Examining perceptions of academic stress and its sources among university students: The Perception of Academic Stress Scale

May combine two claims.

The Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS) is an 18-item, 5-point Likert-type questionnaire measuring perceived sources of academic stress among undergraduate university students.

“we developed an 18-item scale to measure perceptions of academic stress and its sources”

• Also stated in: § Participants · plain

  “The items related to these academic stresses were converted into an 18-item, 5-point Likert-type questionnaire, resulting in the PAS.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The sample of 100 third-year Educational Psychology students at Tanta University is representative of university students for the purpose of developing the PAS.

May combine two claims.

The PAS has three main subscales: academic expectations (four items), workload and examinations (eight items), and students' academic self-perceptions (six items).

“We were able to identify a list of specification with three main components to characterize sources of academic stress among university students: (1) the academic expectations subscale (four items), (2) workload and examinations subscale (eight items), and (3) students’ academic self-perceptions subscale (six items).”

• Also stated in: § Participants · plain

  “Table 2 displays the PAS three main subscales: (1) the academic expectations subscale (four items), (2) workload and examinations subscale (eight items), and (3) students’ academic self-perceptions subscale (six items).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The PAS takes 5 minutes to complete.

“This scale takes 5 minutes to complete.”

• Also stated in: § Data collection and analysis · plain

  “Students needed on average 5 minutes to complete the PAS.”

May combine two claims.

There were no significant differences in mean PAS score between sexes and age groups.

“Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) indicated that there were no significant differences in the mean PAS score, between sexes, and age groups in the severity scores of anxiety symptoms.”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: Students' self-reported responses accurately reflect their perceptions of academic stress.

May combine two claims.

Experts' ratings for all items on the scale ranged from 3.8 to 4.8, with an average rating of 4.4.

“Expert’s ratings for all items on the scale ranged from a minimum of 3.8 to a maximum of 4.8 and an average rating for all the instrument items of 4.4.”

May combine two claims.

The positively reported items were confidence in being a successful student, confidence in future career success, and confidence in making academic decisions easily.

“Also, the positively reported items were “Am confident that I will be a successful student, “Am confident that I will be a successful in my future career,” and “I can make academic decisions easily.””

• Also stated in: § Discussion · boosted

  “Results from this study support the fact that there were positively reported scores reflecting that students were significantly confident about the success in their academic performance and their future career and were confident in making academic decisions.”

May combine two claims.

Factor 2 consists of four items, has an internal consistency of 0.6, and explains 10 percent of the observed variance.

“This component consists of four items, has an internal consistency of 0.6, and explains 10 percent of the observed variance.”

May combine two claims.

Factor 3 consists of five items, has an internal consistency of 0.5, and explains 9 percent of the observed variance.

“This component consists of five items having an internal consistency of 0.5 and explains 9 percent of the observed variance.”

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Factor 4 consists of six items, has an internal consistency of 0.6, and explains 8 percent of the observed variance.

“This component consists of six items having an internal consistency of 0.6 and explains 8 percent of the observed variance.”

May combine two claims.

Students reported confidence in their academic performance and in their ability to succeed.

“Overall, students reported confidence in their academic performance and in their ability to succeed.”

• Also stated in: § Discussion · plain

  “Students’ experience of academic sources of stress was rated as mild to moderate, and most students reported confidence about their academic skills and confidence in their ability to succeed.”

May combine two claims.

There were significant positive correlations between factor scores and between the Pearson product moment correlations (p > 0.001).

“There were significant positive correlations (p > 0.001) between factor scores and between the Pearson product moment correlations.”

May combine two claims.

There were no significant differences between males and females, or across age groups, in the mean scores of the scale's factors.

“There were no significant differences between males and females, or across age groups, in the mean scores of the scale’s factors.”

• Also stated in: § Discussion · plain

  “There were no differences between male and female students in their perceptions of academic stress, and factor analysis revealed four factors that explained 43 percent of the variance for this scale.”

