Relationship Between the Effects of Positivity and High School Students Perceived Stress Levels

Lydia Morris

School Name

Chapin High School

Grade Level

11th Grade

Presentation Topic

Psychology

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

Medical journals have analyzed the link between physical health and one's outlook on life. The patients who are positive and have integrated happiness in their daily routine have faster recovery times and are less susceptible to heart disease (Marsa, L, 2004). Although the study of positivity on medical patients is numerous, the research into positivity on high school students is minimal, which led me to investigate the relationship between the effects of positivity and high school students' perceived stress levels. My hypothesis is as follows: once students experience positivity on a daily basis through positive affirmations and experiencing a positive mindset, the perceived stress level will decrease. I gathered random participants from Chapin High School and split them into two groups, one being the control and the other being the experimental group. The experimental group received positive affirmations daily, and the control did not receive any messages. Every week a survey created by the New York State United Teachers Social Services was sent out. This survey is known as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which is an accurate self-assessment of personal stress levels. The goal was to see both improvements over time and in the comparison between the groups. At the end of the five-week trial I found that when comparing the groups who received the affirmations to those who did not, the experimental group had a consistently lower stress average weekly by 1.92 points than those who did not receive the positive affirmations.

Location

Furman Hall 207

Start Date

3-28-2020 8:45 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 28th, 8:45 AM

Relationship Between the Effects of Positivity and High School Students Perceived Stress Levels

Furman Hall 207

Medical journals have analyzed the link between physical health and one's outlook on life. The patients who are positive and have integrated happiness in their daily routine have faster recovery times and are less susceptible to heart disease (Marsa, L, 2004). Although the study of positivity on medical patients is numerous, the research into positivity on high school students is minimal, which led me to investigate the relationship between the effects of positivity and high school students' perceived stress levels. My hypothesis is as follows: once students experience positivity on a daily basis through positive affirmations and experiencing a positive mindset, the perceived stress level will decrease. I gathered random participants from Chapin High School and split them into two groups, one being the control and the other being the experimental group. The experimental group received positive affirmations daily, and the control did not receive any messages. Every week a survey created by the New York State United Teachers Social Services was sent out. This survey is known as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which is an accurate self-assessment of personal stress levels. The goal was to see both improvements over time and in the comparison between the groups. At the end of the five-week trial I found that when comparing the groups who received the affirmations to those who did not, the experimental group had a consistently lower stress average weekly by 1.92 points than those who did not receive the positive affirmations.