Factors associated with self-control among undergraduates of higher educational institute in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Self-control plays a crucial role in different ways of an individual’s life, including health, social relationships, emotional regulation, and performance. A high level of self-control is important to lead a balanced and productive life. American Psychological Association defined self-control as “an ability to be in control of overt, covert, emotional, or physical behavior and restraining or inhibiting impulses”. According to a 2011 survey among undergraduates, around 61% reported lower levels of self-regulation. The association will be visible with the discovery of the number of university students needing support to improve self-control. On the other hand, there was less evidence demonstrating factors associated with self-control in the Sri Lankan context. The present study investigated the factors affecting the self-control among undergraduates at a higher educational institute in Sri Lanka. The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 335 undergraduates of KAATSU International University (KIU) using the Simple Random Sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The 13-item Brief-Self-control Scale (BSCS) and a demographic questionnaire were utilized to assess Self-control and the demographic factors. The results were analyzed using the One Way ANOVA in IBM SPSS version 25. The ‘gender’, ‘degree categories’ and ‘employment status’ did not show any statistically significant differences. Yet, ‘academic year’ showed a statistically significant difference. In academic year, the difference between groups was statistically significant (F (3,331) = 4.147, p = 0.007). A Turkey post-hoc test discovered that there was a significant difference between 1st year and 3rd year students (p = 0.003). It showed that self-control among 3rd year undergraduates was significantly higher than that among 1st year undergraduates. The study concluded that there was an association between self-control and the academic year of undergraduates at KIU. Further research to develop interventions aimed at uplifting self-control among undergraduates in Sri Lanka was recommended.