College is a time of transition, marked by new independence and challenges. Researchers were keen to understand college adjustment by examining key factors for students throughout their undergraduate programs. The Wooster-Wickline College Adjustment Test (WOWCAT) was developed as a more accessible alternative to clinical measures, improving existing research around college adjustment. Conducted during pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods, this study analyzed students' academic year in school (first year, sophomore, junior, senior) alongside study habits and anxiety levels. The findings revealed a significant difference in study habits for students as they advanced in college. However, no significant differences in anxiety levels were observed based on the academic year. These findings aligned with previous research in this study area, emphasizing the nuanced nature of college adjustment. The study promotes the necessity for continued research to understand better and support students during this pivotal time of life.
Implementing advanced weapons systems requires a comprehensive approach integrating technological, organizational, strategic, and economic dimensions. Technologically, these systems demand innovative research and innovation. Organizationally, a well-established industrial and defense infrastructure is critical. This includes a workforce capable of engineering and maintaining complex systems and effective logistics to support production and deployment. Coordination among government agencies, defense contractors, and research institutions is necessary to align development efforts with strategic goals. Strategically, advanced weapons systems require careful planning to integrate with existing defense frameworks and address specific needs. Economic development underpins all these aspects by providing the financial resources and infrastructure necessary for research, production, and deployment. A strong economy facilitates significant investment in defense technologies. Conversely, economic constraints can limit a nation’s ability to invest in and sustain advanced weapons systems. Thus, economic development is essential for the effective advancement and implementation of sophisticated weapons systems within Sub-Saharan Africa.
The current study examines anxiety in college students, primarily focusing on how it relates to the students’ gender and class year. The study recruited 1481 undergraduate students from Georgia Southern University. The College-Specific Anxiety subscale of the Wooster-Wickline College Adjustment Test (WOWCAT; Wickline et al., 2009) was used to measure anxiety levels. The study hypothesized, 1) anxiety levels would have significant differences among class years, and 2) anxiety would vary by gender, with women and gender non-binary people reporting higher anxiety than men. No significant differences in anxiety levels between class years were recorded. There were significant differences in gender, with women and gender non-binary groups reporting higher anxiety levels than men. These results indicate gender differences can contribute to anxiety, but class year may not have a direct impact. Future research should continue to examine these dynamics using diverse samples and improved measurements.
In 2001, Maltby found a negative correlation between celebrity worship and mental well-being (i.e., the greater the celebrity worship, the worse mental health tended to be). This study revealed that poor mental health was associated with celebrity worship and the Entertainment-Social subscale “uniquely contributes” to social dysfunction and depressive symptoms while the intense-personal subscale was related to both depression and anxiety. While celebrity worship gained prominence in a technology-driven culture of innovation and social media popularity, the recent upsurge in Social Media Influencers (SMIs) is a relatively new state of social evolution. The goal of the current research is to replicate and extend Maltby’s prior research with celebrities in 2001 to explore the effects of admiration with SMIs and address new issues – absorption, extreme attitudes, problematic social media use (PSMU), global changes in the culture of social media, and implications for mental wellness.
