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Fulltext The applicability of social cognitive career theory in predicting life satisfaction of university students: A meta-analytic path analysis

Mohd Rasdi R, Ahrari S

PLoS One, 2020;15(8):e0237838.
PMID: 32822400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237838

Derived from the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the present study developed a model for the empirical examination of factors affecting the life satisfaction of university students. A random-effects meta-analysis of zero-order correlations observed the results of 16 studies (20 samples, n = 7,967), and associations among the SCCT variables were examined by using a meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) according to a pooled correlation matrix. An alternative model was offered and then assessed. The findings showed a satisfactory fit of the new model as compared to the original SCCT. The results demonstrated support for the alternative model of SCCT in predicting life satisfaction. The present study suggested that researchers should embrace this alternative model when synthesizing SCCT factors. Limitations and avenues for future research were put forward for further consideration.
Fulltext Financial Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Spillover Effects on Burnout-Disengagement Relationships and Performance of Employees Who Moonlight

Rasdi RM, Zaremohzzabieh Z, Ahrari S

Front Psychol, 2021;12:610138.
PMID: 33679526 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.610138

The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has magnified the issue of financial insecurity. However, its effect on individual-organizational relations and, consequently, on organizational performance remains understudied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the spillover effect of financial insecurity on the burnout-disengagement relationship during the pandemic. The authors investigate in particular whether the spillover effect influences the performance of moonlighting employees and also explore the mediating effect of disengagement on the relationship between financial insecurity and burnout interaction effect and the performance (i.e., mediated-moderation). This study collected responses from 162 public and private sector employees who are engaged in moonlighting activities in Malaysia. The results from the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed greater levels of financial insecurity and burnout associated with greater levels of work disengagement. The analysis of the interaction-moderation effect showed that when financial insecurity rises, the burnout effect on work disengagement increases among moonlighters. Using the PROCESS macro model, the results displayed burnout as a predictor of extra-role performance via a moderated (financial insecurity) mediation (work disengagement) relationship. Going forward, this study not only opens new avenues for research into the financial consequences of COVID-19 but also calls on managers to take proactive steps to mitigate the negative effect of the pandemic on the performance of moonlighting employees to keep them in the profession.
Fulltext The experiences of female bisexual student-athletes in China: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Xiang M, Soh KG, Xu Y, Ahrari S, Zakaria NS

Front Psychol, 2023;14:1129961.
PMID: 37034921 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1129961

INTRODUCTION: Many scholars have explored the participation of LGBTQ individuals in sports. However, these studies have either categorized homosexuality and bisexuality together or focused only on lesbian, gay, or transgender individuals. There is a lack of research in the literature on bisexual individuals' sports participation and an even more significant lack of Asia perspectives. Therefore, this qualitative study is aimed to explore the experiences of female bisexual student-athletes in China.
METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with four female bisexual student-athletes were conducted and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
RESULTS: Three themes and eight sub-themes were identified. Theme 1. what bisexual identity means, and sub-themes: a struggling journey, emotional attraction, and gender role for female bisexual student-athletes; Theme 2. invalid identity, and sub-themes: lesbian mask, unrecognized identity; Theme 3. perceptions of sports context, and sub-themes: the influence of the sports context on sexual fluidity, relative inclusion, and perceived rejection.
CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into understanding the experience of female bisexual student-athlete. In addition, the results highlight the importance of the need to study bisexuality as a distinct identity.
Fulltext Experiences of LGBTQ student-athletes in college sports: A meta-ethnography

Xiang M, Soh KG, Xu Y, Ahrari S, Zakaria NS

Heliyon, 2023 Jun;9(6):e16832.
PMID: 37332967 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16832

This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of LGBTQ student-athletes to identify ways in which athletic staff, coaches, and others can support LGBTQ youth's safe participation in sports. Guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews (PRISMA) and eMERGe reporting guidance. We conducted a meta-ethnography to synthesize qualitative research focused on student-athletes' experiences. Fourteen studies were included in the meta-ethnography published between 1973 and 2022. Four themes were identified: (1) experiences of discrimination and violence; (2) perceived stigma; (3) internalized prejudice; and (4) coping and team support, and they were used to generate a line of argument model, which explains the stress process of LGBTQ student-athletes in the sports. LGBTQ student-athletes experience persistent discrimination in college sports, which poses a significant risk to their mental health. Meanwhile, this study identified that qualitative research on LGBTQ youth sports participation is lacking in many regions of the world and lacks knowledge of the sports participation experience of bisexual, gay, and transgender students. These findings revealed a way for research on LGBTQ-related issues and future policy and practice on LGBTQ youth-related issues in sports.
Fulltext Exploration of vulnerability factors of digital hoarding behavior among university students and the moderating role of maladaptive perfectionism

Zaremohzzabieh Z, Abdullah H, Ahrari S, Abdullah R, Md Nor SM

Digit Health, 2024;10:20552076241226962.
PMID: 38298527 DOI: 10.1177/20552076241226962

