Evaluating How University Students Adapt to Stress: Psychometric Validation of a Psychological Instruments Battery

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Modern society's competitive environments increase stress awareness.
• Academic and professional success demands significant individual adaptation.
• University students face unique pressures requiring stress adaptation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a battery of instruments for assessing university students' adaptation to stress.
• To validate psychometric properties of these instruments.
• To provide tools for understanding the stress adaptation process.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two independent student samples (calibration n=561, validation n=370) over two academic years.
• Employed the Stress Questionnaire for Students (SQS), Primary and Secondary Cognitive Appraisal Scale (PSCAS), Reduced Coping Inventory (Coping-R), and Academic Achievement Expectations (AAE).
• Conducted psychometric validation analyses to determine optimal instrument versions.

Main Results:

• Validated an 18-item, six-factor SQS.
• Validated a 10-item, five-factor PSCAS.
• Validated a 12-item, four-factor Coping-R.
• Validated a five-item, one-factor AAE.

Conclusions:

• The validated instruments offer a resource for screening academic stress in university students.
• These tools provide an original method to analyze the complete stress adaptation process.
• The battery supports research and practical applications in student mental health and well-being.