CHAPTER - I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

Masters in Psychology has a mandatory dissertation to complete as per the guidelines of the

Indian curriculum, during which research self efficacy is playing a very crucial role for the

successful completion of research work. Researcher’s productivity increases with increased

research self efficacy (Hemmings & Kay, 2010, 2016; Swank & Lambie, 2016). Research

knowledge and research interest was positively linked with research self efficacy (Lambie et al.,

2014), while anxiety and depression is negatively related with research self efficacy (Liu et al,

2019) among phD students. Disadvantaged educational background has a negative influence on self

efficacy (Galpin et al., 2003). Mentors encouragement towards mentees to believe in their ability to

successfully complete research projects enhances the research self efficacy of the researchers,

emphasising on encouraging positive emotional states, stimulating self-reflection and self-

comparison with others in a group, giving positive evaluative feedback and being an intentional role

model (E. Lev et al., 2010).

This study therefore focuses on assessing the influence of research anxiety and mentorship

effectiveness on research self efficacy and aims to quantify it to better understand its significance.

1.2 Background of the Study and rationale

Psychology is a growing field in India, which requires abundance of research contributions for its

growth. Although practitioners require research and intervention in hand, Students of higher

education are always encouraged to take up research career in the field of psychology to contribute

to the field which not only adds on to the existing knowledge, it also adds on knowledge to the

researcher’s expertise. Graduate students do find research methodology courses and statistics hard

to learn and imply, as a result of which they experience underachievement (Onwuegbuzie et al.,
1997). Increase in research self efficacy increases the research productivity and research interest of

an researcher, where mentorship effectiveness plays a crucial role in reducing the research anxiety

and increasing the research self efficacy.

It is very crucially given the high academic and cognitive demands in advanced research

settings (Hemmings & Kay, 2016; Swank & Lambie, 2016). According to Bandura (1997), self-

efficacy motivates students in striving for greater efforts towards overcoming obstacles and

succeeding, hence enhancing productivity and satisfaction. Guidance, previous experiences, and a

good research skills foundation usually influence research self-efficacy, which together makes the

students feel more confident and reduces anxiety related to the process of research, as noted by

Lambie et al. (2014). More productive research and self-confidence for handling challenges

associate with the higher self-efficacy in students, which underpins academic and professional

growth (Niromand et al., 2022).

Research anxiety is an academic stress that occurs at a point when students meet up with

tasks such as literature review, data analysis, and report presentation (Frank & Rickard, 1988). This

anxiety increases in proportion to unfamiliarity, perceived difficulty, and negative attitudes toward

the process. According to Onwuegbuzie et al. (1997), students usually tend to avoid research tasks,

delay assignments, or not even complete tasks in fear of the anxiety of doing research. For some,

the anxiety comes from fear of failure or making mistakes that can be associated with failure in

statistics or complicated methodology (Cooper et al., 2023). It, therefore, is crucial in establishing a

positive learning climate and increasing the chances of students succeeding while reducing dropout

incidences in postgraduate training programs.

Postgraduate education depends much on mentorship, as it helps develop the research skills

and confidence of the students. It not only delivers technical support but also such emotional

support with constructive criticism and encouragement (Johnson et al., 2018). Research by Zain

Haider et al. (2021) shows that co-academic and emotional mentoring leads to reduced anxiety and

increased self-efficacy, which, in turn, improves student engagement and research productivity.
Conversely, a lack of or inadequate mentorship increases anxiety with the research among students

and reduces self-confidence, which sometimes compels them to drop their academics early (Lev et

al., 2010).

These are complex and mutually influencing connections between research anxiety,

mentorship, and research self-efficacy. Built through past experience, resources, and mentoring,

research self-efficacy is a buffer as well as a contributor against or for research anxiety. Effective

mentorship reduces the level of anxiety through provision of assurance, resources, and guidance

that empower students to manage research tasks with increased confidence (Ma et al., 2023). Poor

mentorship makes the students feel that they are not cared for and, therefore, anxious, and this will

reduce their motivation and self-efficacy (Brown & Hirschfeld, 2017). There is plenty of literature

to show that there is a relationship between the effectiveness of mentorship and research anxiety,

and it has been established that mentorship acts as a stabilizing agent; guided practice and positive

modeling enhance self-efficacy (Heather et al., 2022).

