Is Lower Trust in COVID-19 Regulations Associated with Academic Frustration? A Comparison between Danish and German University Students

Abstract

Despite the proximity of both countries, Danes and Germans differ in the level of trust in their government. This may play a role with respect to the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students. This study investigated the association between trust in governmental regulations, trust in university regulations, risk perceptions, and academic frustration among Danish and German students. As part of the COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study, an online survey was distributed among university students in participating European and non-European universities. In Denmark, 2945 students and Germany, 8725 students responded to the questionnaire between May and July 2020. Students from both countries reported approximately the same level of academic frustration concerning their progress and quality of education. However, German students perceived a higher risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 compared to Danish respondents. Danish students showed higher trust in their government’s COVID-19 regulations than German students. Lower trust in government and university COVID-19 regulations and higher risk perception were associated with higher academic frustration. These results indicate that the level of trust in COVID-19 regulations might have an impact the overall frustration of students regarding their study conditions.

The effect of anti-frustration ability on academic frustration among Chinese undergraduates: A moderated mediating model

“…Academic frustration (AF) is defined as a negative psychological emotion experienced by students when they are unable to deal with frustration in their learning process ( Ballmann et al, 2022 ). AF can negatively impact students’ interest and enthusiasm in their academic activities, causing them to feel isolated due to their perceived failures, thereby further lowering their personal achievement motivation ( Neff et al, 2005 ).…”

Public perception of the appropriateness of COVID-19 management strategies and level of disturbances in daily activities: A focus on educational level

“…A study in Germany revealed that individuals with a low level of trust in government institutions or the media pre-crisis report a larger decrease of life satisfaction [14]. Trust in COVID-19 related regulations implemented by governmental and social institutions was also related to overall frustration in university students [15]. Also, as dissemination of reliable information in a timely manner is essential to motivate the public to conform with restrictive measures during times of crisis, securing channels of communication between the government and society have been found important during the pandemic [16].…”