Abstract
This study examined the relationship among supervisor support, scientific research efficacy and anxiety of graduate students in the Chinese context. A quantitative survey method was applied, and seven hypothesized relationships were tested with a sample of 1,095 graduate students from China. The results showed that instrumental and emotional support from supervisors were significantly and positively related to scientific research efficacy of graduate students, and negatively correlated with their anxiety. The scientific research efficacy was significantly and negatively associated with anxiety among graduate students, and mediated the relationships between supervisor support and anxiety. The present study provides valuable theoretical implications for enriching the analytical framework of anxiety, and has practical implications for intervention of the mental health of graduate students.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data that support this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.
References
Allen, H. K., Lilly, F., Green, K. M., Zanjani, F., Vincent, K. B., & Arria, A. M. (2020). Graduate student burnout: Substance use, mental health, and the moderating role of advisor satisfaction. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20, 1130–1146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00431-9
Andriopoulou, P., & Prowse, A. (2020). Towards an effective supervisory relationship in research degree supervision: Insights from attachment theory. Teaching in Higher Education, 25(5), 648–661. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1731449
Azizli, N., Atkinson, B. E., Baughman, H. M., & Giammarco, E. A. (2015). Relationships between general self-efficacy, planning for the future, and life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 82, 58–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.03.006
Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of thought and Action: A Socio-Cognitive Theory. Prentice Hall.
Bandura, A. (1991). Social cognitive theory of self-regulation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 248–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90022-L
Bandura, A., Caprara, G. V., Barbaranelli, C., & Gerbino, M. (2003). Role of affective self-regulatory efficacy in diverse spheres of psychosocial functioning. Child Development, 74(3), 769–782. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00567
Bandura, A., Freeman, W. H., & Lightsey, R. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 50(3), 801–804. https://doi.org/10.1891/0889-8391.13.2.158
Bernstein, E. E., Leblanc, N. J., Bentley, K. H., Barreira, P. J., & Mcnally, R. J. (2021). A single-session workshop to enhance emotional awareness and emotion regulation for graduate students: A pilot study. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 28(3), 393–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2020.09.008
Bieschke, K. J., Bishop, R. M., & Garcia, V. L. (1996). The Utility of the Research Self-Efficacy Scale. Journal of Career Assessment, 4(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/106907279600400104
Butler-Rees, A., & Robinsonb, N. (2020). Encountering precarity, uncertainty and everyday anxiety as part of the postgraduate research journey. Emotion, Space and Society, 37, 100743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2020.100743
Byrom, N. C., Dinu, L., Kirkman, A., & Hughes, G. (2020). Predicting stress and mental wellbeing among doctoral researchers. Journal of Mental Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2020.1818196
Chapell, M. S., Blanding, Z. B., Silverstein, M. E., Takahashi, M., Newman, B., Gubi, A., & McCann, N. (2005). Test anxiety and academic performance in undergraduate and graduate students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(2), 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.97.2.268
Corner, S., Pyhalto, K., Peltonen, J., & Bengtsen, S. S. E. (2018). Similar or different? Researcher community and supervisory support experiences among Danish and Finnish social sciences and humanities PhD student. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 9(2), 274–295. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-D-18-00003
Cowie, M. E., Nealis, L. J., Sherry, S. B., Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (2018). Perfectionism and academic difficulties in graduate students: Testing incremental prediction and gender moderation. Personality and Individual Differences, 123, 223–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.11.027
Crisp, G., & Cruz, I. (2009). Mentoring college students: A critical review of the literature between 1990 and 2007. Research in Higher Education, 50(6), 525–545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-009-9130-2
Curtin, N., Malley, J., & Stewart, A. J. (2016). Mentoring the next generation of faculty: Supporting academic career aspirations among doctoral students. Research in Higher Education, 57(6), 714–738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-015-9403-x
Denicolo, P. (2004). Doctoral supervision of colleagues: Peeling off the veneer of satisfaction and competence. Studies in Higher Education, 29(6), 693–707. https://doi.org/10.1080/0307507042000287203
Dericks, G., Thompson, E., Roberts, M., & Phua, F. (2019). Determinants of phd student satisfaction: The roles of supervisor, department, and peer qualities. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(7), 1053–1068. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1570484
Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36(3), 282–284. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4089