1.3 Theoretical Framework

Social Cognitive Theory emphasises in understanding human cognition, action, motivation,

and emotion which has the assumption that people are capable of self-reflection and self-regulation

and are thus active shapers of their environments rather than being a passive reactors to them

(Maddux, 1995). Individuals do have strong symbolising capabilities which allow for internal

models of experience, the development and testing of hypotheses, the communication of ideas and

experiences to others, who have self-reflective and capable of analysing their own thoughts and

experiences. This aspect allows self-control and self-regulation. Individuals learn vicariously by

observing other people’s behaviour and its consequences. Self-efficacy is defined as people’s

beliefs in their capabilities to mobilise the motivation, cognitive resources, and courses of action

needed to exercise control over task demands and self-efficacy judgements are concerned with

one’s judgements of what one can accomplish with the skills (Bandura, 1990).
 Experience, modelling, social persuasion and physiology and emotional states are the

sources of self-efficacy. Coaching and receiving positive evaluative feedback on performance lead

people to believe that they are able to execute tasks. It is generally easier to decrease than to

increase a person’s self-efficacy.

According to Social Cognitive Theory, self-efficacy plays a huge role in motivation, and the

willingness to accept challenging tasks. People proactively modify their environment, it is self-

efficacy or their belief in being capable of succeeding at particular tasks that takes the central stage.

Bandura outlines four prime sources of self-efficacy, mastery experiences, vicarious experiences,

social persuasion, and physiological and emotional states. Mastery experiences, that is

the successful completion of tasks enhance the person's self-efficacy while

repeated failure lowers it, bringing about higher anxiety. Vicarious experiences, like observation

of others' success, positive feedback, and a positive emotional state bring about stronger self-

efficacy. Within your study, effective mentorship helps students to build positive mastery

experiences, get constructive feedback, and regulate emotions, which are important in

reducing research anxiety and fostering self-efficacy.

Self-Determination Theory postulates the significance of intrinsically motivated needs focusing

on autonomy, competence, and relatedness. According to Self Determination

Theory, intrinsically motivated behaviors result when an individual possesses the feeling of

ownership over their acts, perceives a level of capability, and feels connected with other

individuals. In research, students who are capable and autonomous in research efforts tend to have

lower anxiety and more self-efficacy. The effective mentoring helps them meet these

needs through guiding support, building necessary skills, and establishing a helpful relationship.

Students may be more resilient and motivated toward researching through autonomous, competent,

and relatedness-increasing mentorship. Consequently, research self

efficacy increases and anxiety decreases. Through this model, it is evident how

mentoring that provides for the fulfillment of these basic needs will facilitate the growth and
success of academic research in students.

The theory proposed by Lazarus and Folkman, known as Cognitive Appraisal Theory of

Stress, explains how people evaluate stressful situations and respond based on perceived threats or

opportunities. In such a model, students first assess if a research task is a threat (likely to lead to

failure) or a challenge (an opportunity for growth). Those tasks that are perceived to be threats

are likely to elicit more anxiety responses. Now there is secondary appraisal, where students assess

their power to cope with the task-in other words, their self-efficacy in dealing with the task.

The higher their efficacy, the lower their anxiety.

Mentors play an important role for the students in reframing their perceptions of research

tasks as challenges and coping resources. Reframing, together with sharpened coping

strategies, would significantly reduce any sources of research anxiety and increase the students'

self-efficacy.

Attribution Theory examines how one explains success or failure and how these

explanations influence subsequent performance and motivation. Students who attribute failure

of research studies to causes that they may control, will improve with time as a function of time. If

students attribute failure to stable. Creating a sense of success with the function of effort and

strategy, mentors can build resilience. Such change in attributional style enhances more self-

efficacy and less research anxiety.

Mentorship theories give an insight into the effective mentoring relationship that may support

students' development. Kram's Mentor Functions Theory states that there are two major functions of

mentorship. These include career-related and psychosocial functions. Career - related

functions, such as being assigned challenging assignments, improve the research skills of students,

while psychosocial functions, such as providing encouragement and acceptance, give emotional

support, thereby reducing a feeling of anxiety and the fostering of self efficacy.

The role of mentoring becomes a form of interrelation where not only academics or knowledge-

related support would flow but even emotional comfort; this might make them more relaxed and
help them increase in self-efficacy due to higher security with that connection. Social Cognitive

Theory forms a basis to understand self-efficacy, whereas Self-Determination Theory and Cognitive

Appraisal Theory explain the motivational and stress-related aspects of research. Attribution

Theory draws attention to the way students interpret experiences while mentorship

theories present the dynamics that will assist or impede students. All these

theories together form a rich framework for evaluating how mentorship affects students' self-

efficacy and anxiety in postgraduate psychology studies.

