Experience of a Lifetime: Study Abroad,Trauma, and Institutional Betrayal

This study is the first to expand the investigation of study-abroad risks to include a range of traumatic experiences for male and female students and to examine effects of institutional betrayal (i.e., an institution’s failure to prevent trauma or support survivors). In an online survey of 173 university students who had studied abroad, many respondents (45.44%, n = 79) reported exposure to at least 1 traumatic experience while abroad, most frequently natural disasters, sexual assault, and unwanted sexual experiences. Of students exposed to potentially traumatic events, more than one third (35.44%, n = 28) also reported at least 1 form of related institutional betrayal, which uniquely correlated with posttraumatic distress in some participants, when controlling for lifetime trauma history.     

An exploration of the benefits of animal‐assisted activities in undergraduate students in Singapore

The rise in psychological problems, attrition, and suicide rates of university students has been linked to the stressful challenges faced during university life. To buffer this, animal assisted activities (AAA) may assist in improving psychological and physiological well‐being in students, however, to date, there is little empirical evidence for their effectiveness. Consequently, this study explored the psychological and physiological benefits of AAA in a sample of undergraduate students. Sixty‐two students from two local universities participated in an hour‐long AAA session delivered by Therapy Dogs Singapore. Measures of perceived stress, anxiety, state self‐esteem, and blood pressure (BP) were taken before and after the sessions. The results indicated that students experienced significant decreases in state anxiety, systolic, and diastolic BP post AAA, and when compared to a quiet reading comparison session. State self‐esteem increased post AAA and, further, was found to moderate the change in anxiety in addition to perceived stress, whereby perceived anxiety reduced more in those with low state self‐esteem and high perceived stress. These results suggest that AAA can be an effective intervention for stress among undergraduate students, which utilizes a novel, easy to implement and enjoyable approach for Singaporean students.     

Stress Management for College Students: An Experiential Multi-Modal Approach

This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-modal experiential stress management course for college students. Experiential approaches included yoga, mindfulness hiking, and equine-assisted stress management activities. Univariate analysis of covariance revealed significantly lower perceived stress for the experimental group at the conclusion of the stress management course. Repeated measures univariate analysis of variance revealed that the stress management course significantly reduced present moment stress over time and that equine-assisted activities were as effective as yoga and mindfulness hiking in reducing student stress.     

Chinese college students’ gender self-esteem and trans prejudice

Most studies of trans prejudice, or prejudice against transgender people, have been conducted in Western countries. The current study explored trans prejudice in a sample of 124 heterosexual college students from the People's Republic of China. We also examined the relationship between gender self-esteem—the importance of gender to one's self-identity—and trans prejudice. Results indicated that men reported more trans prejudice than women. Both women and men reported more violence toward, teasing of, and discomfort with trans women compared with trans men. Gender self-esteem was not a significant predictor of trans prejudice for men or women. These results suggest that some of the predictors of trans prejudice in Chinese people may be similar to predictors found in Western samples. However, differences may be due to cultural factors such as membership in a collectivistic versus an individualistic society.     

应用决策树探讨中国当代大学生情感素质下属各情感的相互关系

为深入了解大学生情感素质及其下属情感的相互关系,本文在已有全国大学生情感素质调查的基础上,利用决策树算法对大学生的情感素质及其下属情感(道德情感、生活情感、情绪智力)进行预测分类。结果表明:(1)决策树可以有效地对大学生情感素质下属各情感进行预测分类;(2)按属性重要性提取规则,道德情感对情感素质影响最大,生活情感次之;责任感对道德情感影响较大;自强感对生活情感有较强影响;理解他人情绪能力对情绪智力的影响较大。     

大学生心理需求与网络社交:认知评估与自我调控的作用

为探讨大学生心理需求、认知评估、自我调控和网络社交的关系,采用大学生心理需求量表、网络利弊权衡问卷、自我调控问卷和网络交往问卷对503名大学生进行调查,结果发现:(1)大学生心理需求可显著正向预测网络社交;对上网的好处和代价认知评估在两者间起部分中介作用。(2)自我调控在心理需求和网络社交间起调节作用。由此得出结论,大学生的心理需求可显著影响网络社交,对上网的好处和代价认知评估在二者间起中介作用,自我调控起调节作用。研究结果进一步揭示了心理需求影响网络社交的内在机制,可为网络时代大学生进行健康网络社交提供有益指导。     

Bidirectional relations between different forms of prosocial behaviors and substance use among female college student athletes

Bidirectional, longitudinal relations between alcohol and marijuana use and prosocial behaviors in women college student athletes were examined. Participants were 187 female college students (M_age = 19.87 years; 91% White) who completed questionnaires on their use of marijuana and alcohol, and six forms of prosocial behaviors across 6 years (2004–2010). The findings yield overall evidence that earlier marijuana use predicted lower levels of most specific forms of prosocial behaviors for women athletes in later young adulthood. Early expressions of altruistic behaviors predicted less marijuana use in later young adulthood. Expression of public prosocial behaviors early in young adulthood predicted higher levels of hazardous drinking in late young adulthood. These novel findings have important implications for links between prosocial development and substance use in women college athletes.