In light of the rapidly evolving digital landscape, there is an increasing need to explore digital hoarding behavior. This need is driven by concerns regarding its intricate psychological foundations and its impact on individuals within our technology-centric society. This research investigates the influence of various factors, including the fear of missing out, emotional attachment, information overload, and decision fatigue, on digital hoarding behaviors among university students in Iran. Additionally, the study examines the moderating role of maladaptive perfectionism in these relationships. The study involved 275 university students (mean age = 21.62 years; standard deviation = 2.28 years; 65.6% female) selected from four universities in Iran. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that the fear of missing out, emotional attachment, information overload, and decision fatigue significantly predict university students' digital hoarding behavior. Moreover, the findings highlighted the moderating effect of maladaptive perfectionism on the association between emotional attachment and digital hoarding behavior. This suggests that individuals with higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism exhibit amplified digital hoarding tendencies when emotionally attached to their digital data. This study provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between psychological factors and digital hoarding tendencies. These findings have practical implications for educational institutions and mental health professionals, as they can help in developing targeted strategies and interventions to manage digital hoarding behavior in university freshmen and promote healthier digital habits.
Fulltext Does a Person-Environment-Fit Promote the Academic Achievement of Hearing-Impaired Students in Malaysian Polytechnics? The Mediating Effects of Satisfaction and Adjustment

Azizan CR, Roslan S, Abdullah MC, Asimiran S, Zaremohzzabieh Z, Ahrari S

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 12 19;18(24).
PMID: 34948990 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413381

(1) This study investigates the influence of a person-environment-fit on academic achievement and examines mediating effects of adjustment and satisfaction on this relationship; (2) Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 195 hearing-impaired students from five polytechnics in Malaysia that offered the Special Skills Certificate program; (3) Results: Results revealed that the two constructs of the person-environment approach: personality-major fit and needs-supplies fit were positively associated with academic achievement. The adjustment was found to mediate this relationship. Taken together, these results signal that the person-environment constructs contribute to the academic achievement of hearing-impaired students and that adjustment is instrumental in elucidating this relationship; (4) Conclusions: The finding adds to the data, indicating that the person-environment-fit is a possible model of inclusion for hearing-impaired students and also provides initial data about the functioning of hearing-impaired students in Malaysian polytechnics.
Fulltext A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Parent-Assisted Children's Friendship Training to Improve Social Skills and Friendship Quality in Children with Autism in Malaysia

Ong SY, Roslan S, Ahmad NA, Ayub AFM, Ping CL, Zaremohzzabieh Z, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Mar 04;18(5).
PMID: 33806563 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052566

Background: This study evaluates the effectiveness of parent-assisted children's friendship training intervention for enhancing friendship quality and social skills among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We conducted a quasi-experimental study to investigate the effective outcomes of social skills and friendship quality in the pre-and post-parent-assisted CFT intervention phases; Methods: to conduct a 12-week field session, 30 children with their parents were selected. The Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales and the Quality of Play Questionnaire-Parent were used to assess the effectiveness of the parent-assisted children's friendship training during pre-and post-intervention. A semi-structured interview with parents was conducted at the end of the session; Results: findings revealed that intervention improved the social skills of these children. Additionally, the friendship quality of children with ASD improved before and after the intervention, however, engagement remained unchanged. Parents also showed some sort of improvement after the session as they reported a heightened sense of fear and resistance, awareness, learning and adjustment, change is not easy, and identifying support; Conclusions: there was clear evidence that children with ASD benefitted from parent-assisted CFTs in terms of social skills and friendship quality. However, larger and controlled studies are required to draw firm conclusions about this kind of intervention.
Fulltext Pathways to Positive Youth Development in Malaysian Undergraduate Co-curricular Programs: A Moderated Mediation Model of Youth Voice and Psychological Hardiness

Nouri KM, Krauss SE, Ahrari S, Ismail IA, Arshad MM

Front Psychol, 2022;13:886911.
PMID: 35910954 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886911

Youth voice is gaining more attention globally as a core feature of program quality within positive youth development programs. Few studies have examined the relationship between youth voice and positive youth development in high power-distance cultures, however, where young people often face psychological barriers to exercising decision-making in their work with program adults. Research is needed on the psychological mechanisms that might help youth thrive within settings that are less structurally and psychologically supportive of youth voice. Drawing on bioecological systems and hardiness theories, this quantitative correlational study evaluates the moderating effect of psychological hardiness on the relationship between youth voice, the mediators of program safety and engagement, and the 6 C's of positive youth development. A moderated mediation model was tested among 436 first-year undergraduate co-curricular program participants from public universities in Malaysia (M = 21.192 years, SD = 1.191 years; 65.6% female). Youth voice positively predicted positive youth development; the relationship was partially mediated by program engagement, but not safety. The mediated pathway through program engagement was more predictive for hardier youth. By combining programmatic and individual psychological factors into the hypothesized model, this research identifies the potential importance of hardiness on the practice of youth voice for young adults in high power distance cultures. The findings highlight the need to identify other individual and programmatic factors that may contribute to the development of positive youth development in diverse cultural settings.