1.4 Statement of the Problem

The unpreparedness of research methodology courses often leads to increase in research anxiety and

decreased research self efficacy among masters students. The study assesses by quantifying the

influence of research anxiety and mentorship effectiveness on research self efficacy of post

graduate students.

1.5 Objectives of the Study

1. To assess the relationship between research anxiety and research self efficacy among post

graduate students of psychology.

2. To assess the relationship between mentorship effectiveness and research self efficacy among

post graduate students of psychology.

3. To find the association between research anxiety and research self efficacy among post graduate

students of psychology.

4. To find the association between mentorship effectiveness and research self efficacy among post

graduate students of psychology.

1.6 Hypotheses

H01 : There is no significant relationship between research anxiety and research self efficacy among

post graduates.

H02 : There is no significant relationship between mentorship effectiveness and research self

efficacy among post graduates.

H03: There is no significant association between research anxiety and research self efficacy among

post graduates.

H04 : There is no significant association between mentorship effectiveness and research self efficacy

among post graduates.

1.7 Significance of the Study

This study helps to effectively plan research methodology courses for masters students of

psychology, which would focus on the betterment of the research self efficacy of the researcher.

There are various factors that affect the research self efficacy of the researcher, among which

mentee and mentor relationship and the effectiveness of mentorship plays a vital key role.

Developing graduate education to foster supportive learning environments and research anxiety is

essential to developing students with self-efficacy. The persistence of the self-efficacious students

has high potential, thereby reaching high levels of academic performance as well as satisfaction.

Students who exhibit a great amount of research anxiety perform badly academically and

sometimes result in withdrawal from a program and suffer mental illnesses (Saleem et al., 2021).

Knowing these effects, there is an upsurge in research interventions that involve enhancing research

self-efficacy and a reduction of research anxiety with the utilization of mentorship programs as well

as skills-based workshops (Freeman et al., 2019). All this support system helps come better

equipped to the postgraduate challenge for academic success and more so professional

development.
1.8 Definitions of Key Terms

An operational definition, in Kerlinger's words, is a definition that assigns meaning to a

construct or variable by specifying the activities or ' operations ' necessary to measure the construct

or variable. Alternatively, an operational definition is a specification of the activities of the

researcher in measuring a variable or in manipulating it. An operational definition is a sort of

manual of instructions to the investigator. It defines or gives meaning to a variable by spelling out

what the investigator must do to measure the variable.

1.8.1 Research Self Efficacy

Research self- efficacy is defined as an individual’s belief in his/her ability to carry out and

complete tasks associated with research (Bishop & Bieschke, 1998).

1.8.2 Research anxiety

Research Anxiety is a multidimensional construct that affects students and faculty members in

academic settings. It encompasses worries about various aspects of the research process, including

planning, literature searches, data collection and statistical analysis, writing and presenting results

(Frank & Rickard, 1988).

1.8.3 Mentorship Effectiveness

Mentorship is defined as a crucial bond of friendship based on mutual respect and which offers

personal development and benefits for both sides (Clutterbuck, 1985).

CHAPTER - II
 LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review gives a glimpse of the results from all the previously done studies which

helps in shaping the path of current ongoing research. This chapter briefs towards similar area of

interest. The purpose of reviewing the literature is to find related articles oriented to the interest. It

gives many supporting studies or contradictory studies ensuring non - duplication of the study.

All Post graduation course in psychology has mandatory dissertation to complete as per the

Curriculum. There are studies which focused on studying the relationship between research anxiety,

research self efficacy and mentorship effectiveness among graduate students.

2.1 Research Self Efficacy

E. Niromand et al., (2022) did a cross-sectional study on 115 masters students and 11

doctoral scholars who were compiling dissertation as well as professors guiding them through the

dissertation were also included in the study. It happened in Kermanshah University of Medical

Sciences in Iran. Two separate questionnaires were designed one for students and one for

professors. It was designed to assess the research self-efficacy of graduate students and the

effectiveness of their research supervisors. It was found that students have high research self-

efficacy in ethics and lower self-efficacy in qualitative research and statistics. Study addressed the

factors that influence research self-efficacy were examined and differences in research self-efficacy

between different universities or student populations was explored. Students' score in research

method course was significantly correlated with their self-efficacy in conceptualisation, report

writing, and translation of English texts.

Similarly, Lichao Ma et al., (2023) examined the relationship of supervisor support,

scientific research efficacy and anxiety of graduate students in the China among 1095 graduate

students. The findings were that emotional support and instrumental support from supervisors were

significantly and positively related to scientific research efficacy of graduate students, while there
was negative correlation with their anxiety and mediated the relationships between supervisor

support and anxiety. This study has implications for intervention of the mental health of graduate

students.

