Studying during the COVID-19 Crisis. An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Stress and Self-Compassion among First-Semester Students

Abstract or Introduction

The purpose of this work was to analyze the relationship between stress and selfcompassion. It will be highlighted what impact the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have on students specifically. In addition, the current state of research in light of COVID-19 will be presented and the five hypotheses based on the empirical background will be presented. A quantitative analysis in form of a questionnaire was used to obtain measurable values.

In the following thesis, the relationship between stress and self-compassion in freshmen will be examined. The key theoretical concepts, namely stress and self-compassion are defined and the popular theories regarding these two constructs are presented. The empirical section was conducted in form of a quantitative study of the relationship between self-compassion and stress on first-year students, with particular reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results are then related to the current state of research, interpreted and discussed. Different options for universities and students are shown which can facilitate support measures for dealing with this extraordinary situation. Finally, the results are compared with the theories presented at the beginning and the differences and similarities are highlighted.

1 Introduction
2 Theoretical Background
2.1 Stress
2.1.1 History and Definition
2.1.2 Stressor
2.1.3 Physiological Underpinnings
2.1.4 Adolescence and Transition to University
2.1.5 Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping
2.2 Self-Compassion
2.2.1 Definition
2.2.2 Self-Compassion versus Self-Esteem
2.2.3 Self-Compassion and Resilience
2.2.4 Relevance and COVID-19 Pandemic
2.3 Literature Review and Conceptual Framework
3 Methodology
3.1 Participants
3.2 Survey Instrument
3.2.1 Stress- and Coping-Inventory (SCI)
3.2.2 Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-D)
3.3 Procedure
3.3.1 Data Collection
3.3.2 Data Analysis Procedures
4 Results
4.1 Descriptive Statistical Analysis
4.2 Inferential Statistical Analysis
4.3 Explorative Statistics
5 Discussion
5.1 Interpretation and Discussion of the Results
5.2 Limitations
5.3 Outlook and Suggestions for Future Research
6 Conclusion