Technostress and academic motivation: direct and indirect effects on university students’ psychological health

Vallone, Federica and Galvin, John and Cattaneo Della Volta, Maria Francesca and Akhtar, Athfah and Chua, Stephanie and Ghio, Emilie and Giovazolias, Theodoros and Zoe, Kazakou and Kritikou, Marina and Koutra, Katerina and Kovacevic, Sanja and Lee-Treweek, Geraldine and Maskova, Ivana and Mavritsaki, Eirini and Nastic, Jelena and Plassova, Michala and Stuchlikova, Iva and Clelia Zurlo, Maria (2023) Technostress and academic motivation: direct and indirect effects on university students’ psychological health. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. ISSN 1664-1078

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Abstract

Research has well-demonstrated that the pandemic entailed several implications among university students worldwide in terms of increased use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), technostress, disruptions in academic goals and motivation processes, and growing psychological suffering. Responding to the new research need to go in-depth into the processes linking technostress and motivation dimensions to inform current research/interventions, the present study aimed to explore direct effects of perceived Technostress dimensions (Techno-Overload, Work-Home Conflict, Pace of Change, Techno-Ease, Techno-Reliability, Techno-Sociality) and Academic Motivation dimensions (Amotivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation dimensions) on students’ perceived levels of Anxiety/Depression, and to test the potential indirect effect (mediating role) of Academic Motivation dimensions in the associations between Technostress and psychological health conditions. Overall, 1.541 students from five European countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Serbia, United Kingdom) completed a survey comprising a Background Information Form, the Technostress Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale-College, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Hayes’ PROCESS tool was used to test direct and indirect (mediating) effects. Data revealed that Techno-Overload, Work-Home Conflict, Amotivation, and Extrinsic Motivation-Introjected had a direct negative effect, whereas Techno-Ease, Techno-Reliability, Techno-Sociality, all Intrinsic Motivation dimensions and Extrinsic Motivation-Identified had a direct protective role for students’ psychological health. The significant indirect role of motivation dimensions in the associations between Technostress dimensions and Anxiety/Depression was fully supported. Findings allow gaining further insight into the pathways of relationships between technostress, motivation, and psychological health, to be used in the current phase, featured by the complete restoration of face-to-face contacts, to inform the development of tailored research and interventions which address lights and shadows of the technology use, and which take into account the necessity to enhance its potentials yet without impairing students’ motivation and psychological health.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1211134
Dates:	Date Event 31 May 2023 Accepted 30 June 2023 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	academic motivation, Information and communication technologies, mediating effects, Protective factors, psychological health, Risk factors, Technostress, university students
Subjects:	CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-01 - psychology (non-specific) CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-04 - psychology and health
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > College of Psychology
Depositing User:	Eirini Mavritsaki
Date Deposited:	28 Jun 2023 10:54
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2024 13:02
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14477

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