressors experienced by international students. These findings also answers the research question which aims at exploring the most common causes of stress. As far as the ranking of stressors is concerned, the results retrieved from the primary research reveals the following ranking of the stressors: 1. Lack of social acceptance 2. Conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives 3. Stressors due to the high level of academic competition 4. Changes that cause contradiction and disruption with academic and personal goals and 5. Personal tendency to procrastinate causes stress. 4.7 Summary The results gathered against the primary and secondary research were presented in this chapter. These results were utilized to validate or reject the hypothesis set for the current study and answer the research questions set in the first chapter of the study. These findings lead researcher of the current study to formulate conclusion and set of recommendations which will be given in the next chapter. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations 5.1 Conclusion The main objective of this study is to identify and evaluate factors that lead to stress amongst students studying at foreign universities. Cultural differences, differences in perspectives, language barriers, financial problems, home sickness and mental fatigue due to difficulty to fit in social circles are identified as the causes of stress among international students at University of South Wales. Researcher of the current study has found lack of social acceptance, conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives, stressors due to the high level of academic competition, changes that cause contradiction and disruption with academic and personal goals and personal tendency to procrastinate as the leading stressors experienced by international students at University of South Wales. This ranking of stressors helped the researcher to achieve the second objective of the current research study. The third objective of the current study was to tests the gender tendency towards experiencing stress. This study finds out that women tend to be more vulnerable towards experiencing stress as compare to male students at University of South Wales. 5.2 Recommendations for Future Research This study focused on identifying different stressors experienced by international students by taking a sample of international students at University of South Wales. It also helped the researcher to rank the most common stressors experienced by international students and then went on to explore the significance of gender differences with regard to the level of stress experienced by male and female international students. It is recommended that any future research work conducted on the similar topic should focus on understanding the level of stress experienced by international students belonging to different countries or different geographic region in the world. 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Appendix-I Descriptive Statistics Age Gender Education Level Race Length of Stay in the UK N Valid 100 100 100 100 100 Missing 0 0 0 0 0 Age Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 21-29 37 37.0 37.0 37.0 30-39 15 15.0 15.0 52.0 40 and above 21 21.0 21.0 73.0 Less than 21 27 27.0 27.0 100.0 Total 100 100.0 100.0 Gender Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Female 50 50.0 50.0 50.0 Male 50 50.0 50.0 100.0 Total 100 100.0 100.0 Education Level Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Bachelor's Degree 54 54.0 54.0 54.0 Master's Degree 30 30.0 30.0 84.0 Philosophy Degree 16 16.0 16.0 100.0 Total 100 100.0 100.0 Race Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid African 24 24.0 24.0 24.0 Asian 35 35.0 35.0 59.0 European 17 17.0 17.0 76.0 Middle-Eastern 20 20.0 20.0 96.0 Others 4 4.0 4.0 100.0 Total 100 100.0 100.0 Length of Stay in the UK Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1-6 Years 36 36.0 36.0 36.0 6-12 Months 32 32.0 32.0 68.0 Less than 6 Months 14 14.0 14.0 82.0 Over 6 Years 18 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 100 100.0 100.0 Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation I have experienced frustrations due to delays in reaching my goals. 100 1 5 3.31 1.228 I have experienced frustrations due to lack of sources (money for Auto, books etc.). 100 1 5 3.15 1.336 I have experienced frustrations because i have not been accepted socially. 100 1 5 3.35 1.250 I have experienced dating frustrations. 100 1 5 3.15 1.395 I feel I was denied opportunities in spite of my qualifications. 100 1 5 2.97 1.291 Valid N (listwise) 100 Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives. 100 1 5 3.08 1.316 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more undesirable alternatives. 100 1 5 2.93 1.416 I have experienced conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives. 100 1 5 3.08 1.203 Valid N (listwise) 100 Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation I experienced pressures due to deadlines (assignments, payments to be made, etc.) 100 1 5 3.28 1.223 I experienced pressures due to overload (attempting too many things at one time). 100 1 5 3.09 1.248 I experienced pressures as a result of competition (on grades, work, relationships etc.). 100 1 5 3.35 1.359 Valid N (listwise) 100 Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation I have experienced rapid unpleasant changes. 100 1 5 3.28 1.319 I have experienced too many changes occurring at the same time. 100 1 5 3.25 1.306 I have experienced changes which disrupted my academics and goals. 100 1 5 3.34 1.401 Valid N (listwise) 100 Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation As a person i feel must find a perfect solution to the problems i undertake. 100 1 5 3.36 1.259 As a person i get anxious about taking tests. 100 1 5 3.32 1.355 As a person i have the tendency to procrastinate. 100 1 5 3.43 1.174 Valid N (listwise) 100 Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation I tried to analyse the problems to understand it better. 100 1 5 3.29 1.305 Turned to work or substitute activity to take my mind off things. 100 1 5 3.15 1.290 Bargained to get something positive from the situation. 100 1 5 3.41 1.288 I ask a relative or friend i respect for advice. 100 1 5 3.09 1.386 I jogged or exercised. 100 1 5 3.33 1.280 Valid N (listwise) 100 Frequencies - MALE Statistics I have experienced frustrations due to delays in reaching my goals. I have experienced frustrations due to lack of sources (money for Auto, books etc.). I have experienced frustrations because I have not been accepted socially. I have experienced dating frustrations. I feel i was denied opportunities in spite of my qualifications. N Valid 50 50 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 0 0 I have experienced frustrations due to delays in reaching my goals. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 11 22.0 22.0 22.