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Factor 1 consists of five items, has an internal consistency of 0.6, and explains 18 percent of the observed variance.

“This component consists of five items, has an internal consistency of 0.6, and explains 18 percent of the observed variance.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Fear of course failure, uncertainty about the future, clinical training difficulties, and work overload are perceived sources of stress among dental students.

“The fear of course failure, uncertainty about future, clinical training difficulties, and work overload were among the perceived sources of stress among dental students (Acharya, 2003; Polychronopoulou and Divaris, 2005).”

• cites Acharya, 2003 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Polychronopoulou and Divaris, 2005 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Excessive school work, congested classrooms, strikes by faculty, and lack of laboratory equipment are sources of stress.

“Also, Omigbodun et al. (2006) and Polychronopoulou and Divaris (2005) found that excessive school work, congested classrooms, strikes by faculty, and lack of laboratory equipment were identified as a source of stress.”

• cites Omigbodun et al., 2006 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Polychronopoulou and Divaris, 2005 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

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The study used expert responses to provide evidence for content validity and student responses to provide evidence for internal consistency reliability and convergent validity.

“Responses from educational and psychology experts were used to provide evidence for content validity for the instrument, while students’ responses and performances on the instrument were utilized to provide evidence for internal consistency reliability, and convergent validity as adduced in correlation analysis of the students’ responses on the subscales of the instrument.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Sports and psychology students have a lower perceived stress risk compared with medicine students.

“In a cross-sectional survey examining the level of perceived academic stress among medical, dental, psychology, and sports students, it was demonstrated that sports and psychology students had a lower perceived stress risk compared with medicine students (Neveu et al., 2012).”

• cites Neveu et al., 2012 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Final year students present with higher stress scores.

“and recently, Tangade et al. (2011) found that final year students presented with higher stress scores.”

• cites Tangade et al., 2011Not checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Negative cognitions related to examinations, such as underestimating one's own abilities or overestimating consequences of failure, are often accompanied by higher anxiety levels and poor performance.

“Hancock (2001) and Hembree (1988) reported that negative cognitions related to examinations, when such students underestimate their own abilities, or overestimation of the consequences related to their failure, are often accompanied by higher anxiety levels and poor performance.”

• cites Hancock, 2001 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Hembree, 1988 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Perceived stress varies among different sociodemographic groups.

“Perceived stress was reported in some research, to vary among different sociodemographic groups (Acharya, 2003; Pau et al., 2007; Polychronopoulou and Divaris, 2005).”

• cites Acharya, 2003 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Pau et al., 2007 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Polychronopoulou and Divaris, 2005 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Receiving criticism from supervisors about academic or clinical work is a source associated with significant stress among dental students.

“Also, receiving criticism from supervisors about academic or clinical work was one of the sources associated with significant stress among dental students (Kumar et al., 2009).”

• cites Kumar et al., 2009 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Test anxiety among pharmacology students is positively correlated with perceptions of course load and negatively related to ability to manage time with course work.

“Based on a self-administered survey, it was demonstrated that test anxiety among pharmacology students (n = 198) was positively correlated with students’ perceptions of course load and negatively related to their ability to manage time with course work (Sansgiry and Sail, 2006).”

• cites Sansgiry and Sail, 2006 sourceNot checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Five items were reverse-scored to avoid response patterns.

“Five items scoring were reversed to avoid response patterns (Appendix 1).”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Students who joined dentistry due to parental pressure, with associated fear of facing parents after failure, describe greater stress than those who joined of their accord.

“For example, students who joined dentistry due to parental pressure, with associated fear of facing parents after failure, described greater stress than those who joined of their accord (Acharya, 2003; Tangade et al., 2011).”

• cites Acharya, 2003 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Tangade et al., 2011Not checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Students report and experience higher levels of anxiety from the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) than from written examinations.