On a different context, Heather et al., (2022) conducted a study on undergraduate students of

psychology of a liberal arts university who completed the study as part of research participation

requirement for a psychology course. Participants’ research experience was classified into three

groups no research experience, one research experience, and two or more research experiences. The

Two measures, Interest in Research Questionnaire (IRQ) and the Research Self-Efficacy Scale

(RSES) were assessed using qualitative methods. The findings were that Undergraduate students'

research self-efficacy was positively associated with their prior research experience. The study

addressed two research gaps, firstly understanding how research self-efficacy develops over time

from the first year to graduation, through longitudinal studies with pre- and post-tests and secondly,

using more extensive qualitative methods like interviews, observations, and reflections to better

understand the quantitative findings on research self-efficacy.

High research self-efficacy is linked with productivity, academic attainment, and resilience

in the face of obstacles (Hemmings & Kay, 2010; Lent et al., 2003). Studies indicate that

students who have high self-efficacy involvement are also inclined to be deeper in their research

activities, use more complex research methods, and their participation in completing research

projects, although it becomes very difficult and challenging for them (Usher & Pajares, 2008).

Similarly, Bandura's research identified mastery experiences, vicarious learning, social

persuasion, and the management of physiological states as ways of boosting self-efficacy.

Another aspect that research self-efficacy relates to is the impact on stress and

anxiety caused by the research pressure.

Postgraduate programs have to concentrate on the development of self-efficacy among its

students because greater self-efficacy will not only enhance their productivity of research but

also reduce the possibilities of student burnout and dropout (Schunk & Pajares, 2001).
2.2 Research Anxiety

E. Papanastasiou et al., (2008) did a observational, cross-sectional study which says that

students do experience anxiety in research methods courses, which is influenced by self-perceptions

and views on the significance of research. Two questionnaires were administered to 472 students

who enrolled in a research methods course at the University of Cyprus. The study Measured

students' attitudes towards research and their anxiety levels. It also examined factors that influenced

student anxiety, including self-perceptions, expected grades, and perceptions of the importance of

research. Students who viewed research as important for their profession had higher anxiety levels.

The study emphasises on teaching interventions to help students manage their anxiety.

Katelyn M. Cooper et al., (2023) Surveyed 1272 undergraduate Students across different

institution types and did a qualitative coding of open-ended responses to explore factors related to

research anxiety. Research anxiety is a negative predictor of undergraduates' intentions to pursue

scientific research careers. Factors like experiencing failure and feeling underprepared increased

research anxiety, while mentor-mentee relationships decreased it.

Studies indicate that high levels of research anxiety can have detrimental effects on students'

academic performance, as they may avoid challenging tasks or become overwhelmed, which limits

their research productivity (Onwuegbuzie & Wilson, 2003). Factors contributing to research anxiety

include students’ lack of familiarity with research methods, insufficient training in data analysis,

and fear of making mistakes in scientific writing (Cooper et al., 2023). Findings from Brown and

Hirschfeld (2017) emphasize that mentorship plays a critical role in alleviating research anxiety by

offering reassurance, modeling successful research practices, and providing constructive feedback

on students’ work.

One of the factors that leads to research anxiety is the student's lack of familiarity with research

methods and inadequate training in data analysis in which fear of error in scientific writing can lead

to research anxiety (Cooper et al., 2023). Kocaman Karoglu (2022) reported that those students who
experience strong research anxiety generally have low self-confidence, participate less frequently in

research activity, and are more likely to procrastinate regarding completing assignments. As

students begin to transition from coursework to independent research, issues may arise that increase

anxiety levels if the support or supervision is not of a satisfactory standard from their supervisors.

2.3 Mentorship Effectiveness

Zain Haider et al., (2021) concludes that mentorship effectiveness positively impacts the

research self-efficacy, work-life balance, and psychological well-being of doctoral students from

natural sciences. Study highlights the importance of mentoring for the psychological well-being and

productivity of doctoral students. Correlational and mediation analyses was used to examine the

relationships between the variables.

Adding on to the previous study, Turgut Karakose et al., (2016) studied 99 post-graduate

students from public universities in Turkey and Mentoring Effectiveness Scale adapted into Turkish

was used. Post-graduate students do find the mentoring relationships at their universities to be

effective. The authors recommend increasing the frequency of meetings between mentors and

mentees. The perceived effectiveness of the mentoring relationship is influenced by the frequency

and method of the meetings, but not by the age or gender of the participants.

