The Impact of Nationality on the Psychophysiological Stress Response and Academic Fulfilment in the Final Degree Dissertation

• Main Authors: Ana Ramírez-Adrados, Beatriz Martínez-Pascual, Cristina Gonzalez-de-Ramos, Silvia Fernández-Martínez, Valentín Emilio Fernández-Elías, Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: autonomic modulation; multiculturalism; heart rate variability; stress; university; physiotherapy academic achievement
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4035
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

The aims of this study were: i. to analyze the effect of nationality on the psychophysiological stress response of physiotherapy last year students in their final degree dissertations; and ii. to analyze the relationship between the stress response and academic results according to nationality. We evaluated the autonomic stress response, cortical arousal, distress subjective perception, and objective and subjective academic fulfilment in Spanish, Italian, and French physiotherapy students during their final degree dissertation. Results showed a large anticipatory anxiety response before the dissertation in the three student groups. Only the Spanish group showed an increased tendency in the habituation process, reducing the psychophysiological stress response during the dissertation, while the Italian and French groups maintained a large sympathetic activation until the end of the dissertation. Cortical arousal and subjective perception of distress were similar in the three nationalities. In addition, no correlation between academic fulfilment and autonomic modulation was found. We concluded that there was no nationality effect in the psychophysiological stress response of physiotherapy last year students in their final degree dissertation, all of them showing a large anticipatory anxiety response.