Harvey, Logan (2010) Problem-Solving and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Investigation into the Development of a Graduate Attribute. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
There is a large amount of uncertainty surrounding graduate attributes in Australian higher education (Barrie, Hughes, & Smith, 2009). The current utilisation of graduate attributes has been described as “a bureaucratic necessity rather than an intellectual or scholarly endeavour” (Barrie et al., 2009, p.6). There is currently a lack of clear definitions of attributes and also a lack of assessment of how graduate attributes develop (Barrie et al., 2009; Green, Hammer, & Star, 2009). Problem-solving has been identified as an important graduate attribute; however there is a large amount of ambiguity regarding definitions of problem-solving as a graduate attribute (National Graduate Attributes Program, 2010; Precision Consulting, 2007). Within the psychological literature, generic problem-solving skills have been investigated through the concept of social problem-solving. Previous literature identified links between social problem-solving and aspects of both higher education and mental health (Heppner, Witty, & Dixon, 2004). It could be argued that social problemsolving provides a method for psychometrically assessing the development of generic problem-solving as a graduate attribute, and that the relationships between this and aspects of mental health may be useful when considering student support. The current study aimed to (a) assess changes in problem-solving within university students and (b) evaluate the relationship between problem solving and mental health. A longitudinal design was utilised, drawing on data from a previous study. Participants were 29 students at the University of Southern Queensland with a mean age of 32.97 (SD = 12.23), including one indigenous student, one Singaporean student and one British student. Participants volunteered to be involved in similar research in 2009, and then participated in the current study in semester one of 2010. Data were collected through an online survey, with data from each occasion being matched via a unique code created by the participants in order to preserve anonymity. Problem-solving was assessed using the Problem-Solving Inventory – Form B (Heppner & Peterson, 1982) and depression and anxiety were assessed using the short form of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). No significant changes in problem-solving were identified, and there were similarly no significant relationships between changes in problem-solving and the amount of further study students completed. Part-time and full-time students were not found to differ in terms of changes in problem-solving. A lack of significant relationships between 2009 problem-solving and 2010 depression and anxiety were also evident. The lack of significant findings is surprising considering the previous literature (e.g., Wong & Whitaker, 1993; Dixon, 2000; Nezu & Ronan, 1988). However, this is likely due to a number of limitations evident in the current study including an insufficient time frame for problem-solving to develop, and a small sample size leading to a lack of statistical power. The current study builds on the previous literature by utilising a longitudinal design to specifically address the development of problem-solving in university, and by adding to the small amount of research utilising an Australian population.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Beccaria, Gavin |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology) |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Jan 2026 01:49 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Jan 2026 01:49 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52395 |
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