Papers by Aikaterini Vassiou
Education Sciences, 2024
We investigated students' resilience predictors during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a two-wave lon... more We investigated students' resilience predictors during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a two-wave longitudinal sample (n = 713) of students from Greece, Germany, and Switzerland (eighth grade in autumn 2020 and ninth grade in autumn 2021), we determined which social and individual predictors longitudinally predicted resilience before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified the high likelihood of individual factors (self-esteem, self-efficacy) fostering resilience by social factors (teacher, parents, and social resources). Multigroup structural equation modeling analyses demonstrated that the adolescent population was best typified by two growth trajectory classes: a low-anxiety class characterized by a low initial level of depression/anxiety and a highanxiety class characterized by a higher initial level of depression/anxiety. The model was gender-, migration-, and country-invariant. Overall, the model showed that teachers overlook adolescents with high anxiety or depression levels, but parents support them more. These findings highlight the necessity to pay attention to students' depression or anxiety symptoms and to satisfy their basic psychological needs, as vital prerequisites for their meaningful, coherent engagement in modern societies despite the odds.
Psychology International, 2024
Given the increasing importance of adjusting to university life and achieving happiness, identify... more Given the increasing importance of adjusting to university life and achieving happiness, identifying the effective role of emotional intelligence and psychological needs' satisfaction in enhancing students' well-being is crucial. This study investigated the relation between emotional intelligence, psychological need satisfaction, and university students' happiness. Data were collected from 205 university students (mean age: 23.35; predominantly female) at the University of Crete. Participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, and the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale. The analysis began with a correlation matrix to explore preliminary relations among the key variables. A multiple-linear regression analysis was then conducted to predict happiness levels based on observed correlations. Following this, a multiple-mediation analysis examined how emotional intelligence affects happiness through psychological needs satisfaction. The results indicated a positive association between emotional intelligence and happiness, with psychological needs' satisfaction also positively correlating with happiness. Specifically, the use and regulation of emotion, competence, and autonomy significantly predicted happiness. Path analysis revealed that emotional intelligence indirectly influences happiness, particularly through competence. The results indicate that high emotional intelligence, through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, is significantly associated with university students' happiness. The study suggests that institutions should guide students in emotional intelligence and competence to increase happiness during their studies.
Journal of Community Psychology, 2025
Mental illness stigma is still a widespread phenomenon with damaging psychological and social con... more Mental illness stigma is still a widespread phenomenon with damaging psychological and social consequences. This study is of relevance to the design of appropriate psychiatric services which reinforce the social integration of individuals living with mental illness. It investigates the relationship between contact, emotional intelligence (EI) and attitudes of the general population towards people with mental illness. This study utilized a random sampling method to collect data from 183 participants. Measures included the EI Scale for assessing EI, the level of contact (LOC) Report to examine the LOC with mental illness, and the Attitudes towards Mental Illness Scale to evaluate attitudes towards mental illness. Each of these instruments has been validated in previous research. Data analysis involved Pearson's correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis to explore the relationships between variables. EI and particularly the abilities of use of emotion and other's emotional appraisal were associated with more positive attitudes towards mental illness. conversely, lower levels of contact were associated with higher levels of social care, indicating a complicated relationship between contact and attitudes. The findings highlight that a deeper understanding of the association between contact with individuals living with mental illness and attitudes towards them is needed, focusing on potential mechanisms that might modify this association. Additionally, a focal point that is underlined in this research is the important role of EI in affecting attitudes as it seems to offer promising directions in planning educational programs and stigma reduction interventions.
Psychology International, 2025
Background: Interactive learning environments have emerged as transformative tools in education, ... more Background: Interactive learning environments have emerged as transformative tools in education, enhancing engagement, academic performance, and addressing challenges like learning anxiety. This study examines the influence of multiple variables, including anxiety, internet usage for problem-solving, attitude towards a history course, metacognitive awareness, and interactive learning environments, on seventh-grade students' academic performance. Methods: Using the Exploration of Attitudes Towards History Scale (EDIS) scale to measure attitudes and the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory-Revised Two-Factor Version (MARSI-2fR) to assess metacognitive awareness, the study evaluated historical knowledge across three stages, namely preintervention, post-intervention, and a one-month-later retest. A comparative analysis was conducted between the control group and the intervention group. The statistical analyses involved the calculation of correlation coefficients, the implementation of general linear models, and the performance of Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: The findings indicated that prior to the intervention, factors such as learning anxiety and the extratextual component of metacognition were statistically significant predictors of achievement. However, the aforementioned factors ceased to be statistically significant when the parameter of study strategies was incorporated into the statistical model. The impact of the interactive learning environment on students' achievement is highly statistically significant in terms of post-test scores, while the influence of all other predictors becomes insignificant. The retest confirmed the continued maintenance of the achieved results as evaluated following the intervention. Conclusions: The study confirms previous research demonstrating that interactive learning environments are an effective method of enhancing students' academic performance and reducing the negative impact of learning anxiety.