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 40.0 Neutral 12 24.0 24.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 84.0 Strongly Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced frustrations due to lack of sources (money for Auto, books etc.). Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 10 20.0 20.0 22.0 Disagree 14 28.0 28.0 50.0 Neutral 7 14.0 14.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced frustrations because I have not been accepted socially. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 Agree 17 34.0 34.0 38.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 56.0 Neutral 4 8.0 8.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced dating frustrations. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 11 22.0 22.0 24.0 Disagree 12 24.0 24.0 48.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I feel I was denied opportunities in spite of my qualifications. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 Agree 12 24.0 24.0 28.0 Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 48.0 Neutral 7 14.0 14.0 62.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives. I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more undesirable alternatives. I have experienced conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives. N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 10 20.0 20.0 20.0 Disagree 11 22.0 22.0 42.0 Neutral 11 22.0 22.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 84.0 Strongly Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more undesirable alternatives. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 15 30.0 30.0 32.0 Disagree 13 26.0 26.0 58.0 Neutral 4 8.0 8.0 66.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 Agree 13 26.0 26.0 30.0 Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 46.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 62.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I experienced pressures due to deadlines (assignments, payments to be made, etc.) I experienced pressures due to overload (attempting too many things at one time). I experienced pressures as a result of competition (on grades, work, relationships etc.). N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 I experienced pressures due to deadlines (assignments, payments to be made, etc.) Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 10 20.0 20.0 20.0 Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 40.0 Neutral 16 32.0 32.0 72.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 88.0 Strongly Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I experienced pressures due to overload (attempting too many things at one time). Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 Agree 9 18.0 18.0 22.0 Disagree 18 36.0 36.0 58.0 Neutral 5 10.0 10.0 68.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I experienced pressures as a result of competition (on grades, work, relationships etc.). Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 4 8.0 8.0 8.0 Agree 14 28.0 28.0 36.0 Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 48.0 Neutral 6 12.0 12.0 60.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I have experienced rapid unpleasant changes. I have experienced too many changes occurring at the same time. I have experienced changes which disrupted my academics and goals. N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 I have experienced rapid unpleasant changes. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 11 22.0 22.0 22.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 40.0 Neutral 12 24.0 24.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 84.0 Strongly Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced too many changes occurring at the same time. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 10 20.0 20.0 22.0 Disagree 14 28.0 28.0 50.0 Neutral 7 14.0 14.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced changes which disrupted my academics and goals. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 19 38.0 38.0 38.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 56.0 Neutral 4 8.0 8.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics As a person I feel must find a perfect solution to the problems I undertake. As a person I get anxious about taking tests. As a person I have the tendency to procrastinate. N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 As a person I feel must find a perfect solution to the problems I undertake. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 10 20.0 20.0 20.0 Disagree 11 22.0 22.0 42.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 60.0 Strongly Agree 13 26.0 26.0 86.0 Strongly Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 As a person I get anxious about taking tests. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 11 22.0 22.0 22.0 Disagree 12 24.0 24.0 46.0 Neutral 5 10.0 10.0 56.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 74.0 Strongly Disagree 13 26.0 26.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 As a person I have the tendency to procrastinate. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 17 34.0 34.0 36.0 Disagree 11 22.0 22.0 58.0 Neutral 7 14.0 14.0 72.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 86.0 Strongly Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I tried to analyse the problems to understand it better. Turned to work or substitute activity to take my mind off things. Bargained to get something positive from the situation. I ask a relative or friend i respect for advice. I jogged or exercised. N Valid 50 50 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 0 0 I tried to analyse the problems to understand it better. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 2 4.0 4.0 4.0 Agree 17 34.0 34.0 38.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 56.0 Neutral 4 8.0 8.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Turned to work or substitute activity to take my mind off things. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 11 22.0 22.0 24.0 Disagree 12 24.0 24.0 48.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Bargained to get something positive from the situation. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 10 20.0 20.0 20.0 Disagree 11 22.0 22.0 42.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 60.0 Strongly Agree 13 26.0 26.0 86.0 Strongly Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I ask a relative or friend I respect for advice. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 11 22.0 22.0 22.0 Disagree 12 24.0 24.0 46.0 Neutral 5 10.0 10.0 56.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 74.0 Strongly Disagree 13 26.0 26.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I jogged or exercised. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 3 6.0 6.0 6.0 Agree 17 34.0 34.0 40.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 58.0 Neutral 3 6.0 6.