Lev.E et al., (2010) found that Mentors and students have different perceptions of students'

research self-efficacy, which in turn could impact the effectiveness of mentorship. It was a Cross-

sectional study where 21 faculty and 21 students Participanted. The mismatch in perceptions often

lead to missed opportunities or students not pursuing research careers, as faculties significantly

underestimate their students' research self-efficacy compared to the students' own perceptions.

Students' interest in research careers could be increased benefiting both mentors and students on

improving mentors' ability to guide students' skill development.

Students research experiences are therefore crucially determined by mentorship; it affects

their overall performance concerning whether it is the academic or emotional well-being (Johnson
et al. 2018). Effective mentors perform two functions of the academic guides as well as role models

with emotional support towards helping students overcome the postgraduate research trials that they

face each and every day (Crisp & Cruz, 2009). Thus, researches have shown that the effectiveness

of mentoring is centered on the research self-efficacy of students and that high research self-

efficacy is reportedly found in mentees with excellent mentorship (Haider et al., 2021).

The effectiveness of mentorship has been measured through both career-related and

psychosocial functions. Such career-related support includes providing opportunities for research,

networking facilitation, and career planning guidance, while psychosocial support encompasses

empathy, acceptance, and emotional encouragement (Kram, 1985). According to their study, in the

case of high levels of psychosocial mentorship reported by doctoral students, a reduction in anxiety

and more research productivity with self-efficacy were found (Zain Haider et al., 2021).

Lastly, mentorship styles and the frequency of mentor-mentee interaction are crucial to the

effectiveness of mentorship. For instance, Karakose et al. (2016) noted that frequent meetings by

the mentors with their mentees as well as constructive sessions of giving feedback led to effective

mentoring relationships that would mean good outcomes for students. On the other hand, there are

lack of availability of mentors and the failure of offering constructive feedback which may increase

research anxiety and decrease the confidence of students in their abilities.

Inter-connections Between Research Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Mentorship

The interdependency is really complex among research self-efficacy, research anxiety, and the

effectiveness of mentorship. Altogether, high research self-efficacy is congruent with lower

research anxiety levels; confident students are less likely to find the task of research going on to be

overwhelming but manageable (Bandura, 1997). High levels of research anxiety can significantly

undermine self-efficacy by creating a cycle of avoidance and self-doubt leading to poor engagement

and productivity (Onwuegbuzie, 1997).

The role of mentorship effectiveness in research anxiety and self-efficacy, therefore, is a

double-edged sword. Such effective mentors reduce the anxiety in research by providing emotional
support, reassurance, and constructive criticism. The support mentioned above allows the students

to change their perspective and view challenges as learning opportunities hence increasing self-

efficacy (Heather et al., 2022).

CHAPTER – III

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Overview
 The methodology section provides a detailed account of the conduction of the research. The

Research Design outlines the framework of the study and speaks about the approach, like

quantitative, qualitative or mixed method approach. It also gives a justification of the chosen design

addressing the hypotheses. This segment move on to sample chosen which describes the

participants involved in the study, including selection criteria, sampling methods, and demographic

information. It also includes the detail of recruitment and the ethical considerations related to their

participation.

The scale chosen to measure and the instruments used to collect data has been explained in detailed

with relevance. The procedure section gives a step-by-step account, including the sequence of

activities. Data Analysis part describes the methods used to analyze the collected data which

include statistical tests for quantitative data. The most significant part, Ethical Considerations are

elaborated.

3.2 Research Design

Cross-sectional research design is adapted where data is collected at the specific time.

This design allow to describe the characteristics of masters students of psychology and examine the

relationship between research anxiety and research self-efficacy and mentorship effectiveness and

research self-efficacy. However, this does not establish causation, but can show how research

anxiety and mentorship effects are associated with research self -efficacy.

3.3 Samples

Samples are students pursuing masters in psychology from Bangalore.

3.3.1 Sample Size

 Study includes 200 master students from psychology where males and females are equally

represented by size. (N = 200, females = 100, males = 100).

3.3.2 Sampling Technique

Purposive Sampling is used to select the participants of the study. Individuals are chosen by

few predetermined criteria determined for the study.

3.3.3 Inclusion Criteria

• Students of masters from psychology.

• Students pursuing regular course.

• Age criteria : 20 to 24

• Students pursuing masters in Bangalore.

3.3.4 Exclusion Criteria

• Students who don’t have research methodology courses and statistics in their curriculum.

• Students who have one or more research papers published.

