Adjustment Characteristics in COVID-19 Crisis: A Case of Thai Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Abstract Background The outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis has forced humans to adapt to changes in many areas. Thus, adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis differ from adjustment characteristics in normal situations. This study aimed to study the adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate students and to develop adjustment characteristics the in COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate student scale. Methods Mixed-method research was used. In qualitative research, researchers reviewed literature about the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis and the characteristics of well adjustment to develop definitions of adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate students. Next, the definitions were considered appropriate by psychological professionals. In quantitative research, the definitions of adjustment characteristics in COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate students were used to develop items for the questionnaire. They analyzed the component of adjustment characteristics by confirmatory factor analysis. Then, developed adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate student scale, and analyzed test quality by Item Response Theory. Results A qualitative study shows that there were four main impacts of the COVID-19 crisis included academic impact, emotional impact, social impact, and technological impact. According to the impacts of the COVID-19, adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate students consist of four dimensions: academic adjustment, emotional adjustment, social adjustment, and technological adjustment. Psychological professionals agreed. In quantitative studies, A confirmatory factor analysis of the factor structure indicated that the model fit and adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate student scale include four subscales, and 35 quality items. Conclusions Adjustment characteristics in the COVID-19 crisis of undergraduate students consist of four components: academic adjustment, emotional adjustment, social adjustment, and technological adjustment.