Journal of Southeast Asia Psychology (SAPJ)

EXPLORING ATTITUDES TOWARD OBESITY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: GENDER AND BODY MASS INDEX CORRELATIONS

Izzham Josli@Perlis — 2024-12-01

The escalating prevalence of obesity among young adults is a concerning trend, given the potential for societal stigmatization. This study sought to examine whether gender differences exist in attitudes toward obese individuals and to explore the relationship between these attitudes and body mass index (BMI) among university students. Utilizing the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scales, data were gathered from undergraduate students at UiTM Sarawak Branch, Samarahan Campus, during the period from April 2022 to June 2022 through an online platform. Both male and female students exhibited statistically significant, moderate scores in their attitudes toward obese individuals (p < .05). A detailed split correlation analysis revealed a noteworthy association between BMI and attitudes toward obesity, particularly among those classified as underweight. Interestingly, individuals in the underweight category demonstrated a significant positive relationship between their BMI and acceptance of obese persons (p < .05). In conclusion, female students exhibited a higher level of acceptance toward their obese peers compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, as BMI increased, individuals in the underweight category demonstrated increased acceptance of those who were obese. The findings underscore the importance of fostering positive attitudes regardless of body weight among university students. This study advocates for the promotion of inclusive attitudes and emphasizes the significance of discouraging negative beliefs and stigmatization of obese people. Encouraging a positive and accepting environment, irrespective of body weight, is crucial. Addressing these issues can serve as a foundational step in combating the escalating rates of overweight and obesity among university students.

STAYING ENGAGED : A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE PURSUITS AND DESIRED OF SENIOR CITIZENS AFTER RETIREMENT

Nathan H.K Wong — 2024-12-11

Retirement, often seen as a peaceful stage of life, depends on how retirees utilize their time meaningfully. This study explores the activities and desires of retirees in Kuching, Sarawak, through 8 semi-structured interviews with Chinese respondents aged 65 to 86. Social engagements emerged as predominant, but the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped their pursuits. Despite economic activities, monetary gain isn't a top priority; instead, retirees find satisfaction in artistic and cultural endeavors, prompting further inquiry. Our study also uncovers retirees' longings, revealing a desire for external support driven by empathy and a yearning for cultural experiences, indicating a desire to preserve cultural heritage. These findings lay a foundation for tailored activities for retirees and merit further investigation.

THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT (MSPSS) AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Lynne Hsu Shi Xuan — 2024-12-11

Social support is crucial to help students cope and analyse their mental health and overall well-being. Students' mental health may be impacted by stress from their personal lives as well as their studies, which may lead to suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. This study evaluates the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) by Zimet et al. (1988) among Malaysian university students regarding internal consistency, item-total correlation method, and convergent, concurrent validity. The sample comprised 268 university students from public and private universities around Malaysia. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) by Zimet et al. (1988) is an instrument to determine the degree of perceived social support from three sources: significant others, family, and friends. Cronbach's alpha of the three dimensions of MSPSS ranges from 0.898 to 0.916, which indicates a high reliability for the instrument. Item analysis using the item-total correlation method also shows that the items for the three distinct MSPSS dimensions are related and measure the same construct. Convergent validity also shows a significant correlation between the three dimensions, as evidenced by their correlation coefficient, which ranged from 0.477 to 0.528 with p < .001. On the other hand, concurrent validity scores demonstrate that the YSAS and ATTS scores have a negative and significant relationship with all three of the MSPSS dimensions. MSPSS is a reliable instrument that is suitable for assessing the perceived social support for university students in Malaysia. However, the concurrent validity of this instrument required further research.

PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE (PIU) AND ITS IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE MALAYSIAN CONTEXT

Arginder Kaur A/P Manjit Singh — 2024-12-11

With the rapid advancement in technology, problematic internet use (PIU) has received increasing attention over the years. Different perspectives view PIU differently, such as viewing it as an addiction, impulse control disorder, or/and relationship-building deficits. A lack of an agreed definition could be problematic in accurately measuring how PIU affects mental health. This article aims to explore the disagreement in defining PIU in the context of Malaysia. A narrative review was conducted to examine various aspects of PIU, including smartphone addiction, social media addiction, Internet Pornography Use (IPU), and online game addiction, shedding light on their associations with weight-related self-stigma, nomophobia and psychological distress, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research uncovers gender differences, revealing socially acceptable IPU among males and potential distress among females. Cultural and social factors contribute to diverse patterns of internet overdependence, influenced by early exposure and gender roles. Emotional stability emerges as a crucial factor, with higher PIU correlating with increased emotional distress. The study calls for tailored interventions, considering demographic nuances and cultural contexts.

PEMBINAAN MODUL RAWATAN TERAPI RINGKAS BERFOKUSKAN PENYELESAIAN BAGI MENINGKATKAN KEMAHIRAN MENANGANI MASALAH RUMAHTANGGA UNTUK INDIVIDU YANG TELAH BERKAHWIN

Norlizah Matshah — 2024-12-11

Artikel ini akan membincangkan tentang proses pembinaan Modul Rawatan Terapi Ringkas Berfokuskan Penyelesaian atau Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) untuk individu yang telah berkahwin dalam meningkatkan kemahiran komunikasi, strategi daya tindak dan kecerdasan spiritual. Terapi SFBT ini merupakan salah satu pendekatan yang diakui keberkesanannya dalam usaha menyelesaikan masalah melibatkan masalah komunikasi serta keupayaan dalam mengendalikan sebarang isu yang melanda sebuah rumahtangga. Modul ini juga sekaligus dibina bagi membantu meningkatkan kemampuan mereka yang telah berkahwin dalam menggunakan kecerdasan spiritual dalam menepis segala permasalahan yang berlaku. Proses pembinaan modul ini telah mengaplikasikan Model Sidek sebagai panduan dan telah menggabungkan konsep-konsep utama serta teknik-teknik yang terdapat dalam SFBT. Pembinaan modul ini juga turut menerapkan Teori Lima Bahasa Cinta, Dyadic Coping, aspek spiritual, dan elemen-elemen penting dalam satu proses pengendalian kaunseling kelompok.

PENILAIAN PSIKOMETRIK INSTRUMEN KESEJAHTERAAN PSIKOLOGI RYFF (PWBS) DALAM KALANGAN BELIA MALAYSIA

Nur Syuhadah binti Romzi — 2024-12-11

Abstrak : Instrumen Ryff Psychological well being scale (PWBS) yang di rekabentuk oleh Ryff (1989) adalah antara instrumen yang sering digunakan untuk mengukur kesejahteraan psikologi khususnya dalam kalangan pelajar sekolah dan penuntut di pengajian tinggi. Namun yang demikian,penilaian psikometrik instrumen kajian ini hanya menjadi perhatian segelintir negara Asia . Instrumen Ryff Psychological well being versi pendek mengandungi 18 item soal selidik yang menjurus kepada soalan berkaitan kesejahteraan psikologi individu seperti matlamat hidup, perkembangan kendiri, autonomi,penguasaan persekitaran dan hubungan dengan orang lain. Ringkasnya, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti kebolehpercayaan dan kesahan instrumen kesejahteraan psikologi Ryff (PWBS) 18 item dalam kalangan belia Malaysia. Kajian ini merupakan kajian kuantitatif yang melibatkan pengumpulan data daripada soal selidik dalam kalangan belia berumur 18-25 tahun di Tawau. Hanya 100 orang responden diperlukan dalam kajian ini. Pengkaji menggunakan analisis kebolehpercayaan Cronbach Alpha. Sementara itu, kesahan interkorelasi digunakan untuk menguji kesahan konstruk soal selidik. Hasil analisis menunjukkan kebolehpercayaan tinggi bagi keseluruhan item iaitu 0.70. Bagi ujian kesahan konstruk, subskala hubungan dan tujuan hidup dilihat kurang mempunyai interkorelasi dengan subskala lain. Nilai korelasi hubungan dengan autonomi (0.15) manakala hubungan dengan penguasaan (0.86) . Seterusnya, bagi nilai interkorelasi tujuan hidup dengan penguasaan adalah (0.51) serta tujuan dengan penerimaan kendiri adalah (0.28). Penialaian psikometrik instrumen PWBS dilihat penting agar dapat dijadikan rujukan dalam kajian kesejahteraan psikologi belia dalam konteks Malaysia pada masa akan datang.