Psychology International, 2025
Test anxiety has been the focus of research interest in the domains of education and psychology f... more Test anxiety has been the focus of research interest in the domains of education and psychology for over 70 years, as it affects not only students' academic achievement and overall well-being, but students' families and school staff as well. Given the implications of high-stakes school exams for students' future educational opportunities and self-esteem, it is unsurprising that students experience test anxiety under the pressure of achieving high scores. In this context, it is imperative to comprehend the predictors and consequences of test anxiety to develop efficacious prevention and intervention programs. Therefore, the present review, aiming to extend the current understanding, provides insight and impacts of test anxiety, and highlights corresponding future implications. The implications that emerge could be considered by teachers, school and developmental psychologists, and educational professionals who aim to support students in reducing test anxiety and performing to their full potential in assessment situations.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2025
Conclusions: These findings highlight the beneficial association of supportive parenting and the ... more Conclusions: These findings highlight the beneficial association of supportive parenting and the detrimental effects of negative, ambiguous, and absent parenting. This also suggests that we must consider a more complex approach that involves examining a blend of different parenting styles when analyzing adolescent mental health.
Creative Education, Dec 31, 2022
This study examines teachers' entrepreneurial characteristics, either in terms of actions and eff... more This study examines teachers' entrepreneurial characteristics, either in terms of actions and efforts they have already carried out, or in terms of intentions and opinions they have regarding undertaking business initiatives. The research purpose is to examine whether certain stereotypical gender characteristics are connected with entrepreneurial intentions. A mixed method of data collection was applied to conduct the research. Specifically, 75 teachers (in-service, pre-service and graduates of pedagogic departments) filled out a questionnaire containing a combination of items from the Entrepreneurial Intentions Questionnaire, International Personality Item Pool, Human Values Scale, status-seeking, perceived masculinity and the Organizational Collectivism Scale. Furthermore, 8 teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Theory of Planned Behaviour was used as a broad guideline for the interview scheme, suggesting that the intention to form a specific behaviour is influenced by three main factors: subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and attitude towards the behaviour. The data analysis consists of descriptive statistics of the sample and the measured constructs and a calculation of the participant's intentions to create a new firm, the t-test analysis, the correlational analysis and a linear regression analysis. The results showed a strong interest among teachers in entrepreneurship, with several of those surveyed having tried their hand at it. However, due to the country's legal framework, government employment is still the only way of employment for most of them. Concluding it can be stated that status-seeking and risk-taking do have an influence on an individual's decision to realize entrepreneurial intentions.
Τύποι γονέων και κοινωνική συμπεριφορά κατά την παιδική και εφηβική ηλικία
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jun 30, 2022
Έρευνα στην Εκπαίδευση
H ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα φαίνεται ότι επηρεάζεται και από μη γνωστικούς παράγοντες, όπως οι συ... more H ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα φαίνεται ότι επηρεάζεται και από μη γνωστικούς παράγοντες, όπως οι συναισθηματικές ικανότητες και τα κίνητρα μάθησης. Σκοπός της μελέτης ήταν η διερεύνηση της σχέσης ανάμεσα στην ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα, στη συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη και στην ακαδημαϊκή κινητοποίηση. Οι συμμετέχοντες ήταν 108 προπτυχιακοί φοιτητές του τμήματος Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης του Πανεπιστημίου Δυτικής Μακεδονίας. Συμπλήρωσαν ερωτηματολόγιο με τις κλίμακες Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale και Academic Motivation Scale. Τα αποτελέσματα ανέδειξαν αρνητική σχέση ανάμεσα σε όλες τις ικανότητες συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης και στην ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα και επιπλέον αρνητική σχέση ανάμεσα στην αυτόνομη κινητοποίηση και στην ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα. Ειδικότερα, η κατανόηση των συναισθημάτων του εαυτού, η χρήση των συναισθημάτων για ενίσχυση της επίδοσης και η εσωτερική ρύθμιση προβλέπουν χαμηλότερα επίπεδα ακαδημαϊκής αναβλητικότ...
Internet Addiction and Self-Esteem Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Advances in human and social aspects of technology book series, Jun 30, 2023
Έρευνα στην εκπαίδευση, Apr 2, 2022
Έ ρ ε υ ν α σ τ η ν Ε κ π α ί δ ε υ σ η
Taking their perspective: Students’ reasons and aims of achievement striving in their own words
Social Psychology of Education
Social Psychology of Education
Psychology: the Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society
The aim of the study was to examine the perceived social support and inclusion of others in the s... more The aim of the study was to examine the perceived social support and inclusion of others in the self as predictors of students’ mental health and affect during COVID-19 lockdown. One hundred and thirty-seven university students from Greece participated in a cross-sectional study completing a number of self-report online questionnaires such as the General Health Questionnaire, the Job Affect Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Inclusion of Others in the Self scale. Results indicated that perceived social support and inclusion of others in the self were negatively correlated with students' mental health status and negative affect and positively correlated with positive affect. Moreover, perceived social support from family and inclusion of others in the self were predictors of students’ mental health and positive affect. The present findings highlight the importance of family support and interpersonal closeness in students’ mental health during pa...
