ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
This comparative study investigated differences in Psychological Well-being (PWB) and its three specific dimensions—Achievement Motivation, Feeling of Responsibility, and Self-acceptance—among Arab, Indonesian, and Malaysian postgraduate students in Malaysia. Psychological well-being is crucial for students, as it fosters positive ego motivation and goal achievement in complete psychological health. The objective was to determine if significant differences existed in PWB and its dimensions among these three nationalities. The population and sample consisted of 229 postgraduate students currently pursuing studies in Malaysia, including 62 Arab, 90 Malaysian, and 77 Indonesian students. The methodology employed a survey approach, and data was analyzed using ANOVA. The instrument used was the 17-item Grera, M.Y psychological well-being scale (2025), which measures the three specified dimensions and demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). The main findings revealed significant differences across all variables. Overall PWB and Feeling of Responsibility were highest among Malaysian graduate students. Conversely, Achievement Motivation and Self-acceptance were highest among Arab graduate students. The implications suggest that Malaysian students' superiority in overall PWB and responsibility may stem from a sense of belonging and psychological security afforded by living in their own country. Arab students' higher achievement motivation and self-acceptance may be a response to the political and economic changes in the Arab region, prompting them to strive for self-realization and establish themselves abroad. Future research should broaden the nationalities and consider demographic variables like gender and age.
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