Optimism Bias as Moderator to Deal with Anxiety & Depression: Empirical Evidence from PLS – SEM Based Approach

The research aims at examining the influence of loneliness and stress on anxiety and depression. The role of optimism bias in regulating anxiety and depression dimensions among 726 students in India is investigated. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach is used to study the relationships between constructs. According to the data, optimism bias significantly moderates the association among stress and anxiety & between loneliness and anxiety. The research enables understanding of the consequences of Covid-19 upon the psychology of the students while providing an insight into the behavioural implications of loneliness, stress and optimism bias on the anxiety level and depression of students. The study enables the academicians and management in formulating communication and management strategies for students. Limited studies have been found on stress and depression in Indian student's context. It is the first study to employ an optimistic bias scale to investigate the behaviour of students in India and its impact on the students' mental health using anxiety and depression as variables. © The Author(s) 2023.

MEASURING THE WALLS OF COMMUNICATION BARRIERS OF STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION DURING ONLINE CLASSES

Purpose: The present research aims to evaluate the influence of online classes on higher education students' achievement and the communication barriers they encountered while attending the classes. The study's constructs were online learning vs. offline learning, communication barriers, and effective learning outcomes. Design/ Methodology/Approach: The research study explores the relationship between the constructs through an exploratory descriptive research design. The present research study collected data through structured questionnaires using established scales. The data was collected through google form from UG and PG students. G* power was used to analyse the required sample size for the study. Data analysis was undertaken through SmartPLS software using SEM for analysing the structural model of the study and to test the hypothesis. Findings: The study high though we live in the modern age and that our students are technologically advanced, but still learning online is daunting. Students have a high preference for offline classes than online classes. They were confronted with a variety of communication barriers (both verbal and nonverbal), including personal, physical, psychological, and emotional barriers. According to students, a teacher's physical presence is needed for a better understanding of the topics. It is unrealistic for them to absorb the entire syllabi of each subject in virtual mode, so they choose offline classes. Personal analytical abilities and speech skills, they believe, have also deteriorated in online classes. Practical Implications: The findings suggested that more Faculty Learning programs should be initiated to up-skill educators, as well as, more hands-on training should be provided for new software. Students' feedback should be recorded on a daily basis to check the effectiveness of online classes, and an asynchronous and synchronous learning mechanism should be set up for two-way communication between the students and the teachers. Originality Value: The research would undoubtedly assist in identifying the communication barriers that students face in online classes, as well as paving the way for new approaches to make online classes more effective for learning. © 2021. All Rights Reserved.

PSYCHOLOGICAL, SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC EXPERIENCES AND INTERVENTIONS MADE

A SUMMARY: The outbreak of Corona Virus in December 2019, in Wuhan placed a novel challenge in front of mankind. COVID-19 has affected every country in different magnitudes. The absence of vaccine and changed lifestyle suddenly imposed upon masses affected their functioning as well. Those victimized by the virus have their own problems while others also have had their own sufferings. OBJECTIVES: Amidst all trials and tests for cure, this paper is an attempt to understand the psychological, spiritual and emotional response to COVID-19 and Government Interventions in India. It also tries to assess the differences in experiences across age, gender and educational qualifications. DESIGN: The study adopts a mixed approach and is an exploratory cross-sectional study. For the purpose of the study, a shortened version of Czech SWSB, RYFF's Psychological Wellbeing 18 point scale and STAI scale were customized for pandemic times, administered towards the end of Lockdown 1.0 in India. After reliability and validity tests, established scales are used to study the variable in the research. For the analysis of data Smart PLS SEM 3.3.2 is used. SETTING: General masses of India were a part of the study. A cohort of 100 respondents willing to participate in the survey during the initial 21 days lockdown in India was studied which was selected using snowball sampling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study measures the association of psychological, spiritual and emotional response to covid-19 pandemic experiences and also the response to interventions made. FINDINGS: The results show that there is trivial relation of age, education and gender to the experiences of COVID-19. It was also found that Psychological Wellbeing and Spiritual Wellbeing were significantly related to the experiences of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Extreme external factors like covid-19 pandemic act as stressors and affect the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of all.