Children
In this study, we adopted parenting styles as a multidimensional and latent construct that includ... more In this study, we adopted parenting styles as a multidimensional and latent construct that includes different aspects of parenting, rather than solely focusing on a single parenting style. In a Web-based survey with 1203 Greek parents, we identified parenting styles and their SDQ reports on their children. According to our results by Latent Profile Analysis, we must use a more complex approach concerning parenting styles. We identified a “Highly Authoritative style” profile with high levels of authoritative, low levels of authoritarian and middle levels of permissive parenting styles. We additionally identified a profile called “Relaxed Authoritative style”, with still high but lower levels of authoritative style, low but slightly heightened levels of authoritarian style, and middle levels of permissive style. A further profile, named “Permissive Focused Authoritative style”, had a mix of high levels of authoritative, moderate levels of permissive, and elevated levels of authoritari...
Contemporary Challenges in Education Paradoxes and Illuminations: Voices from the classroom,, 2023
The current study refers to emotional awareness and positive psychology in children’s drawings an... more The current study refers to emotional awareness and positive psychology in children’s drawings and formulates new proposals to address the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last decades, methods and techniques have been used in social research based on art and design, through which are examined both emotional experiences in oneself, as the most pivotal aspect of emotional intelligence, as well as positive education, which argues that happiness is related to positive experiences in the classroom and elsewhere. The aim of the study was to examine, with the use of drawings, children’s emotional awareness and positive psychology during their life in quarantine. The study was carried out in Greece in April 2020, a month after COVID-19 burst. Researchers communicated via skype with the parents of 20 children aged 3–11 and asked from their children to draw: (a) a portrait of himself / herself, depicting how he / she was feeling at that time and (b) a pleasant experience from his / her life during lockdown due to COVID-19. Children’s drawings were collected electronically. The repetitive emotions that emerged from children’s portraits were joy, fear and boredom. In the pleasant experiences during the lockdown children captured scenes of play at home or online communication with their friends. Emotions and scenes depicted in children’s voices through drawings will be discussed in the context of relevant innovative programs’ implementation in the classroom, aiming to strengthen children’s positive psychology and addressing similar challenges in the future.
Music listening as an emotion regulation strategy of students during COVID-19 lockdown
Θέματα Επιστημών Αγωγής, Apr 20, 2023
BMC Psychology
Background The present study aimed to evaluate the self-regulatory properties of anger on the per... more Background The present study aimed to evaluate the self-regulatory properties of anger on the performance of individuals under various motivational dispositions using an experimental design. Methods The participants were 99 university students who participated in response to extra credit. The performance of the participants was evaluated using the Tower of Hanoi task. Their anger was measured using a facial expression recognition system and arousal was assessed using a heart-rate monitoring device. Two motivational dispositions were assessed: performance goals with normative evaluative standards and performance goals with a focus on outcomes. Results The results indicated that a nonlinear function explained the relationship between anger, arousal, and achievement under different goal conditions. Specifically, the Cusp Catastrophe Model showed that anger levels beyond a critical point were associated with the unpredictability of performance during the normative goal condition, sugges...
Animal Abuse and Bullying/Victimization in a Community Sample of School-Age Children
Society & Animals
In recent years school bullying and other forms of aggressive behaviors in children and adolescen... more In recent years school bullying and other forms of aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents have become an issue of great concern among parents, psychologists, and educators. This study examined the relationship between school bullying and animal abuse in a community sample of school-age children. One hundred and seventy-four elementary school students from central Greece participated in the study and filled in self-report questionnaires which examined animal abuse, bullying – victimization, empathy, self-control, and peer interactions. Results showed that bullying behavior and peer victimization are associated with both direct abuse of animals and witnessing violence against animals. Multiple regression analysis indicated that witnessing animal abuse and being victimized by peers are positive predictors of bullying. Empathy, self-control, and peer interactions failed to predict school bullying. We discuss theoretical mechanisms linking bullying/victimization and animal abus...
Secondary students' motivation, affect and performance: interactions with students' and teachers' motivation and affect in class level
The present study examined factors that influence the relationship between students’ motivation w... more The present study examined factors that influence the relationship between students’ motivation with their emotions and grades. Participants were 949 students from secondary schools located in northern Greece. Students belonged to 49 intact classes. The study also included 98 teachers who taught in those classrooms.With regard to students, we investigated the relationships between students’ achievement goals orientations, self-efficacy and emotion perception ability with the academic results (i.e., positive and negative affect, test anxiety and school performance). Also, we investigated the relationships between students’ achievement goals orientation with academic results in interaction with students' emotion perception ability. Similarly, concerning teachers, we investigated the relationships between teachers’ goal orientations in teaching, self-efficacy at work and perceived traits of emotional intelligence with positive and negative affect. Moreover, we investigated at class...
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Papers by Aikaterini Vassiou