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Frequencies - FEMALE Statistics I have experienced frustrations due to delays in reaching my goals. I have experienced frustrations due to lack of sources (money for Auto, books etc.). I have experienced frustrations because i have not been accepted socially. I have experienced dating frustrations. I feel i was denied opportunities in spite of my qualifications. N Valid 50 50 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 0 0 I have experienced frustrations due to delays in reaching my goals. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 22 44.0 44.0 44.0 Disagree 5 10.0 10.0 54.0 Neutral 13 26.0 26.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 86.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced frustrations due to lack of sources (money for Auto, books etc.). Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 19 38.0 38.0 38.0 Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 54.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 72.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 92.0 Strongly Disagree 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced frustrations because I have not been accepted socially. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 22 44.0 44.0 44.0 Disagree 5 10.0 10.0 54.0 Neutral 13 26.0 26.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 86.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced dating frustrations. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 16 32.0 32.0 32.0 Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 46.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 62.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 12 24.0 24.0 88.0 Strongly Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I feel I was denied opportunities in spite of my qualifications. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 8 16.0 16.0 16.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 34.0 Neutral 21 42.0 42.0 76.0 Strongly Agree 4 8.0 8.0 84.0 Strongly Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives. I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more undesirable alternatives. I have experienced conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives. N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 15 30.0 30.0 30.0 Disagree 12 24.0 24.0 54.0 Neutral 10 20.0 20.0 74.0 Strongly Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 86.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more undesirable alternatives. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 14 28.0 28.0 28.0 Disagree 12 24.0 24.0 52.0 Neutral 5 10.0 10.0 62.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 64.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 80.0 Strongly Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 12 24.0 24.0 24.0 Disagree 11 22.0 22.0 46.0 Neutral 21 42.0 42.0 88.0 Strongly Agree 3 6.0 6.0 94.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I experienced pressures due to deadlines (assignments, payments to be made, etc.) I experienced pressures due to overload (attempting too many things at one time). I experienced pressures as a result of competition (on grades, work, relationships etc.). N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 I experienced pressures due to deadlines (Assignments, payments to be made, etc.) Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 19 38.0 38.0 38.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 56.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 74.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 94.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I experienced pressures due to overload (attempting too many things at one time). Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 21 42.0 42.0 42.0 Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 54.0 Neutral 14 28.0 28.0 82.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 88.0 Strongly Agree 6 12.0 12.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I experienced pressures as a result of competition (on grades, work, relationships etc.). Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 18 36.0 36.0 36.0 Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 50.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 66.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 68.0 Strongly Agree 12 24.0 24.0 92.0 Strongly Disagree 4 8.0 8.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I have experienced rapid unpleasant changes. I have experienced too many changes occurring at the same time. I have experienced changes which disrupted my academics and goals. N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 I have experienced rapid unpleasant changes. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 1 2.0 2.0 2.0 Agree 17 34.0 34.0 36.0 Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 50.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 68.0 Strongly Agree 11 22.0 22.0 90.0 Strongly Disagree 5 10.0 10.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced too many changes occurring at the same time. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 20 40.0 40.0 40.0 Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 54.0 Neutral 10 20.0 20.0 74.0 Strongly Disagree 2 4.0 4.0 78.0 Strongly Agree 11 22.0 22.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I have experienced changes which disrupted my academics and goals. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 16 32.0 32.0 32.0 Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 44.0 Neutral 7 14.0 14.0 58.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 60.0 Strongly Agree 14 28.0 28.0 88.0 Strongly Disagree 6 12.0 12.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics As a person I feel must find a perfect solution to the problems I undertake. As a person I get anxious about taking tests. As a person I have the tendency to procrastinate. N Valid 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 As a person I feel must find a perfect solution to the problems I undertake. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 20 40.0 40.0 40.0 Disagree 5 10.0 10.0 50.0 Neutral 14 28.0 28.0 78.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 94.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 As a person I get anxious about taking tests. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 22 44.0 44.0 44.0 Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 58.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 74.0 Strongly Agree 13 26.0 26.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 As a person I have the tendency to procrastinate. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 23 46.0 46.0 46.0 Disagree 4 8.0 8.0 54.0 Neutral 12 24.0 24.0 78.0 Strongly Agree 10 20.0 20.0 98.