COVID-19 Pandemic: Addressing the Impact of Academic Uncertainties on Psychological Well-Being in Argentinian University Students during Social Isolation

SERRA SV; SCOTTA AV; MIRANDA AR

Advances in psychology research

Nova Science Publishers

Lugar: Nueva York; Año: 2022; p. 35 - 70

Thischapter aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the AcademicUncertainty Questionnaire (AUQ) in Argentinian university students (n = 584)during the COVID-19 social isolation. The sample was randomly divided into twosubsamples (n = 292) to evaluate the dimensionality using factor analysis.Consequently, 57% of the variance was explained by five factors: “expectationsand results,” “support and pedagogical barriers,” “invested effort,”“environment and organization,” and “socialization and motivation”. This wasverified through confirmatory factor analysis and adequately fit the data. Reliabilityanalyses indicated that the questionnaire is reliable. It was also possible toconfirm its divergent and convergent validity by contrasting AUQ with otherinstruments. Finally, the relationship between AUQ and sociodemographiccharacteristics was analyzed. Moreover, students coping with pandemic stressthrough avoidant strategies had a higher level of academic uncertainties,leading to sleep disruptions. In conclusion, the AUQ is a reliable and validtool to assess student uncertainties in usual and modified contexts. Theeducation system must be aware of the psychological impact of the pandemic on students,and must be prepared for future crises, taking into account social inequitiesand vulnerabilities.