“It was demonstrated in both laboratory and in self-report questionnaires that students report and experience higher levels of anxiety from the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) than from the written examinations (Furlong et al., 2005).”

• cites Furlong et al., 2005 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Higher levels of stress are associated with poor academic performance.

“Results from the literature suggest that higher level of stress to be associated with poor academic performance (Sohail, 2013).”

• cites Sohail, 2013Not checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The scale was pilot tested with four students.

“The scale was pilot tested with four students.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Parental pressure predicts a higher degree of test anxiety, and parental support predicts a lower degree of stress and test anxiety.

“Other authors suggested that parental pressure predicted a higher degree of test anxiety, as the threat of negative evaluation from others is increased. Conversely, it was theorized that parental support would predict a lower degree of stress and test anxiety, as the threat of negative evaluation is reduced (Putwain et al., 2010).”

• cites Putwain et al., 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

The five main stressors of entrance exam stress, in descending order, are taking tests, the student's own aspirations, learning tasks, teacher's aspirations, and parent's aspirations.

“Authors concluded that the five main stressors of entrance exam stress, in descending order, included taking tests, the student’s own aspirations, learning tasks, teacher’s aspirations, and parent’s aspirations (Wang and Yeh, 2005).”

• cites Wang and Yeh, 2005 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

The most frequently reported factors contributing to stress and anxiety around examination periods are extensive course loads, lack of physical exercise, and long duration of exams.

“In a number of studies, authors found that the most frequently reported factors contributing to stress and anxiety around the examination periods were extensive course loads, lack of physical exercise, and long duration of exams, reported by the students (Harikiran et al., 2012; Hashmat et al., 2008; Sansgiry and Sail, 2006; Shah et al., 2010).”

• cites Harikiran et al., 2012 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Hashmat et al., 2008Not checked — no full text of the source
• cites Sansgiry and Sail, 2006 sourceNot checked yet

  Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Perceived academic competence is related to worry and tension.

“Others claimed that perceived academic competence was related to worry and tension (Putwain et al., 2010).”

• cites Putwain et al., 2010 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

All dimensions of self-concept are significantly related to test anxiety, including general self-concept and academic self-concept.

“Authors found that all the dimensions of self-concept were significantly related to test anxiety, among which are the general self-concept and the academic self-concept.”

• cites Xu et al., 2005Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

May combine two claims.

Factor 4 represents stresses from limited time allocated to classes, inability to finish homework, difficulty catching up if behind, and limited time to relax.

“It refers to stresses as a result of limited time allocated to classes, inability to finish homework, the difficulty to catch up if behind, and the limited time to wind up or relax.”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

Test anxiety is related to personality and self-esteem, and the prevalence of test anxiety is higher in introversive, unstable emotional, apparent psychoticism or low self-esteem students.

“For example, Liu et al. (2006) argued that test anxiety should be related to the personality and self-esteem, and that the prevalence of test anxiety should be higher in introversive, unstable emotional, apparent psychoticism or low self-esteem students.”

• cites Liu et al., 2006Not checked — no full text of the source

May combine two claims.

The sample size was not large, and all patients were recruited from one class.

“The sample size was not large, and all patients were recruited from one class.”

May combine two claims.

Convergent validity was demonstrated by positive significant correlations between the three factors, especially the significant positive correlation between Factor 1 scores and the scores of the other three factors.

“Convergent validity was demonstrated by the positive significant correlations between the three factors, especially by the significant positive correlation between the scores of Factor 1, “Pressures to perform,” and the scores of the other three factors.”

May combine two claims.

There is evidence for face, content, and convergent validity of the instrument.

“There is acceptable internal consistency reliability, and there is evidence for face, content, and convergent validity of this instrument.”

May combine two claims.

The four factors are theoretically meaningful and cohesive, as demonstrated by significant correlations between their scores, supporting convergent validity.

“The factors are theoretically meaningful and cohesive, as it was demonstrated by the significant correlations between their scores, supporting evidence for convergent validity.”