Franke, A., & Arvidsson, B. (2011). Research supervisors’ different ways of experiencing supervision of doctoral students. Studies in Higher Education, 36(1), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070903402151
Godskesen, M., & Kobayashi, S. (2015). Coaching doctoral students—A means to enhance progress and support self-organisation in doctoral education. Studies in Continuing Education, 38(2), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2015.1055464
Grady, R. K., Touche, R. L., Oslawski-Lopez, J., Powers, A., & Simacek, K. (2014). Betwixt and between: The social position and stress experiences of graduate students. Teaching Sociology, 42(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X13502182
Grewal, R., Cote, J. A., & Baumgartner, H. (2004). Multicollinearity and measurement error in structural equation models: Implications for theory testing. Marketing Science, 23(4), 519–529. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1040.0070
Hemmings, B., & Kay, R. (2015). The relationship between research self-efficacy, research disposition and publication output. Educational Psychology, 36(2), 347–361. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2015.1025704
Hilsenroth, M. J., Segal, D. L., & Hersen, M. (2004). Comprehensive Handbook of Psychological Assessment, Personality Assessment. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Huerta, M., Goodson, P., Beigi, M., & Chlup, D. (2017). Graduate students as academic writers: Writing anxiety, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(4), 716–729. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1238881
Hutchings, M. (2017). Improving doctoral support through group supervision: Analysing face-to-face and technology-mediated strategies for nurturing and sustaining scholarship. Studies in Higher Education, 42(3), 533–550. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1058352
Jiao, Q. G., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Bostick, S. L. (2006). The relationship between race and library anxiety among graduate students: A replication study. Information Processing and Management, 42(3), 843–851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2005.03.018
Jones-White, D. R., Soria, K. M., Tower, E. K. B., & Horner, O. G. (2021). Factors associated with anxiety and depression among U.S. doctoral students: Evidence from the gradSERU survey. Journal of American College Health, 1, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1865975
Kang, X. S., & Gong, Z. J. (2011). The connotation and perfection of tutor responsibility system based on scientific research. Academic Degrees and Graduate Education, 3, 18–21. https://doi.org/10.16750/j.adge.2011.03.008
Lambie, G. W., Hayes, B. G., Griffith, C., Limberg, D., & Mullen, P. R. (2014). An exploratory investigation of the research self-efficacy, interest in research, and research knowledge of Ph D in education students. Innovative Higher Education, 39(2), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-013-9264-1
Le, T. P., Hsu, T., & Raposa, E. B. (2021). Effects of natural mentoring relationships on college students’ mental health: The role of emotion regulation. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68(1–2), 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12504
Levecque, K., Anseel, F., Beuckelaer, A. D., Heyden, J. V. D., & Gisle, L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students. Research Policy, 46(04), 868–879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008
Li, F., Wang, C., & Yue, X. (2022). Impact of doctoral student training process fit on doctoral students’ mental health. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 24(2), 169–187. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2022.020034
Li, Z. B., Peng, C., Chen, S. M., & Rong, Y. (2019). Abusive supervision and scientific creativity:the role of academic anxiety and gender congruence. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 27(01), 158–162. https://doi.org/10.16128/j.cnki.1005-3611.2019.01.032
Liu, C., Wang, L., Qi, R., Wang, W., Jia, S., Shang, D., Shao, Y., Yu, M., Zhu, X., Yan, S., Chang, Q., & Zhao, Y. (2019). Prevalence and associated factors of depression and anxiety among doctoral students: The mediating effect of mentoring relationships on the association between research self-efficacy and depression/anxiety. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 12, 195–208. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S195131
Loeb, C., Stempel, C., & Isaksson, K. (2016). Social and emotional self-efficacy at work. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 57(2), 152–161. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12274
Mackie, S. A., & Bates, G. W. (2018). Contribution of the doctoral education environment to phd candidates’ mental health problems: A scoping review. Higher Education Research and Development, 38(3), 565–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1556620
Mohamed, F., & Nordin, R. (2013). Research efficacy among engineering and science undergraduates. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 102, 164–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.729
Muoz, L. R. (2021). Graduate student self-efficacy: Implications of a concept analysis. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(1), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.07.001
Mustafa, M. B., Nasir, R., & Yusooff, F. (2010). Parental support, personality, self-efficacy and depression among medical students. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 7(1), 419–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.10.057
Ng, A., & Lovibond, P. F. (2019). Self-efficacy moderates the relationship between avoidance intentions and anxiety. Emotion, 20(6), 1098–1103. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000594
