The Psychology International Conference [PSYCIC ] 2025

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://rda.sliit.lk/handle/123456789/4384

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Gen Z

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    Academic Ritualistic Behaviours and Exam Stress: Insights from Generation Z Undergraduates in Sri Lanka
    (School of Psychology. Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Dissanayake, I. N. D; Abeysinghe, N
    This study explores the role of Academic Ritualistic Behaviours (ARB) in managing exam stress among Generation Z university students in Sri Lanka. Exams are often highly stress-inducing events, and this research aims to examine how ritualistic behaviours rooted in personal, cultural, generational, and psychological frameworks help students in managing exam-related stress. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six undergraduates between ages 18 to 26, till data saturation. The interview transcripts were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework, and the analysis gave rise to three themes: (1) Personal and cultural anchors: Rituals rooted in family, tradition, and peer influence; (2) Rituals as emotional needs: Objects, music, and symbolic actions providing comfort and focus; and (3) Technology-infused rituals: Apps, digital platforms, and manifestation practices shaping modern coping. While rituals promoted reassurance and structure, overreliance sometimes heightenedanxiety when disrupted, highlighting the double-edged nature of such practices. The Findings suggest that academic ritualistic behaviours influenced by cultural heritage and digital practices contribute to resilience, focus, and emotional stability during exams, but also reveal potential risks of overreliance. They emphasise the need for educators and researchers to acknowledge both benefits and risk associated with these behaviours when addressing student wellbeing.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Red Flags at Work: A Qualitative Study on Gen Z’s Workplace Turn-Offs
    (School of Psychology. Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Gunathilake, S; Ganeshan, A
    As Generation Z enters the workforce, their expectations regarding authenticity, equality and psychological safety are shaping new benchmarks for organisational culture. While global literature has begun to explore these shifts, there are limited empirical evidence on what constitutes workplace "red flags" for Gen Z in South Asia, particularly Sri Lanka. This study investigated the organisational behaviours and environments perceived as red flags by Sri Lankan Gen Z employees. An inductive qualitative approach was adopted, analysing approximately 69 anonymised responses from three Reddit threads posted in 2022, 2024 and 2025. Thematic analysis revealed six core themes: performative culture and corporate hypocrisy; lack of psychological safety and respect; exploitation and burnout norms; unfair HR practices and compensation systems; favouritism, discrimination, and lack of inclusion and organisational dishonesty. Differences were observed across sectors, with IT professionals emphasising overwork, rigid processes, and stagnant roles, while non-IT participants raised concerns about ethical breaches, gender-based microaggressions and superficial wellness initiatives. These themes were consistently evident across all three posts suggesting deeply held generational expectations. The study concludes that for Gen Z in Sri Lanka, alignment between stated organisational values and actual practices is essential.