Date of Defense
12-11-2024 10:00 AM
Location
H1-1078
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Science in Clinical Psychology
College
CMHS
First Advisor
Dr. Zahir Vally
Keywords
Grit, Self-Efficacy, Well-Being, Perseverance of Effort, Consistency of Interest, Non-Traditional students, Working students.
Abstract
Developments in the educational and economic sector have led to a rising number of older adults enrolling to pursue higher education. In the UAE, there is a large proportion of students who may be categorized as “non-traditional”, i.e., university students who are working, married or older in age, in comparison to “traditional” students. Yet there is a dearth of literature to understand the unique experiences of this specific student population, especially in the current context. This study adopts a strengths-based approach to investigate the experiences of university students in the UAE who are also simultaneously working. The aim of the study is to examine the relationships among three variables: Grit, Self-Efficacy and Well-Being. Additionally, the associations of Self-Efficacy and Well-Being with each of the two dimensions of Grit - PE and Consistency of Interest - was also determined. Furthermore, three mediation models were tested, with Self-Efficacy as the mediator. A cross-sectional correlation research design was employed to test the hypotheses. Convenience and snowball sampling was used to collect data from 242 university students across the UAE, who were simultaneously employed. IBM SPSS software was utilized for demographic and correlation analysis, while mediation analysis was conducted using Process Macro. Results showed higher-than-average levels of Grit, Self-Efficacy and Well-Being, and significant positive correlation between all primary variables. Self-Efficacy emerged as a significant mediator in the relation of Well-Being, with Grit, PE and Consistency of Interest. These findings suggest that adopting a strengths-based approach to studying the mental health of non-traditional (working) students may be beneficial. Strategies focusing on improving self-efficacy could help in improving grit and well-being, thereby reducing the risk of developing psychopathology.
Included in
EXAMINING THE MEDIATIONAL ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY IN THE RELATION BETWEEN GRIT AND WELL-BEING AMONG NON-TRADITIONAL (WORKING) UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN THE U.A.E
H1-1078
Developments in the educational and economic sector have led to a rising number of older adults enrolling to pursue higher education. In the UAE, there is a large proportion of students who may be categorized as “non-traditional”, i.e., university students who are working, married or older in age, in comparison to “traditional” students. Yet there is a dearth of literature to understand the unique experiences of this specific student population, especially in the current context. This study adopts a strengths-based approach to investigate the experiences of university students in the UAE who are also simultaneously working. The aim of the study is to examine the relationships among three variables: Grit, Self-Efficacy and Well-Being. Additionally, the associations of Self-Efficacy and Well-Being with each of the two dimensions of Grit - PE and Consistency of Interest - was also determined. Furthermore, three mediation models were tested, with Self-Efficacy as the mediator. A cross-sectional correlation research design was employed to test the hypotheses. Convenience and snowball sampling was used to collect data from 242 university students across the UAE, who were simultaneously employed. IBM SPSS software was utilized for demographic and correlation analysis, while mediation analysis was conducted using Process Macro. Results showed higher-than-average levels of Grit, Self-Efficacy and Well-Being, and significant positive correlation between all primary variables. Self-Efficacy emerged as a significant mediator in the relation of Well-Being, with Grit, PE and Consistency of Interest. These findings suggest that adopting a strengths-based approach to studying the mental health of non-traditional (working) students may be beneficial. Strategies focusing on improving self-efficacy could help in improving grit and well-being, thereby reducing the risk of developing psychopathology.