Students' perceived apathy states in academics

The present study examined students' perceived apathy states in academics. In Study 1, the Perceived Apathy States Scale in Academics (PASS-A) was constructed with 3 perceived apathy states (avoidance, conflict, and non-emphasis), and its validity was examined through its correlation with students' actual attitudes toward academics. In Study 2, features of the Scale were explored through examination of the correlation of student apathy and depression. When perceived apathy states were classified by cluster analysis, 4 groups (apathetic, non-apathetic, intermediary, and low non-emphasis) were extracted. Previous studies have not reported studying the non-emphasis state. The non-emphasis state appears only in a narrow area. It was not found to be related to pathological moratorium or the development of identity. Conversely, participants classified in the low non-emphasis group were found to be focused on pathological moratorium and were prone to role confusion.