Kata Kunci : Psikometrik,ujian dan pengukuran,kesejahteraan psikologi, belia.

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY MEASUREMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SELF-COMPASSION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG NGO VOLUNTEERS

Noor Shafiqah Kassim — 2024-12-11

Reliability and validity are important components to be focused on in conducting research. According to previous research, psychometric properties of emotional intelligence, self-compassion and psychological well-being not widely tested by the sample of volunteers. The aim of this study is to examine the reliability and validity for three instruments: Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI), Self-compassion Scale (SCS) and Scale of Psychological Well-being (SPWB). This study is conduct using quantitative research design by using questionnaires. There were 377 volunteers of NGO in Sabah involved as sample in this study. The data was analyzed by Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) version 29. Results show that the score of Cronbach’s alpha for ECI is 0.972; while for SCS is 0.848 and for SPWB is 0.764. The results show that three instruments used in this study are reliable. Meanwhile for validity, the correlation coefficients between each subscales and overall scores of ECI components or the value of r, vary from 0.907 to 0.973, showing statistical significance at a level of p<0.05. For instrument SCS, the value of r for the subscales are between 0.488 and 0.773 with the p<.05. While for SPWB, the value of r of every subscales are between 0.574 and 0.823 with the p<.05. In conclusion, the three instruments used in this research show the value of r of all items very beneficial and strongly valid. All of the items from these three instruments remain. The implication of this study is that the findings could serve as a reference to future works for researchers that are interested in measurement studies of emotional intelligence, self-compassion and psychological well-being, especially in volunteer context.

FAKTOR KELUARGA DAN SEKOLAH TERHADAP MURID BERISIKO CICIR: KESAHAN DAN KEBOLEHPERCAYAAN INSTRUMEN

Annie Jerry — 2024-12-11

Isu keciciran pendidikan memberi impak negatif kepada individu, keluarga, masyarakat dan negara. Bagi memahami fenomena ini, menjadi satu keperluan untuk mendalami punca yang menyebabkan individu mengambil keputusan untuk berhenti sekolah. Namun begitu, instrumen yang mengukur pengaruh persekitaran keluarga dan sekolah dalam konteks Malaysia adalah masih terhad. Oleh itu objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menilai aspek kesahan dan kebolehpercayaan bagi instrumen faktor persekitaran keluarga dan sekolah terhadap murid berisiko cicir telah dijalankan ke atas 110 orang murid sekolah menengah berisiko cicir yang berumur 16 tahun. Dalam kajian ini, satu set soal selidik telah diadaptasi dan diubahsuai mengikut konteks Malaysia. Soal selidik ini telah melalui proses terjemahan back-to-back, kesahan kandungan, kesahan muka dan kesahan konstruk. Kesahan konstruk diperoleh melalui pelaksanaan Analisis Penerokaan Faktor (Exploratory Factor Analysis, EFA) menggunakan perisian IBM-SPSS versi 26. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan ujian Bartlett adalah signifikan dan nilai Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin adalah melebihi 0.6. Jumlah keseluruhan item pada awalnya adalah 16 item, setelah prosedur EFA dijalankan 14 item dikekalkan manakala dua item digugurkan kerana nilai faktor muatan yang rendah. Nilai Alpha Cronbach bagi semua konstruk adalah melebihi 0.7. Melalui dapatan kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa item yang terdapat dalam instrumen faktor persekitaran keluarga dan sekolah dapat diukur dan sesuai digunakan untuk menjawab objektif kajian. Oleh itu, instrumen untuk mengukur faktor persekitaran keluarga dan sekolah dalam kalangan murid berisiko cicir dapat diaplikasikan dalam kajian seterusnya.