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Statistics I tried to analyse the problems to understand it better. Turned to work or substitute activity to take my mind off things. Bargained to get something positive from the situation. I ask a relative or friend I respect for advice. I jogged or exercised. N Valid 50 50 50 50 50 Missing 0 0 0 0 0 I tried to analyse the problems to understand it better. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 20 40.0 40.0 40.0 Disagree 9 18.0 18.0 58.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 76.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 78.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 94.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Turned to work or substitute activity to take my mind off things. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 21 42.0 42.0 42.0 Disagree 7 14.0 14.0 56.0 Neutral 11 22.0 22.0 78.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 80.0 Strongly Agree 7 14.0 14.0 94.0 Strongly Disagree 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Bargained to get something positive from the situation. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 20 40.0 40.0 40.0 Disagree 8 16.0 16.0 56.0 Neutral 9 18.0 18.0 74.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 76.0 Strongly Agree 11 22.0 22.0 98.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I ask a relative or friend I respect for advice. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 19 38.0 38.0 38.0 Disagree 5 10.0 10.0 48.0 Neutral 12 24.0 24.0 72.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 74.0 Strongly Agree 8 16.0 16.0 90.0 Strongly Disagree 5 10.0 10.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 I jogged or exercised. Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Agree 21 42.0 42.0 42.0 Disagree 10 20.0 20.0 62.0 Neutral 8 16.0 16.0 78.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 80.0 Strongly Agree 9 18.0 18.0 98.0 Strongly Disagree 1 2.0 2.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 T-Test Group Statistics Group N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Frustration 1 50 3.332 .6781 .0959 2 50 3.040 .8142 .1151 Conflicts 1 50 3.013333340 .8246761183 .1166268151 2 50 3.046666668 .7911357211 .1118834866 Pressures 1 50 3.466666682 .7315377004 .1034550537 2 50 3.013333324 .7938539556 .1122679030 Changes 1 50 3.513333332 .7383563207 .1044193523 2 50 3.066666662 .8081220515 .1142857165 Self Imposed 1 50 3.686666674 .6332080042 .0895491347 2 50 3.053333332 .8119292160 .1148241309 Independent Samples Test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. T df Frustration Equal variances assumed 2.870 .093 1.949 98 Equal variances not assumed 1.949 94.895 Conflicts Equal variances assumed .097 .756 -.206 98 Equal variances not assumed -.206 97.832 Pressures Equal variances assumed .514 .475 2.969 98 Equal variances not assumed 2.969 97.352 Changes Equal variances assumed .330 .567 2.885 98 Equal variances not assumed 2.885 97.212 Self Imposed Equal variances assumed 3.034 .085 4.349 98 Equal variances not assumed 4.349 92.510 Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference Frustration Equal variances assumed .054 .2920 .1498 Equal variances not assumed .054 .2920 .1498 Conflicts Equal variances assumed .837 -.0333333280 .1616159911 Equal variances not assumed .837 -.0333333280 .1616159911 Pressures Equal variances assumed .004 .4533333580 .1526664017 Equal variances not assumed .004 .4533333580 .1526664017 Changes Equal variances assumed .005 .4466666700 .1548051231 Equal variances not assumed .005 .4466666700 .1548051231 Self Imposed Equal variances assumed .000 .6333333420 .1456146578 Equal variances not assumed .000 .6333333420 .1456146578 Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper Frustration Equal variances assumed -.0054 .5894 Equal variances not assumed -.0055 .5895 Conflicts Equal variances assumed -.3540550025 .2873883465 Equal variances not assumed -.3540619055 .2873952495 Pressures Equal variances assumed .1503718525 .7562948635 Equal variances not assumed .1503466565 .7563200595 Changes Equal variances assumed .1394609415 .7538723985 Equal variances not assumed .1394298085 .7539035315 Self Imposed Equal variances assumed .3443657927 .9223008913 Equal variances not assumed .3441512911 .9225153929 T-Test Group Statistics Group N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean Ways of Curbing 1 50 3.448 .5534 .0783 2 50 3.060 .6655 .0941 Independent Samples Test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Ways of Curbing Equal variances assumed 1.011 .317 3.170 98 Equal variances not assumed 3.170 94.844 Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference Ways of Curbing Equal variances assumed .002 .3880 .1224 Equal variances not assumed .002 .3880 .1224 Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper Ways of Curbing Equal variances assumed .1451 .6309 Equal variances not assumed .1450 .6310 Appendix-II (a) Reflective Log A research always begins from finding a suitable research topic. It starts from a purposive research topic which can lead the research in objective and directional manner. The same is how me and my group members begun with. We explored various topics on internet and in the psychological areas of study to get to one right suitable topic. After researching we identified international students stress management to be the right area of conducting a research. We identified the topic in this area as factors of stress in international students respectively. The topic is a social science one, giving us the direction and reason for conducting a social research. The consent on the topic was shown by all the group members. We all were contented of what have chosen and selected for our research. This initial phase of deciding a topic was difficult as we all researched hard to get to a right suitable topic. Apart from all, the experience of the start was good as it made me and my group members work with our basal knowledge and learning we have made. After deciding a topic, the next phase was of selecting a suitable research methodology. It was the quantitative research methodology which got selected in the beginning by me and my group members (Creswell & Clark, 2010). The methodology was right suited to the social science topic which we have selected (stress factors in international students). It was effective to apply as it gave the statistical route to our deductive research methodology. The application of the quantitative style of study brought close learning for all of the group members (Teddlie, 2009). I personally learned a lot from the deductive research approach- the quantitative research methodology, as it gave the knowledge of quantitative statistics, data sampling and analysis, and primary data research. Applying the quantitative research method, I attain much of what I expected. For the explorative part of the study which was to identify the stress factors in international student, the team decided to adapt the qualitative research methodology. This is how the research was pragmatic as it began with quantitative format