Overall, N. C., Deane, K. L., & Peterson, E. R. (2011). Promoting doctoral students’ research self-efficacy: Combining academic guidance with autonomy support. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(6), 791–805. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2010.535508
Pasupathy, R., & Siwatu, K. O. (2014). An investigation of research self-efficacy beliefs and research productivity among faculty members at an emerging research university in the USA. Higher Education Research & Development, 33(4), 728–741. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2013.863843
Raposa, E. B., & Hurd, N. M. (2018). Understanding networks of natural mentoring support among underrepresented college students. Applied Developmental Science, 25(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1526635
Russo, G. (2011). Graduate students: Aspirations and anxieties. Nature, 475(7357), 533–535. https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7357-533a
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2006). Self-regulation and the problem of human autonomy: Does psychology need choice, self-determination, and will? Journal of Personality, 74(6), 1557–1585. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00420.x
Schmidt, M., & Hansson, E. (2018). Doctoral students’ well-being: A literature review. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well Being, 13(1), 1508171. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2018.1508171
Schwarzer, R., Mueller, J., & Greenglass, E. (1999). Assessment of perceived general self-efficacy on the internet: Data collection in cyberspace. Anxiety Stress & Coping, 12(2), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615809908248327
Selian, S. N., Hutagalung, F. D., & Rosli, N. A. (2020). Academic stress, coping and social cultural adaptation of psychological well-being among Indonesian postgraduate students. Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 28(4), 2505–2527. https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.28.4.02
Shu, F., Sugimoto, C. R., & Lariviere, V. (2021). The institutionalized stratification of the Chinese higher education system. Quantitaive Science Studies, 2(1), 327–334. https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00104
Tai, T. E., & Tang, C. W. (2021). The role of graduate students’ learning strategies in reducing their English medium instruction avoidance: The mediation effect of language anxiety. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(2), 368–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1777937
Tenenbaum, H. R., Crosby, F. J., & Gliner, M. D. (2001). Mentoring relationships in graduate school. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59(3), 326–341. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2001.1804
Vernon, N. A., Evans, M. M., & Frissen, I. (2016). The relationship between dimensions of personality and library anxiety in graduate students. Education for Information, 32(4), 397–410. https://doi.org/10.3233/EFI-160083
Waight, E., & Giordano, A. (2018). Doctoral students’ access to non-academic support for mental health. Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management, 40(4), 390–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2018.1478613
William, W. K. Z. (1971). A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosom, 12(6), 371–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3182(71)71479-0
Winter, T., Riordan, B., Hunter, J. A., Tustin, K., Gollop, M., Taylor, N., Kokaua, J., Poulton, R., & Scarf, D. (2021). A longitudinal study of mental wellbeing in students in Aotearoa New Zealand who transitioned into PhD study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 659163. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659163
Woolston, C. (2019). PhDs: The Tortuous Truth. Nature, 575(7782), 403–406. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-03459-7
Zhao, L. L., & Jiang, B. J. (2020). The influence of tutor support on academic adaptation of academic doctoral students: Based on the investigation of 16 universities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui. China Higher Education Research. https://doi.org/10.16298/j.cnki.1004-3667.2020.08.10
Zhou, W. H., Zhang, A. X., Liu, J. Q., & Zhao, Q. H. (2010). Investigation on the status quo of the relationship between postgraduates and tutors in chinese universities. Academic Degrees & Graduate Education, 09, 7–14. https://doi.org/10.16750/j.adge.2010.09.002
Acknowledgements
We highly acknowledge the valuable suggestions from Professor Hamish Coates in the research process.
Funding
East China Normal University, YBNLTS2021-018, Hao Yao, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, A2021008, Hao Yao
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
LM, male, Ph.D candidate of Institute of Education, Tsinghua University. He mainly focuses on the fields of higher education management, engineering education, and college students development. HY, male, assistant professor of Institute of Higher Education, Tongji University. He mainly focuses on the fields of educational economics, educational empirical research methods.. JH, female, master student of Institute of Education, Tsinghua University. She mainly focuses on the fields of higher education.
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ma, L., Yao, H. & Hou, J. Exploring the Relationship Between Supervisor Support and Anxiety of Graduate Students in China: The Mediating Role of Scientific Research Efficacy. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 33, 321–329 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00730-4
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00730-4