Adjustment Strategies of Widows to Widowhood Stress In Rivers State, Nigeria (Published)
This study investigated the various adjustment strategies employed by widows in coping with widowhood stress in Rivers State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the conduct of the study at 0.05 alpha levels. A sample of 370 widows in Rivers State was drawn from the population through proportional stratified random sampling technique. Two instruments namely; Stress Level Scale for Widows (SLSW) and Questionnaire for Widows Adjustment Strategies (QWAS), both developed by the researcher were used for data collection. Data were analysed with mean, standard deviation and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance and the statistical package known as SPSS for widows was employed for the analyses. Results showed that; all the eight adjustment strategies (problem solving, cognitive restructuring, express emotion, social support, problem avoidance, wishful thinking, self-criticism and social withdrawal) are adopted by widows in ameliorating widowhood stress; ethnic group of widows’ influences their adjustment strategies to widowhood stress. Based on the findings of this work, three appropriate recommendations were made.
Keywords: Adjustment, Rivers State, Strategies., Stress, Widowhood
Psychosocial Factors Predicting Academic Adjustment of First Year University Undergraduates in Rivers State, Nigeria (Published)
This study was designed to determine the extent to which emotional intelligence, social support, self-esteem and coping strategies predict academic adjustment of first year university undergraduates in Rivers State, Nigeria. Correlation design was adopted for the study. Seven research questions and seven corresponding hypotheses guided the conduct of the study at 0.05 alpha levels. A sample of 382 first year university undergraduates of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, 2015/2016 academic session was chosen for the study through simple and proportional stratified random sampling techniques. Five instruments namely; Mangal Emotional Intelligence Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Coping Strategies Inventory and Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire – Academic subscale were used for data collection. Simple and multiple regression analyses were used for data analysis. All data were subjected to analysis using statistical package for social science (SPSS). Results showed among others that; emotional intelligence, social support, self-esteem and coping strategies taken together significantly predicted academic adjustment of first year university undergraduates. Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others that; university authorities should introduce personality programmes that will provide training in emotional skills that will help university undergraduates in their overall adjustment to the new university environment.
Keywords: Academic, Adjustment, Psychosocial, Rivers State, Undergraduates, University