and got concluded through qualitative inductive method (Creswell & Clark, 2010). Apart from some major challenges, the most critical challenge was to identify the stress factors in international students, which were present in great number and in complex number, when we came by to the multi-culture students. International students which were from different demographics and different backgrounds had different levels of stress and stress factors. Some had more academic stress and some were found with more financial and social stresses. This made our team fell into complexity as the challenge was to take out the most significant stress factors. To cope up with this challenge, we decided to make a list of significant stress factors- factors which are more common in international students’ lives. Analyzing each stress factor separately gave me and my team a decisive and true learning. To understand the reasons of why stress occurs in international students’ lives, I was told by my team to explore the topic of cross-cultural socialism. I went on with topic through different academic sources including journals and books to understand the concept of cross-cultural socialism. I understood it in the context of international students which gave me a learning of how cross-cultural students interact and what are their life patterns when they are in cross-cultural environment. This brought me to different stress factors including academic, social and financial stress which are precisely involved in the international students’ life experiences. The next major challenge of the research was the survey design. We had difference of opinion in selecting the format of the survey and also in setting a sample size of the survey’s respondents. With collective thinking and reasoning, the team decided to choose the interpretivist model of survey which is based on individuals’ knowledge and interpretation for designing an interview guideline. For addressing the challenge of sampling, we adapted the method of purposive sampling which is a method of setting justified and purposive number of respondents’ sample. The team decided to divide the sample size into genders group. One sample of male international students and the other of female international students for selected for the study. This assisted in comparison of the responses with respect to the genders and the genders’ perception (Biesta & Burbules, 2003). The survey went on quite deliberately but it also came by with certain challenges and problems for the team. I was supposed to interact with the international students-respondents’ groups and the barrier I faced the most was the language barrier as each student had a different language and a different accent of speech to interact. Apart from language barrier, I also faced problem in the availability of the students. Most of the students were not available at their off campus times as they were either on the jobs or on their class projects and assignments. Overall, the interaction experience was a complete learning as it provided me the chance of interacting with cross-cultural students (Johnson & Christensen, 2010). Overall, the study was a tremendous learning experience. Personally I learned a lot from the research as it allowed me to explore the factor of stress in international students. I learned a multiple number of stress factors including the academic, financial and social stresses which are part of international students’ life. I explored each and every factor comprehensively and in a detailed manner. On further, the learning was much of the cultural diversity as I had the chance to explore multiple cultures and their different norms. Similarly, the research brought learning of different research methods (quantitative and qualitative), the data collection method and the procedure of sampling in a research which will assist me in future research projects and studies. Apart from all, I learned to work in a team based environment, where the challenges are addressed collaboratively and with a team management approach. I also had the chance of self-assessment - assessment of my knowledge to implicate a research. This was how it was a thoroughly knowledge gaining experience, an experience that will definitely work out for me in the future. List of References Biesta, G. & Burbules, N. C., 2003. Pragmatism and educational research. MaryLand: Rowman & Littlefield. Creswell, J. W. & Clark, V. L. P., 2010. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. London: Sage. Johnson, B. & Christensen, L., 2010. Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches. London: Sage. Teddlie, C., 2009. Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. London: SAGE Publications Inc. Appendix-II (b) Reflective Log A successful group research is a vital element without which the research cannot be reached towards a conclusion and that element is of mutual consent. Keeping this in mind, my group aimed to decide a research topic that has to be contained with a distinct and significant importance. After many discussions and researches on several topics, we decided to aim for the analysis of foreign students regarding the stress. In this domain, I proposed to analyse the factors which leads to stress in the foreign students (McGrath & Altman, 1970) on which the mutual consensus of our group was developed. Now we were reached towards a topic that is to explore the factors which leads to stress among foreign students. The next aimed step after the decision of topic, we had to formulate our strategy to conduct this study. Out of multiple research methods to conduct a study, our group decided to conduct the study on the basis of quantitative research methodology. This option was considered by a complete analysis of our recourses in which time is usually considered as the most important. On the basis of this, our group acquired the quantitative method of research to fulfil the aimed objectives for our research by conducting surveys (McBurney & White, 2009). In my private account, the quantitative method of research is more appealing because it includes a large amount of data and subjects by which the conclusion of the research becomes more authentic and unbiased as compared to the qualitative researches. In addition, our group had enough duration of time in which a quantitative research could successfully be conducted with the right management of time (McBurney & White, 2009). After deciding the topic and the research methodology for the research, another discussion took place in my group which was initiated by another group member. This discussion was based on the sample and sampling technique. Our group decided to incorporate purposive sampling because it was considerably the appropriate sampling technique for our aimed research. The most challenging task for our group in conducting this research was the designing of sample because in purposive sampling we were required to assess many of the international