SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Sciences and Humanities [SICASH] 2023
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Publication Open Access Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale for 18-35-year-old Sri Lankan University Students(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Ponnamperuma, L; Hettiarachchi, A; Jayakodi, P; Abeysinghe, NThis article describes the development and initial validation of a new instrument to measure the academic stress of university students in Sri Lanka. A 16-item scale was developed by reviewing the literature and conducting interviews. Surveys were conducted with 726 Sri Lankan undergraduate students, and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to analyse the data. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Oblimin rotation produced a two-component model of the Academic Stress Scale: (1) Stress due to lack of sufficient knowledge and (2) stress due to interpersonal relationships, which together explains 59% of the total item variance. The ASS is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring academic stress. A CFA suggested that the proposed factor model fits moderately well. Therefore, for researchers who have a particular interest in academic stress among Sri Lankan students, the ASS promises to be a helpful tool.Publication Open Access Perceived Stress as a Predictor of Sleep Quality in Undergraduates: A Cross-Sectional Study(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Jayasena, M; Abeysinghe, NResearch spanning several years has explored the topic of perceived stress among university students. Globally, investigations consistently highlight that undergraduates encounter escalated levels of perceived stress during their academic journey, often attributed to the intricate interplay between their physical, social, and emotional well-being. The transition to an unfamiliar lifestyle, coupled with the demands of academia and evolving familial dynamics, contributes substantially to heightened stress levels. Sleep disruptions and compromised sleep quality emerge as prevalent issues for a considerable number of undergraduates. Recent studies conducted in Sri Lanka underscore a noteworthy upswing in perceived stress among local undergraduates within the last decade. This study undertakes an exploration into the intricate connection between perceived stress and sleep quality within the context of a nonstate Sri Lankan university. Employing quantitative research methods, data was gathered from a cohort of 125 participants, (83 female, 39 male,3 LGBTQ) from the Humanities and Sciences faculty. The perceived stress scale, K10 and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index were used to collect the data. According to the results, participant’s gender has no influence on perceived stress levels, but does affect sleep quality in undergraduates (U = 103.0, p = .033), with males reporting lower sleep quality than females. This finding highlights the need for targeted interventions to reduce stress and improve sleep quality among undergraduates.Publication Open Access Translation and Validation of the ‘Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism’ on a Sinhala-Speaking Population of 3- to 12-year-olds in Colombo and Gampaha Districts(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Pathiraja, G.A.P.S.S.O; Ponnamperuma, LThere is a significant need for appropriate culturally sensitive, standardized screening tools in many countries including Sri Lanka for the accurate identification of ASD which leads to specific interventions and good prognosis. The study’s aim was to investigate psychometric properties by translating and validating the Indian Scale for the Identification of Autism on a Sinhala-speaking population of 3 to 12-year-olds in Colombo and Gampaha districts to increase the efficiency and quick screening of autism in routine clinics. The methodology included the systematic forward and backward translation, Delphi process and data collection from clinical and non-clinical samples from Sinhala speaking parents of 3- to 12-year-olds in Colombo and Gampaha districts. The study had a good internal consistency reliability measured through Cronbach’s alpha of .927. There was high sensitivity and specificity measures whereby a cutoff score of 68 was ensured through the Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve. Overall, the Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism is suitable to be used in routine clinics in Colombo and Gampaha districts.Publication Open Access Factors Predicting Academic Procrastination with Special Reference to Self-esteem, Self-efficacy, and Stress Among Undergraduates in the Western Province of Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Puhulwella Hewage, K; Ponnamperuma, LAll universities enroll new students each year, however, not every enrolled student graduates from the University before completing the degree program. Academic procrastination is identified as one of the major reasons affecting academic performance and several factors such as stress, self-esteem, and self-efficacy may contribute to an individual engaging in procrastination. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with academic procrastination. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among conveniently selected 150 undergraduates (Using the Daniel and Cross formula). A pretested self-administered questionnaire was shared as a Google form link with the ethical approval obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of Kaatsu International University. The data were collected using validated scales such as the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, the Generalized Self-efficacy Scale, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and the Academic Procrastination Scale. Most of the participants were females (n=93, 62%), and they were 18-24 years old. The results showed that self-efficacy and self-esteem are a positive significant predictor of academic procrastination (β=.280, P<0.001) and (β=.187, P<0.001) respectively, stress is a negative significant predictor (β=-.370, P<0.001) of Academic procrastination. The results highlighted that self-esteem, self-efficacy, and stress are predictors of academic procrastination. The study findings have a theoretical and practical contribution to academic institutions and policymakers for improving academic success.Publication Open Access Impact of Mobile Phone Dependence on Social Anxiety among University Students(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Lakshika, R; Bulathwatta, AMobile phone dependence is a significant condition that people experience all over the world. Dependence on mobile phones, like any phenomenon related to other technologies, is also related to psychological issues such as anxiety, social isolation, hopelessness, and sleep problems. Thus, this study aimed to figure out the impact of mobile phone dependence on social anxiety among students University of Peradeniya. A snowball sample of 115, 79 female and 36 male participants were selected from the Faculty of Arts. Data was gathered administrating a questionnaire as a google form. Quantitative data was gathered by a self-constructed questionnaire that measures mobile phone dependence and social anxiety was measured by using Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-SR). The correlational analysis shows that there is a relationship between mobile phone dependence and social anxiety. It shows that dependence, loneliness, anxiety positively correlate with mobile phone dependence. The results show that there is a significant impact of mobile phone dependence on social anxiety among undergraduates. This study expected to have a positive relationship between mobile phone dependence and social anxiety among university students. Results revealed that the variable anxiety contributes the most to social anxiety among university students. In conclusion, university students depend on mobile phones for their academic activities and entertainment. Especially with the Covid-19 pandemic mobile phone dependence behavior of university students may have increased and it might be influencing their social anxiety.Publication Open Access Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study of Mothers’ Perspectives(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Liyanage, H; Fernando, TThe COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching global consequences, causing substantial changes in all aspects of daily life. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are highly sensitive to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores the impact of COVID-19 on children with ASD by focusing on qualitative data obtained from their mothers. The study aimed to determine the impacts of COVID-19 on children with ASD, the challenges mothers of children with ASD faced during COVID-19, and the coping mechanisms they have used. A purposive sample of 6 mothers of children with ASD who fulfil the requirements of the inclusion criteria were recruited. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth information. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Four major themes emerged: Pandemic’s influence on the social development of kids with ASD, ASD children’s psychological response to the pandemic, Motherhood struggles during the pandemic, and Adaptive responses to the challenges of COVID-19. The study findings indicate both positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on children with ASD, particularly affecting their social skills. Motherhood struggles and adaptive responses during the pandemic are also discussed. Further research is necessary to identify interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on children with ASD.Publication Open Access Unveiling the Unspoken: A Content Analysis of ‘School Girl’ Sri Lankan Online Pornography(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Perera, P. Y. O.; Pieris, W. G. A. D.Technological advancements in Sri Lanka have normalized and popularized the use of pornography, particularly with a focus on schoolgirl-related content. Unfortunately, the potential negative consequences associated with this content category have been largely disregarded. This study aims to examine the portrayal of Sri Lankan schoolgirls in Sri Lankan pornographic videos, focusing on behaviours, scenarios, and power dynamics. It analyses the representation of agency, autonomy, and consent, emphasizing gender equality. This sheds light on the objectification and sexualisation of schoolgirls in pornographic videos, emphasizing concerns about protection against harmful societal stereotypes. Employing a content analysis approach, the study purposively selects videos from three popular adult websites based on recent uploads and explicit references to schoolgirls. A comprehensive coding system is developed to analyse descriptive characteristics, sexual behaviours, scenarios, agency, autonomy, consent, and power dynamics, ensuring intercoder reliability through rigorous familiarization and systematic analysis. The analysis of 