Purpose of the study: This study aimed to investigate the possibility of predicting psychological stress through both irrational beliefs and thought control strategies.
Methodology: This study relied on a predictive-qualitative approach, under which the following psychometric measures were applied administered to a sample of 200 university students selected by the stratified random method: (1) Perceived stress scale (PSS),(2) Metacognitive beliefs Questionnaire (MCQ), and (3) thought control strategies scale(TCQ) on a sample of (200) university students, chosen by the stratified random method, and the researchers used a number of statistical methods such as correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and path analysis.
Main Findings: The results of the study revealed the possibility of predicting perceived Stress through the following Metacognitive beliefs, and also revealed the possibility of predicting perceived Stresses through the following thought control strategies.
Applications of this study: Results concluded from the study may be beneficial to centers and units of psychological and academic counseling at universities, especially in terms of providing effective, preventive, and curative counseling services that focus on the real causes behind the spread of psychological stress.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The study presented a structural model that identifies the pathways that characterize the relationship between perceived stress and the strategies of controlling thought and metacognitive beliefs.