students and their profiles in order to include them in our sample. The task of purposive sampling was not very difficult however it acquired a lot of time to complete the sample on which our study was based. Another important factor of sampling included the gender difference because in our research objectives, the stress level of both genders had to be incorporated for which our sample was equally divided in both, males and females, foreign students. I was personally aimed to assess the factors of stress among both genders in order to see whether the factors of stress among foreign students are similar for male and female students or are there any difference in the factors of stress (Chrisler & McCreary, 2010). After designing the sample of our research, the next challenge which we faced was the survey to be successfully conducted. The difficulty of this task was not merely of the interaction with foreign students but there were also few other factors which led our group to difficulties. These difficulties included language barriers, shortage of time for foreign students, religious differences and cultural differences. Many of the foreign students work on part time basis to create a mean of economic assistance for their studies and living on a foreign land. For this reason their daily routine and schedule becomes immensely busy which caused us difficulty to match our survey up to their busy schedule. The decided epistemological grounds for our research after the collection of data were not completely fulfilled and those were required to be more explorative after the assessment of collected data. This led our group to think about the incorporation of a better research methodology on the basis of which we acquired pragmatic approach towards the study which is the combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies (McBurney & White, 2009). In this regard, we continued to conduct interviews about several factors stress from foreign students. The interviews which we designed were consisting of their routines, linguistic problems, cultural problems, financial problems and religious problems on the basis if which the research objectives of our study were significantly completed in the domain of data collection. The next significant challenge which we faced was the assessment of whole data because after the incorporation of pragmatic approach on our research, the large size of our data was congealed into a larger amount. Secondly, the data collected on the basis of qualitative research was required a significantly more in depth analysis on which we were required to put extra efforts. The data was already very diverse due to the multiculturalism and diversity in sample. This hatched a new difficulty for our group to associate the whole data among each other in addition to derive a significantly definite conclusion from it. The equal distribution of work and mutual help in the group assisted immensely in achieving our targeted aim which was set in the beginning of this research (McBurney & White, 2009). There are a large number of improvements which I personally feel in me after the completion of this research. The most important of these all is the teamwork which I have learnt throughout the whole research. A team is formulated on the basis of its members which intrinsically incorporates the essential importance of each member. The mutual consent and understanding is the vital element of teamwork which I have learnt after conducting this research. Another important impact of this research on my personal information is the exposure of other cultures. The interaction and survey of many international students with different cultures helped me understanding the cultural differences and diversities by which the exposure of mind has significantly widened. The successful deliverance of theories in practical domain was also a great experience for me which I learnt and delivered in this research. Challenges and difficulties during the research has affected positively in the understanding of teamwork under pressure situation and the correct assessment of large amount of data by equal distribution of work among team which highlights the improvement in leadership qualities (Northouse, 2010). List of References Chrisler, J.C. & McCreary, D.R., 2010. Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology. New York: Springer. McBurney, D.H. & White, T.L., 2009. Research Methods. Belmont: Cengage Learning. McGrath, J.E. & Altman, I., 1970. Social and psychological factors in stress. Washington: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Northouse, P.G., 2010. Leadership: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE. Appendix-II (c) Reflective Log I feel very proud after having completed this research work. The research work which my group carried out was aimed at identifying and evaluating the factors that lead to stress amongst international students studying at the University of South Wales. There are certain things I would like to mention here in this reflective report. First of all, the fact that this research work was a group work, there are many things which I have learnt. Secondly, I feel that my skills of conducting a research work have certainly improved. Moreover, I have also learnt that a research work may not go as desired or planned, because there are limitations inherent to different research methods, instruments and techniques (Saunders et al., 2007; Gravetter & Forzano, 2011). These learning experiences have been discussed in detail in the following paragraphs. There are several things which I have been able to improve on and learn during the course of conducting this study, and in this regard, I think group work was the main factor which enabled me to improve my skills and abilities. As for instance, although we have been guided by our teacher about how to write a literature review, I found it difficult to transform secondary information in a meaningful manner and present it in literature review, which could be used to set theoretical and conceptual foundation of the research. But, in group work, I was able to share my opinions more openly and listen to others and their opinions about the development of literature review section of the research. In this way, my learning improved significantly and I got to know how theories, models and empirical evidences are extracted and instigated into a conceptual model for a research work. Moreover, I think that selecting an appropriate research methodology is a tricky part in a research work. In this study, we used a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative research approach, i.e. a mixed approach. This allowed me to understand how both research approaches are applied in a research work and what are the limitations and advantage of the two research approaches. I think that a quantitative research is more beneficial in research works involving investigation or determination of relationships