111 Sri Lankan schoolgirl pornographic videos reveals significant findings. The portrayal of performers wearing school uniforms (48.5%) raises concerns about the objectification of schoolgirls. Dominant themes include romantic scenarios (79.2%), with prevalent sexual behaviours involving vaginal intercourse (65.7%) and non-penetrative activities (63.9%) and promoting less safe sexual practices. Power dynamics vary between equal (77.4%) and unequal (22.5%) relationships. Results suggest that Sri Lankan pornography perpetuates stereotypes portraying schoolgirls as sexually assertive individuals. Further research is needed to understand the motivations behind the demand for this genre and its societal impact, enabling efforts to combat harmful stereotypes.Publication Open Access Approach or Avoid? A Quantitative Study on the Dualistic Nature of Social Media Envy in Undergraduates in a Non-state University in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Perera, R; Abeysinghe, N; Galappaththi, KEnvy is a complex emotion studied recently, especially with the impact of social media. This study explored the dualistic nature of social media envy in Sri Lankan undergraduates from a nonstate university. Using a quantitative design, data from 155 participants were collected via Google Forms and analysed with Spearman’s Rank test. Results indicated statistically significant positive moderate relationships between social media usage and both benign envy and malicious envy. However, social media only accounted for 20% of benign envy and 8.8% of malicious envy, suggesting it’s only one of many contributors. Furthermore, the association between social media usage and benign envy was stronger than that with malicious envy, implying social media envy may be less severe than perceived in Sri Lanka. The study acknowledges limitations, such as sample size and focus on one university. Future research should address these limitations and explore the dualistic nature of social media envy in different populations and contexts. Overall, the study emphasises the need to understand the complexity of envy and how social media can amplify or alleviate it. Findings have implications for social media usage, regulation, and interventions promoting emotional well-being.Publication Open Access Relationship Between Resilience and Optimism Among Young Adult Undergraduates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Jayaweera, T.A; Aththidiye, RYoung adulthood is an important developmental stage in which individuals must go through a positive trajectory for a healthy and successful life. Young adult undergraduates in Sri Lanka face many stressors and adversities which affect their lives negatively. Therefore, it is important to determine the factors contributing to their resilience. Optimism is a factor that significantly enhances resilience. Moreover, there is a paucity of positive psychological and gender-sensitive research in the Sri Lankan context. In this sense, the present study aims to determine the relationship between psychological resilience and dispositional optimism among young adult undergraduates in Sri Lanka, the gender differences in resilience, and the gender differences in optimism. The instruments used were the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) to measure resilience and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) to measure dispositional optimism. A total of 124 participants were involved in the study. The findings suggest that (a) there is a statistically significant moderately positive relationship between resilience and optimism (b) there are no gender differences in resilience between males and females (c) there are no gender differences in optimism among males and females. Importantly, the research provides practical implications for mental health practitioners, researchers, and positive psychologists to develop gendersensitive interventions to cope with stressors and adversities.Publication Open Access The Impact of Sleep Quality on the Quality of Nursing Care Provided by Shift Working Nurses: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Nawarathne, L. C; Edirisinghe, N. P; Turale, S.; Amarasekara, T. D.The requirement for nurses to work in shifts is a critical issue for their health and well-being. Working in shifts disturbs sleeping patterns and degrades sleep quality. This may affect the performance of nurses as well as has adverse effects on health. There is a paucity of information on this topic in the context of Sri Lanka. Using a descriptive cross-sectional study, it was aimed to assess the relationship between quality of sleep and nursing care among nurses in two selected government hospitals. The Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality while nursing care was assessed by three visual analog scales, and fully completed 279 questionnaires were analyzed. A statistically significant association was identified between shift type worked by duration and minor and moderate nursing errors. However, the self-reported error rates were mostly at low rates or unreported. Comprehensively, sleep quality was not associated with the error rates perceived in this study. Results would have been more effective if circadian rhythms and different shifting strategies were assessed. Evaluating selfreported errors limited the study comparatively. There was no overall association between sleep quality and the errors perceived. Current policies, staffing plans, and mechanisms to assist nurses in coping should be updated and implemented in a timely manner in nursing practice.