3.4 Instruments

3.4.1 Comprehensive Research Self Efficacy Scale

C - RSE scale was developed by Yasemin Tas in 2023, which is a 28-item instrument with

six factors. Research self-efficacy scale has been developed to measure individual’s confidence to

design and conduct research of both graduate students and academics in any discipline. It has six

factors, Literature Review and Research Problem, Discussion, Data Analysis, Research Plan,

Research Ethics, and Conceptual/Theoretical Framework. Cronbach’s alpha reliabilities for all the
sub-scales range from .85 to .94, with high internal consistency for the scores obtained from the

scale. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olin (KMO) value was .95.

3.4.2 Research Anxiety Rating Scale

Onwuegbuzie developed the scale in 1997, theorising that the anxiety experienced in

research methodology classes, termed research anxiety, represents a multidimensional phenomenon.

It measures seven factors, fear of libraries, fear of writing, fear of statistics, fear of conducting

research, fear of research language, fear of research courses, and perceived utility and competence.

It comprises of 45 likert type items in total, The Research Anxiety Rating Scale (RARS) was

developed and validated to measure research anxiety in graduate students. The Cronbach’s alpha

was 0.84.

3.4.3 Mentorship Effectiveness Scale

The Mentorship Effectiveness Scale was developed by Berk in 2005, which is a 12-item

Likert-type scale to evaluate mentors' behavioral characteristics. Mentorship is a recognized

concept in fields such as management, education, and psychology. The internal consistency

coefficient for the whole scale was 0.936. The KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) value for this study was

found as 0.883.

3.5 Procedure

All three Questionnaires was circulated through google form. However, students were

administered individually with the consent from individuals.

3.6 Data Analysis

 Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.

3.7 Descriptive Statistics

The mean of each score was used to compute statistical analysis.

3.8 Inferential Statistics

Correlation was done to explore the relationship between research anxiety and research self

efficacy and mentorship effectiveness and research self efficacy. Linear regression was used to

bring out the influence among the same variables on research self efficacy.

3.9 Research Ethics

The informed consent was taken from each participant and confidentiality of the

informations received was reassured.

 CHAPTER – IV

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Overview

This chapter gives a detailed view on the relationship and influence of research anxiety and

mentorship effectiveness on research self – efficacy. The hypothesis is evaluated using correlation

and linear regression.

4.1 Results

Table 1

Correlations for the study variables

Variables N M SD 1 2 3

1. Research Anxiety 192 150.34 13.666 - - -

2. Mentorship 192 37.96 13.465 .043 - -

Effectiveness

3. Research Self 192 62.49 5.556 -.147* -.065 -

Efficacy

Note. *p < .05

H01: There is no significant relationship between research anxiety and research self-efficacy

among post graduate students of psychology.

Spearman’s correlation analysis was conducted to check if there is relationship between

research anxiety and research self-efficacy. Table 1 shows a correlation coefficient of r = -.147 at a

significance level of p <.05. The result gave a statistically significant negative relationship.

Therefore, the null hypothesis (H01) is rejected and research anxiety has an impact on research self-

efficacy among postgraduate psychology students.

H02: There is no significant relationship between mentorship effectiveness and research self-

efficacy among post graduate students of psychology.

Spearman’s correlation analysis was conducted to check if there is relationship between

mentorship effectiveness and research self-efficacy among post graduate students of psychology.

Table 1 shows a correlation coefficient of r = -.065 which is statistically non-significant at p < .05.

Therefore, the null hypothesis (H02) is being accepted.

Table 2

Regression of research anxiety on research self-efficacy

Effect Estimate SE 95% CI P

LL UL

Fixed effects

Intercept 74.17 4.38 65.53 82.821 .000

Research-.078 .029 -.135 -.020 .008

anxiety

Note. N = 191, CI = confidence interval; LL = lower limit; UL = upper limit; R = -.437. R 2 = .037.

Adjusted R2 = .031. F = 7.17. p = .008.

H03: There is no significant association between research anxiety and research self-efficacy

among post graduate students of psychology.

Linear regression was used with research anxiety as the predictor variable and research self-

efficacy as the dependent variable. Table 2 shows that the regression model produced an effect

estimate of -.078 (SE = .029), with a confidence interval between -.135 and -.020 and a significant

p-value of .008. The model’s R-squared value of .037 suggest that approximately 3.7% of the

variance in research self-efficacy is explained by research anxiety. The null hypothesis (H 03) is

rejected, as there is negative association between research anxiety and research self-efficacy.
H04: There is no significant association between mentorship effectiveness and research self-

efficacy among post graduate students of psychology.

Table 2 shows that there is no significant association between mentorship effectiveness and

research self-efficacy among postgraduate students of psychology. The statistically non-significant

correlation between mentorship effectiveness and research self-efficacy (r = -.065) indicates that

there is no association between the variables. Therefore, the null hypothesis (H04), has been

rejected. The mentorship effectiveness does noignificantly associate with research self-efficacy

among postgraduate psychology students.