between two or more variables or determining the overall trends and patterns in a given set of information or data (Thomas, 2003). In my opinion, it was a right decision of my group to include quantitative research approach in the study. In this regard, we thought it appropriate to review the literature and develop a survey questionnaire accordingly on the basis of factors and determinants of stress as noted by empirical evidence in past research works. The fact that we included statements in the survey, which were required to be responded on the basis of a five point Likert scale, enabled us to conduct statistical tests and interpret the results in a meaningful manner, which could be used in answering research questions. I personally feel that the idea of conducting surveys has been a great experience for me. Surveys allow personal interaction with people and enable to communicate with them, which offer a great learning experience to gain from it (Gravetter & Forzano, 2011; Newman & Benz, 1998; Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). When my group started to collect primary information through surveys, we distributed this data collection work in our group members equally. Apart from this, we also made use of qualitative research approach, in light of which three open ended questions were added to the survey questionnaire, which provided information for qualitative analysis (Thomas, 2003). In addition to the fact that qualitative research approach enables a wider analysis of the subject, I personally feel that there is one significant advantage of using the same with regard to respondents. As for instance, respondents who took part in the survey were required to indicate their agreement or disagreement with respective statements as per options provided under Likert scale. This seemed a bit unjust, because in this way respondents were not able to share their personal thoughts about the subject matter under investigation. On the other hand, when qualitative statements were included, which were basically open ended questions, the respondents were able to share their views in relation to questions asked in a more openly. As far as limitations faced by me and my group during the conduct of this study, I think that some of them could have been avoided. As for instance, the fact that only a sample of 100 students was considered in the study could have been increased to 200, had there been more time and resources. Moreover, sources of information for collecting secondary information for the study, i.e. for the development of literature review, is also a matter of concern. As for instance, selecting appropriate sources of information sets the course of a study, because an inappropriate source of information may not provide relevant information considered necessary for the purposes of study. In addition to all these things, which I have learnt from this research work, I would like to mention here that this experience has been a remarkable one for me. I can now state that my confidence has improved substantially and now I think that I am in a position of conducting a full-fledged research work independently. This group work exercise has been a huge success and has helped me a lot to overcome my shortcomings and I now feel that in future these learnt skills and improvement in my abilities will be extremely helpful in my endeavours. Also I feel that this is the perfect moment to thank all those who have spared their time for me in providing valuable guidance and support while conducting this study, and I am also thankful to my group mates, who have been friendly yet committed to bring this research work into a reality. Lastly, my course instructor has been very assistive throughout this project; in fact it would not be wrong if I say that it was my instructor’s wilfulness and interest in helping me and my group members which ultimately enabled us to conduct this study and learn so much. List of References Balnaves, M. & Caputi, P., 2001. Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods: an investigative approach. London: SAGE. Gravetter, F.J. & Forzano, L.-A.B., 2011. Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences. Belmont: Cengage Learning. Newman, I. & Benz, C.R., 1998. Qualitative-quantitative research methodology: Exploring the interactive continuum. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A., 2007. Research Methods for Business Students. New York: Pearson Education. Thomas, R.M., 2003. Blending qualitative and quantitative research methods in theses and dissertations. Thousand Oaks: Corwin. Appendix-II (d) Reflective Log Reflective Essay: I have been a student at the University of Wales for a couple of years. From the very early days as an international student in Wales, I have noticed many things, scenarios, issues and problems. Out of these many were parts of a good experience while some left me with different questions. The problem of stress has been a major issue among students throughout the world. However the issue has a strong background among international students (Forshaw, 2012). The issue of stress is somewhat different among the national and international students. I wanted to understand exactly what stress is to international students and what its major factors were. Throughout my life, I have always been a thinker but in this coursework I tried to more critical and managed to enhance my analytical capabilities. As this was also a part of my master’s course, I along with my group mates chose this topic of research. Instead of finding the answer in books or theories the best way to know the elements of stress among international student was by conducting a research. The method adopted for this research was mixed that is qualitative and quantitative both techniques were used while conducting the research (Jamison, 2006). Although we had many topics to choose from which were given by our teacher, we selected this one because we also wanted to find out the exact elements of the issue. The main objectives of this research were to identify the factors which results in stress among international students. Since both qualitative and quantitative research method is used in the research, therefore the primary and secondary both data were analyzed to drive conclusions (Wike, 1975). However many obstacles were faced while collecting the primary data which was through the collection of information via questionnaires. The sampling of the respondents was a serious issue while adopting the sampling method. Purposive sampling of 100 international students was decided for data collection. We have to keep in mind the demographics of the respondents which were in between 20 – 26 years. These respondents were international students enrolled in the University of Wales. Both men and women were targeted while gathering primary data. Since the quantitative method was selected for the research for gathering primary data via questionnaires, the chances