KEFUNGSIAN KELUARGA DAN KESEJAHTERAAN PSIKOLOGI DALAM KALANGAN REMAJA LUAR BANDAR DI JERANTUT, PAHANG

Wan Izyan Husna Wan Mohd Bashar — 2024-12-11

Kajian ini dilaksanakan bertujuan untuk memperbanyak kajian sedia ada berkenaan kefungsian keluarga dan kesejahteraan psikologi remaja luar bandar di Malaysia. Sejumlah 400 orang remaja dari Zon Pulau Tawar, Jerantut, Pahang telah terlibat sebagai responden. Para responden telah melengkapkan satu set soal selidik atas talian merangkumi Skala Kefungsian Keluarga Malaysia (SKK-M) dan Skala Kesejahteraan Psikologi untuk Kanak-Kanak (PWB-c). Majoriti responden adalah remaja berusia 12 tahun (n = 143, 35.80%), perempuan (n = 213; 53.30%), berbangsa Melayu (n = 397, 99.30%), berlatarbelakangkan keluarga normal (n = 353, 88.30%), mempunyai ibu bapa lulusan sekolah menengah (Ibu: n = 261, 65.30%; Bapa: n = 266, 66.50%) serta berasal daripada keluarga B40 iaitu keluarga yang mempunyai pendapatan isi rumah sebulan kurang RM3 900 (n = 324, 81.00%). Dapatan deskriptif mendedahkan nilai min keseluruhan bagi kefungsian keluarga dalam kalangan responden adalah M = 131.48 (SD = 12.383) manakala M = 64.14 (SD = 8.723) bagi kesejahteraan psikologi. Analisis ujian-t sampel bebas melaporkan tahap kefungsian keluarga; t (395.199) = 1.801, k>.05 dan kesejahteraan psikologi; t (396.548) = .285, k>.05 dalam kalangan responden lelaki dan perempuan adalah tidak berbeza secara signifikan. Analisis Ujian Korelasi Pearson pula melaporkan terdapat hubungan positif yang sederhana tetapi signifikan antara kefungsian keluarga (M = 131.48, SD = 12.383) dan kesejahteraan psikologi (M = 64.14, SD = 8.723) dalam kalangan responden, r (400) = .457, k<.001. Pengaplikasian SKK-M dan PWB-c sebagai instrumen kajian diharapkan mempunyai implikasi dalam memahami kefungsian keluarga dan kesejahteraan psikologi remaja luar bandar di Malaysia.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN USIM

Sabrina Adriana Binti Shamsul Amri — 2024-12-11

Self-compassion is an area in positive psychology that has gained much interest among the public in recent years. It is frequently cited as a means for assisting individuals attain an enhanced and more balanced sense of psychological well-being. This study investigated the relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being among undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Employing the quantitative research method, it surveyed 153 respondents from six different programs at the Faculty of Leadership and Management, namely Counseling, Da’wah and Islamic Management, Akidah and Religion Studies, Communication, New Media Communications, and Management with Tourism. For data collection, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) measured self-compassion while 18 items from the Ryff’s Psychological Well-being (PWB) scale were used to measure the level of psychological well-being. The study findings show no significant differences in self-compassion and psychological well-being in both male and female students. The study also reported a significant correlation (r = 0.593, n =153, p < 0.05) between self-compassion and psychological well-being among the students, indicating a robust association between the two variables. This implies that greater psychological well-being among university students would require a higher sense of self-compassion. In conclusion, responsible parties such as the higher management levels of universities and academicians should be aware of the issues and implement appropriate planning initiatives aimed at enhancing the level of self-compassion and well-being among students.