Abstract
The current research aims to: 1. Identify the level of psychological stress among high-achieving students. 2. Determine the level of mental alertness among high-achieving students. 3. Investigate the relationship between the variables of psychological stress and mental alertness. 4. Identify the significance of differences in the level of psychological stress based on gender (males/females). 5. Identify the significance of differences in the level of mental alertness based on gender (males/females). The final sample for the study consisted of 200 male and female students selected randomly from high-achieving schools in Mosul for the academic year 2022-2023. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher developed a scale for psychological stress consisting of 38 items with response alternatives (applies greatly, applies moderately, does not apply). Additionally, a ready-made scale for mental alertness developed by Yassin (2022) was used, consisting of 40 items with response alternatives (applies very much, applies greatly, applies moderately, applies slightly, applies very little). The researcher verified the validity and reliability of the research tools and then statistically analyzed the research results. The research results indicated a relatively low level of psychological stress and a high level of mental alertness among high-achieving students. Furthermore, the results showed a statistically significant negative correlation at a significance level of (0.05) between psychological stress and mental alertness, indicating that as the level of mental alertness increases, the level of psychological stress decreases. This suggests that mental alertness enhances adaptive responses to cope with psychological stress, increases the ability to resist it, and reduces its effects. The results also revealed statistically significant differences in the degree of psychological stress based on gender, favoring females, as well as statistically significant differences in the level of mental alertness based on gender, favoring males. In light of the results, the researcher recommends focusing on and providing necessary care for high-achieving students to optimize their potential and capabilities, as they represent the national wealth in every society and will have a significant impact on the progress and prosperity of nations. Additionally, the researcher suggests conducting studies based on training programs for students to understand the impact of mental alertness on increasing their motivation for achievement, as well as conducting a study on the relationship between psychological stress and personality traits.