of errors were comparatively high in my opinion. The statistical data collected through quantitative method was not reliable as a sample 100 respondents cannot be generalized. Therefore, in order to balance the limitations of quantitative method, qualitative technique was also used to collect information. Secondary data was collected through surveys of past researches on the same topic, journal articles, online libraries, theories and a few books. It became very difficult for me and my group mates to collect data from 100 international. Many of the respondents refused to answer the questionnaire while many didn’t fill it appropriately and ticked and filled false information in it. Many of the students were too late for the feedback that we had to pick another student. However after a long struggle the 100 questionnaires were collected back from the respondents. Moreover other limitations were the time frame which was very less and we had to do a lot of research work. Due to the limited time we were unable to conduct interviews with the respondents which we wanted to add in our research. Moreover one thing which to me is a limitation is the usefulness of this research for future studies and researches. As the study reflects and covers the issues of international students enrolled in University of Wales therefore the result does not reflect or it cannot be applied on international students of other students in the UK or any other country. As far as my experience during the research is concerned, then I observe a huge gap in my pool of expertise pre and post research (Whitman, et al., 1986). I have learnt a lot while conducting the research. I have got to know many cultures, as the respondents were not limited to significant race, class or background. I have learnt to work under pressure and in limited time. One major thing which I experienced at different intervals during the research was of trouble shooting. I got to learn how to manage any turmoil. I faced many situations which created complexities for me however I tried every possible technique to overcome the issue rather than getting confused and upset. The group experience was also interesting as we had to work in the form of team. We were all from different countries and every person had different mental level and level of understanding. We tried to manage and hear everyone at one single time. Although at few points it felt very difficult to do so but everyone took others along and overall the group experience went good. Regardless of the findings of the research, I have been able to learn a lot through this research. It has improved and polished my skills which will help me in future and my professional life. I am planning to re structure my goals of life after this research as it has taught me some serious lessons. It is true that the limitations of this research are comparatively high, but many students, researchers and intellectuals will get benefited from it in a variety of ways. Through the context of this paper I would like to acknowledge that my course in charge, all my teachers, my group members, friends and all the respondents who guided me, taught me and helped to conduct and perform this research, I am heartily thankful and great full to them. I would like to show my gratitude to all the people who supported me in this research including my family. My family gave me all possible support and was there with me on every step of the research. I would like to show my gratefulness to my course in charge who was there to teach me the course like no one else and guided me in every point throughout the research. List of References Forshaw, M., 2012. Critical Thinking For Psychology: A Student Guide. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Jamison, J., 2006. Research Methods in Psychology for High School Students. Bloomington: iUniverse. Whitman, N., Spendlove, D. C. & Clark, C. H., 1986. Increasing students' learning: a faculty guide to reducing stress among students. Las Vegas: Association for the Study of Higher Education. Wike, E. L., 1975. Data Analysis: A Statistical Primer For Psychology Students. South Piscataway: Transaction Publishers. Appendix-III Semi-Structured Questionnaire THE ANALYTICAL STUDY OF FACTORS OF STRESS AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES. Dear Respondents, This questionnaire is designed to analyze the study of factors of stress among international students in University of South Wales. Your response will be kept private and confidential. Only the researchers will have access to the information provided and they are for academic purposes only. Your time and cooperation is highly appreciated. Thank you. PART A: Demographic Profile Please tick at the appropriate box 1. Gender :Male Female 2. Age range : Less than 21 21-29 30-39 40 and above 3. Level of education: Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Philosophy degree 4. Race : Asian Africa European Middle Eastern Others 5. Length of stay in the United Kingdom: Less than 6months 6- 12months 1-6years Over 6years Part B: Academic stressor Please tick ( ) at the appropriate box using the following five point scale below to express your level of agreement; 1-Strongly disagree, 2- Disagree, 3-Neutral, 4- Agree, 5- Strongly agree A. Frustrations. 1 2 3 4 5 6 I have experienced frustrations due to delays in reaching my goals. 7 I have experienced frustrations due to lack of sources (money for Auto, books etc.). 8 I have experienced frustrations because I have not been accepted socially. 9 I have experienced dating frustrations. 10 I feel I was denied opportunities in spite of my qualifications. B. Conflicts. 1 2 3 4 5 11 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more desirable alternatives. 12 I have experienced conflicts which were produced by two or more undesirable alternatives. 13 I have experienced conflicts which were produced when a goal had both positive and negative alternatives. C. Pressures. 1 2 3 4 5 14 I experienced pressures due to deadlines (assignments, payments to be made, etc.) 15 I experienced pressures due to overload (attempting too many things at one time). 16 I experienced pressures as a result of competition (on grades, work, relationships etc.). D. Changes. 1 2 3 4 5 17 I have experienced rapid unpleasant changes. 18 I have experienced too many changes occurring at the same time. 19 I have experienced changes which disrupted my academics and goals. E. Self – Imposed. 1 2 3 4 5 20 As a person I feel must find a perfect solution to the problems I undertake. 21 As a person I get anxious about taking tests. 22 As a person I have the tendency to procrastinate. PART C. Ways of curbing stress. 1 2 3 4 5 23 I tried to analyse the problems to understand it better. 24 Turned to work or substitute activity to take my mind off things. 25 Bargained to get something positive from the situation. 26 I ask a relative or friend I respect for advice. 27 I jogged or exercised. Read More