4.2 Discussion

This study aimed to find the influence of research anxiety and mentorship effectiveness on

research self – efficacy among post graduate students of psychology. A sample of 204 post graduate

psychology students from Bangalore participated in the study and 191 responses were taken into

account. These individuals were picked if they had research courses in the curriculum.

A very minor correlation (r = .043) between Research Anxiety and Mentorship

Effectiveness has been displayed in table 1 which is statistically insignificant. Although previous

research work has often revealed that mentorship effectiveness decreases academic anxieties in

students by providing them with the necessary support, positive feedback, and encouragement

(Johnson et al., 2018), this study reveals that mentorship effectiveness has not been highly felt to

decrease research anxiety among post graduate students of psychology. It also indicate insufficient

emotional support through interactions between mentors and mentees, as mentorship effectiveness

speaks about the relationship between mentors and mentees.

Several reasons could explain the unexpected finding of this study. According to Brown and

Hirschfeld (2017), effective mentorship involves more than academic counseling and includes

psychosocial support, which increases student resilience and confidence. So, mentorship could have
little effect on reduction in research anxiety and can explain the weak relationship described by the

study.

Table 1 also reveal a significant negative correlation (-.147) between Research Anxiety and

Research Self-Efficacy, which indicates that individuals with greater research self-efficacy has

lower research anxiety. This finding aligns with the psychological theory of Bandura's (1997) social

cognitive theory, which stipulates self-efficacy as a prime factor in the control of stress and anxiety.

Bandura postulates that a person with a high degree of self-efficacy is more capable of coping with

challenges that arise. Therefore, a person who has a high self-efficacy level would experience

minimal anxiety. Study done by Saleem et al. (2021) reported that students with high self-efficacy

about research tasks experienced lower levels of anxiety because they could handle their research

tasks well.

This can be related to research studies that point out self-efficacy as one of the important

psychological tools in coping with academic pressures. Students who are in control of their skills

concerning the research seem to worry less about the possibility of failure or inadequacies that lead

to lower levels of anxiety. Since research activities are usually demanding and require a lot of

cognitive engagement, strong self-efficacy may act as a protective factor that enables students to

approach their work with more assurance and control.

The study here has a correlation value of -.065, signifying that the quality perceived for this

sample regarding the mentorship does not significantly correspond with their self-assessment about

being capable enough at researching. Contrary to such results, other findings show good mentorship

correlates positively with enhanced mentee's self-efficacy. In such cases of giving guidelines and

boosting the sense of self-capability most normally accompanied by effective mentorship would

work towards enhancing the ability. The result shows that there is no such effect, but this may

reflect the limited nature of mentorship that these students have undergone to the extent of failing to

make them feel confident of their research skills.

 When the task completion and adherence to the set standards are emphasized more than

personal skills and independence in the student, it is less likely to affect their levels of self-efficacy.

Other factors that can explain these results include the student differences, the students themselves

may not respond to the self-efficacy of a mentorship session as some of them respond well to an

individualistic or supportive style of approach.

The regression analysis in Table 2 show a small and statistically significant effect of

Research Self-Efficacy on reducing Research Anxiety, with a regression coefficient of -.078 (p

=.008). It shows that increase in research self-efficacy is related to decrease in research anxiety,

thus supporting other studies which emphasize the importance of research self-efficacy as a helpful

tool in dealing with anxiety (Freeman et al., 2019). The association strength, R = -.437 is

moderately associated with a small R² value of.037, meaning that 3.7% variance explanation shows

the variance in research anxiety would only be explained by approximately 3.7% of self-efficacy.

This finding supports the literature regarding research self-efficacy and research anxiety; it is a

literature conclusion that although self-efficacy is very fundamental, which cannot entirely override

the depth of research anxiety (Stein & Cortez, 2020). Other factors, such as personal attributes,

institutional support, and past academic experiences, would likely interact with research self-

efficacy in determining levels of research anxiety.

As noticed in Table 1 and Table 2, the phenomenon of research anxiety is very complex and

plays a very small role of mentoring alone for its management.

CHAPTER – V
 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Summary

Research focused to assess research anxiety and mentorship quality as factors influencing

the level of research self-efficacy among postgraduate students in psychology. A cross-sectional

study was conducted. Responses were collected from 191 master's students of psychology,

bangalore, using three standardized questionnaires. Results revealed a negative correlation between

research anxiety and research self-efficacy such that students with higher levels of research self-

efficacy are likely to have lower research anxiety levels. No significant correlation existed between

mentorship effectiveness and research self-efficacy or research anxiety. Research self-efficacy was

further confirmed in the regression analysis to significantly affect research anxiety, however, other

factors were likely in place to affect this relationship.

