The impact of a sense of belonging on lethargy and career maturity

Fumihiro Omasu, Yuiko Takahashi

Department of School Health, Graduate School of Education, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan;.

DOI: 10.4236/ojpm.2013.36053                

Abstract

In this study, the authors treated a combination of psychological apathy and decreased motivation as a tendency to lethargy, and implemented a survey into the tendency to lethargy demonstrated by students, in order to study the impact of a sense of belonging in the four relationships between the student and the people considered most likely to be interacted with during university life—those with family, friends at university, friends outside university and boyfriend/girlfriend. In addition, the authors implemented a survey and study that included additional categories relating to career maturity. The study was performed on 250 university students, using an anonymous questionnaire that graded responses using criteria to measure a sense of belonging, psychological apathy characteristics, areas of decreased motivation, and career maturity. The subjects were classified by the school year to which they belonged, their gender, and whether or not they had a boyfriend/girlfriend, and consideration was given to the relationship between psychological apathy, decreased motivation, career maturity and a sense of belonging. In terms of gender difference in regard to each of the criteria, partially, the study indicated that male students score significantly higher than female students in terms of a sense of belonging, females score significantly higher than males for decreased motivation in regard to classes, and males score significantly higher than females in relation to career maturity. No significant difference in scores was noted between males and females in relation to psychological apathy. The impact of a sense of belonging on psychological apathy, decreased motivation and career motivation was seen in the fact that across all categories, those students with a good relationship with friends at university had a suppressed level of decreased motivation in regard to university by the portions given in this document.

Keywords

Sense of Belonging; Psychological Apathy; Decreased Motivation; Tendency to Lethargy; Career Maturity

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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