Relationship between Anger, Social Competence and Academic Performance in Youth in Kuwait ...

117 Pages·2014·5.31 MB·English

LEBANESE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
Relationship between Anger, Social Competence and Academic Performance in
Youth in Kuwait
By
Zeina Mokaddam
A thesis
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Arts in Education
School of Arts & Sciences
January 2014
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Name: Zeina Mokaddam
Signature:
Date: 17th of January, 2014
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PLAGIARISM POLICY COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
I certify that:
• I have read and understood LAU’s Plagiarism Policy.
• I understand that failure to comply with this Policy can lead to academic and
disciplinary actions against me.
• This work is substantially my own, and to the extent that any part of this work
is not my own I have indicated that by acknowledging its sources.
Name: Zeina Mokaddam
Signature:
Date: 17th of January, 2014
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To Arab Youth; Our Future, Our Salvation
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Embarking on writing a thesis is challenging one’s self to rise beyond self-doubt,
to keep one’s motivation regardless of frustration, to keep one’s focus regardless of
life and career’s distractions…Such a journey cannot be undertaken on one’s own…
Many are the people who have supported me and took part in my journey and thus
have become not just an integral part of this work, but an everlasting mark in my
life. I want to take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude to my advisor Dr.
Ketty Sarouphim, her relentless support, her motivation and commitment, have given
me the strength to keep pushing myself far beyond my own expectations. To my
committee members, Dr. Ahmed Oueini and Dr. Mona Nabhani, thank you for your
patience and understanding, your unspoken belief in me guided me through many
trying times, I can only hope that my work rises to your expectations.
To my mentor, Dr. Hudda Ayash Abdo who has rekindled my passion for psychology
and the need to understand and extend a helping hand to others…
To all my family and friends who kept pushing me and never lost faith…
To my father, the constant, real or perceived nagging voice in my conscious to make
it happen...
I truly thank each and every one of you.
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Relationship between Anger, Social Competence
and Academic Performance in Youth in Kuwait
Zeina Mokaddam
ABSTRACT
This study examined the variable “Anger” in youth in Kuwait and its relationship to
“Social Competence”. It also investigated gender differences and types of schools
differences (public versus private) in relation to these two variables. The study
further investigated “Social Competence” and “Anger” in relation to “Academic
Performance”. Data were collected using STAXI-2 C/A and SSIS in English
format and Arabic adaptations in private and public schools in Kuwait. The sample
consisted of 357 students (161 females and 196 males), ranging in age from 16 to
18 years. Results revealed that the variable “Social Skills” was positively correlated
with “Anger Control” and negatively correlated with “State Anger” and “Anger
Expression Out”. The results also revealed significant differences between public and
private schools respondents, with public schools respondents scoring significantly
higher on “State Anger”, “Trait Anger” and “Anger Expression Out” and significantly
lower on “Anger Expression In”, “Anger Control” and ‘Social Skills”. The results
did not reveal significant gender differences in the variables “State Anger” and
“Trait Anger”, but there were significant gender differences in the variable “Anger
Expression In” with female participants scoring higher. Findings revealed a negative
relationship between “State Anger” and “Academic Performance” and a positive
significant relationship between “Social skills” and “Academic Performance”. The
main recommendation that stems from this study is that schools in Kuwait, public
schools in particular, must adopt programs for teaching students social skills and
anger control.
Keywords: Anger, Social Skills, Academic Performance, Arab Youth, Kuwait, Public
Schools, Private Schools
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I- Introduction ............................................................................................................1
1.1 Contextual Framework .......................................................................................1
1.2 Sampling ..............................................................................................................2
1.3 Validity of Sampling Technique ..........................................................................2
1.4 Instruments ..........................................................................................................3
1.5 Reliability and Internal Consistency of the Instruments .....................................3
1.6 Research Design ..................................................................................................4
1.7 The Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................4
1.8 Rationale and Significance of the Study .............................................................4
1.9 Operational Definition of the Variables ..............................................................4
1.10 Research Questions ..........................................................................................6
1.11 Limitations .......................................................................................................6
1.12 Ethical Considerations .....................................................................................7
II- Literature Review .................................................................................................8
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................8
2.2 The Study of Anger ............................................................................................8
2.3 The study of Social Skills .................................................................................11
2.4 Social Competence and Academic Performance ..............................................12
2.5 The Kuwaiti Culture: An Overview ..................................................................13
2.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................15
III- Methods ..............................................................................................................16
3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................16
3.2 Participants ........................................................................................................16
3.3 Procedure ...........................................................................................................16
3.4 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................18
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IV- Results .................................................................................................................22
4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................22
4.2 The Anger variable ...........................................................................................22
4.2.1 The State Anger variable ...............................................................................22
4.2.2 The Trait Anger variable ...............................................................................25
4.2.3 The Anger Expression out variable ...............................................................28
4.2.4 The Anger Expression In variable .................................................................32
4.2.5 The Anger Control variable ...........................................................................35
4.3 The Social Skills variable .................................................................................38
4.4 The Relationship between Social Skills,
Anger and Academic Achievements .......................................................................42
4.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................47
V- Discussion .............................................................................................................49
5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................49
5.2 Social Skills and Anger ....................................................................................49
5.3 Differences in Types of Schools .......................................................................50
5.4 Gender Differences ...........................................................................................50
5.5 Academic Performance, Anger and Social Skills .............................................51
5.6 Recommendations for practice .........................................................................51
5.7 Recommendations for future research .............................................................52
References ............................................................................................................53-62
Appendixes ........................................................................................................63-105
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LIST OF TABLES
Page
Table 1 - Participants’ Classification on the Variable “State Anger”..........................,23
Table 2 - Participants’ Classification by Gender on the Variable “State Anger”.........23
Table 3 - Gender Difference in “State Anger”.............................................................24
Table 4 - Participants’ Classification by Type of School on the Variable
“State Anger”.…..........................................................................................................24
Table 5 - Type of School Difference in “State Anger”................................................25
Table 6 - Participants’ Classification on the Variable “Trait Anger”.......................... 26
Table 7 - Participants’ Classification by Gender on the Variable “Trait Anger”........ 26
Table 8 - Gender Difference in “Trait Anger”.............................................................27
Table 9 - Participants’ Classification by Type of School on the Variable
“Trait Anger”...............................................................................................................28
Table 10 - Type of School Difference in “Trait Anger”..............................................28
Table 11 - Participants’ Classification on the Variable “Anger Expression Out”.......29
Table 12 - Participants’ Classification by Gender on the Variable
“Anger Expression Out”…..........................................................................................30
Table 13 - Gender Difference in “Anger Expression Out”..........................................30
Table 14 - Participants’ Classification by Type of School on the Variable
“Anger Expression Out”..............................................................................................31
Table 15 - Type of School Difference in “Anger Expression Out”.............................32
Table 16 - Participants’ Classification on the Variable “Anger Expression In”..........33
Table 17 - Participants’ Classification by Gender on the Variable
“Anger Expression In”................................................................................................33
Table 18 - Gender Difference in “Anger Expression In”............................................34
Table 19 - Participants’ Classification by Type of School on the Variable
“Anger Expression In”................................................................................................34
Table 20 - Type of School Difference in “Anger Expression In”...............................35
Table 21 - Participants’ Classification on the Variable “Anger Control”....................36
Table 22 - Participants’ Classification by Gender on the Variable “Anger Control”..36
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