Anxiety and fear of negative evaluation as predictors of hypomanic activity among freshly admitted university students in Lagos Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines whether anxiety and fear of negative evaluation predict hypomanic activity among new entrants to the University. A total of 350 first-year students comprising 181(51.7%) females and 169 (48.3%) males, selected from various departments and faculties of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, surveyed through convenient sampling, participated in the study. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory: Fear of Negative Evaluation scale and Hypomania scale of Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2) were used to collect data for the study. The result of the regression analysis indicates that anxiety predicts hypomanic activity (R=. 122, R square=. 012, F ratio = 5.21, Pv=. 23), and the t-test revealed that male participants (t (348) =-3.560, Pv=0.001) scored higher on measures of hypomanic activity compared to their female counterparts. It also found that fear of negative evaluation does not predict hypomanic activity, while anxiety and fear of negative evaluation have no combined predictive ability on hypomanic activity; participants' age has no association with hypomanic activity. We recommend that parents and university administration implement interventions to reduce anxiety-provoking situations among freshers to ensure an easy adjustment into the university environment.