These results confirm the preventive impact of self-efficacy in anxiety resulting from

research practice, according to the theoretical assumptions of bandura's social cognitive theory that

increases in self-efficacy should enhance one's potential for managing stress. Shockingly, mentoring

did not exert any influence on self-efficacy or anxiety level. Perhaps this might have resulted from

inadequate psychosocial support or perhaps variation in quality of mentorship across the sample.

5.2 Conclusion

The study concludes that though self-efficacy is one of the factors to mitigate research

anxiety, the sample mentorship in this case did not show a remarkable effect on the self-efficacy or

anxiety level of students. It underlines the importance of more than academic advice-based

mentorship, that is psychological and emotional support, enhancing students' confidence and

resilience. Strengthening the quality of mentorship might help in building the students' self-efficacy

that may subsequently reduce the level of research anxiety and boost research productivity.

Academic programs should thus give way to strategies building up their students' research self-
efficacy while also changing over to more supportive forms of mentorship approaches for

postgraduate psychology education.

5.3 Implications

Enhancing research self-efficacy:

Strengthening research self-efficacy was viewed as an approach that would reduce research

anxiety. Induction of skill building of specific training workshops or skills building in the process

could help in handling research anxiety for students following postgraduate studies in educational

institutions.

Overall mentorship programs:

Mentorship did not significantly impact the sample regarding self-efficacy and anxiety levels.

Academic programs have to reconsider the approach regarding mentorship. Incorporation of both

psychosocial and academic support within a mentorship approach could mean a more well-rounded

exposure for students. This approach could foster research resilience and sustained motivation

because of strengthened self-confidence.

The curriculum revisions:

It can include the addition of strategies that cover technical and emotional aspects of research into

psychology curricula. Some courses may include self-regulation, stress management, and resilience

like other traditional research methodology, as it would better prepare students to face

psychological challenges posed during research activities.

5.4 Limitation

Sample Size:

Study used 191 post graduate psychology students which might limit the generalizability of

the findings. A bigger and more diverse sample may increase statistical power and aid in

establishing whether or not relationships between the research anxiety, mentorship, and self-

efficacy really endure in different populations or learning environments. A larger sample size might

also permit subgroup analyses, by gender, year of study and research experience before the conduct

of a study.

Research Design:

This study takes a cross-sectional design because the data were collected at only one point

in time and are not capable of determining causality or showing a long-run effect based on

mentorship and research anxiety on the topic of self-efficacy. The longitudinal study design might

have captured some of the variations in the levels of anxiety and self-efficacy over time and then

the changes caused through the influence of mentorship over the two variables in question over the

long run.

Mentorship Quality and Variability:

The study does not consider the variation in the quality of mentorship, like commitment,

experience, and style of mentors, so the results might be modified. More specific data for

approaches of mentorship may explain why an impact of mentorship had a limited effect on

building self-efficacy or anxiety.

Self-reported measures:

Surveys based on self-reported information are likely to introduce biases in the evaluation

responses towards self-efficacy, anxiety, and mentorship perceptions. Social desirability or recall

bias is likely to occur in the responses.

Focus on Quantitative Data:

Qualitative data might have given more insights in many other contributing factors, as

learning experience differ from individual to individual.

5.5 Suggestions for future Research

Longitudinal Studies on the Effects of Mentorship:

Future research would be of great interest if it was possible to study long-term effects of mentorship

on research self-efficacy and anxiety to determine whether continuous and well-structured

relationships over time result in greater effects. Further studies could examine the other

psychosocial factors, such as social support, resilience, and coping mechanisms, that may well

interact with research self-efficacy and impact research anxiety. Understanding these interactions

will help better clarify how anxiety can be reduced effectively.

Cross-Disciplinary Comparison:

Experiments to compare students of diverse departments would bring to the light whether the same

applies also across disciplines when self-efficacy interacts with mentoring and anxiety.

Qualitative Insights to Mentorship:

Qualitative research studies will be useful for collecting perception and experience on mentoring

from the student side. That would perhaps further illuminate what could help or what is hindering in

mentoring and thus provide scope for personalized improvements in these programs. Some

examples include testing specific interventions, for instance, mentor training on specific emotional

support or anxiety-reduction workshops that are targeted on research self-efficacy and anxiety

levels to the postgraduate students.