Comparison of Selected Psychological Variables of Physical Education And Non-physical Education Students

The rationale for conducting a study on the comparison of selected psychological variables of Physical Education and Non-Physical Education students can be outlined to find out the influence of Physical Education activities on college- level students so far as their psychological stability is concerned. Physical education is known to have an impact not only on physical health but also on psychological well-being. By comparing psychological variables between physical education and non-physical education students, the study aims to understand whether engagement in physical education has any discernible effects on psychological factors such as stress levels, self-esteem, mood, and overall mental health.Previous research has shown that regular physical activity can have positive effects on mental health, including reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, enhancing mood, and improving self-esteem. By comparing psychological variables between physical education and non-physical education students, the study seeks to explore whether participation in structured physical education programs contributes to better psychological outcomes compared to students who do not engage in regular physical activity.Understanding the psychological impact of physical education can inform educational policy and curriculum development. If physical education is found to have positive effects on psychological well-being, policymakers and educators may consider allocating more resources to physical education programs or integrating physical activity into other areas of the curriculum to promote overall student well-being.60 male students were selected through systematic random sampling from the two populations of students at the college level with age group 22 to 25. Among the subjects, 30 came from the Physical Education stream (PEG), and the remaining 30 came from the non-physical education stream (NPEG) of General Degree Colleges in West Bengal.After the selection of the students, they were tested for the psychological variables viz. anxiety, stress, aggression, and depression by using the suitable questionnaire Speilberger’s Trait Anxiety Questionnaire), Questionnaire on Stress Scale, Aggression Scale, and Goldberg Depression Questionnaire respectively. Two-sample “t” test revealed no significant difference exists between the means of anxiety, stress and aggression scores of the two groups, but a significant difference was found between the depression scores of the groups i.e., between PEG and NPEG. It is to conclude that students coming from Physical Education and Non-physical Education streams in general degree colleges of West Bengal are showing more or less the same psychological stability so far as anxiety, stress, and aggression scores are concerned. However, Non-Physical Education students seem to be more depressed in comparison to students attached to Physical Education subjects at General Degree Colleges.