The Mediating Effect of Group Cohesion Modulated by Resilience in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Military Life Adjustment
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The quality of research is sound. However, the article does not provide enough background, doesnt review theory, nor lists of supports hypotheses.
- you must introduce new literature . Some articles to be included on the topic of mental health>
(1) Khudaykulov, Akmal, et al. "The fear of COVID-19 and job insecurity
impact on depression and anxiety: An empirical study in China in the
COVID-19 pandemic aftermath." Current Psychology (2022): 1-14.(2) Obrenovic, B., Du, J., Godinic, D., Baslom, M. M. M., & Tsoy, D.
(2021). The threat of COVID-19 and job insecurity impact on depression
and anxiety: an empirical study in the USA. Frontiers in psychology,
3162.-(3) Godinic, D., Obrenovic, B., & Khudaykulov, A. (2020). Effects of
economic uncertainty on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic context:
social identity disturbance, job uncertainty and psychological
well-being model. Int. J. Innov. Econ. Dev, 6, 61-74
(4) Guberina, T. & Wang, A.M. (2021). Entrepreneurial Leadership Impact
on Job security and Psychological Well-being during the COVID-19
Pandemic: A conceptual review. International Journal of Innovation and
Economic Development, 6(6), 7-18. - you must list hypotheses and introduce significant support for each
- you should expand the diccussion seciton in the view of newly added literature
Author Response
Response to Reviewer’s Comments
- Title of the Manuscript: The Mediating Effect of Group Cohesion Modulated by Resilience in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Military Life Adjustment
- ID: sustainability-1743657
Thank you for your thorough and considerate feedback. We have revised the draft as below. The revised parts are colored red.
Question 1.
you must introduce new literature. Some articles to be included on the topic of mental health>
(1) Khudaykulov, Akmal, et al. "The fear of COVID-19 and job insecurity impact on depression and anxiety: An empirical study in China in the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath." Current Psychology (2022): 1-14.
(2) Obrenovic, B., Du, J., Godinic, D., Baslom, M. M. M., & Tsoy, D.(2021). The threat of COVID-19 and job insecurity impact on depression and anxiety: an empirical study in the USA. Frontiers in psychology, 3162.-
(3) Godinic, D., Obrenovic, B., & Khudaykulov, A. (2020). Effects of economic uncertainty on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic context: social identity disturbance, job uncertainty and psychological well-being model. Int. J. Innov. Econ. Dev, 6, 61-74
(4) Guberina, T. & Wang, A.M. (2021). Entrepreneurial Leadership Impact on Job security and Psychological Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A conceptual review. International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, 6(6), 7-18.
Answer 1.
After reading all of the articles you recommended, we supplemented the contents applicable to this draft. The revised parts are as follows.
Line 42-52
As such, when individuals feel insecure and have no sense of security or perceive threats, their emotions affect their behavioral responses, which ultimately influence daily adjustment or maladjustment [8]. Similarly, after stressful events or traumatic experiences, people may suffer from emotional disturbances, anxiety disorders [9], and/or adjustment disorders [10], and their subjective well-being might deteriorate [9,11,12]. Therefore, if an organization does not recognize these potential dangers and provide prompt support, its members’ performance can degrade [13]. The more comprehensive these personal and environmental stresses are, the harder it is for soldiers to adapt to military life. It is, therefore, vital to identify multiple ways to cope with stress. Moreover, recent studies on stress are of growing interest in revealing the consequences of stress and psychological characteristics that can overcome and buffer stress [14].
Line 57-61
Group cohesion is defined as the ability to establish trust and teamwork through members’ bonds [15]. From the perspective of social identity theory, an individual’s sense of self is formed based on group membership and the roles assumed by group members [16]. Therefore, people internalize the sense of group identity and develop attitudes toward group members within the group [17].
Line 77-88
The second protective factor we considered in our research is resilience. Resilience is defined as one’s ability to overcome and respond flexibly to a risky or adverse situation, characterized by one’s capacity to recover from adversity or continuous stress and to bend instead of break under extreme stress [33]. Resilience also often relates to sustainability, which is the ability to keep moving forward and maintain composure in the face of chronic adversity [33]. In particular, in long-term stressful situations, it is important to examine the role of risk factors and protective factors, including psychological resilience [34]. People with high resilience can effectively overcome their stress [35]. Moreover, we cannot overemphasize the importance of resilience in crises because it has significant practical implications for policymakers and psychologists [13]. For example, the higher the level of resilience, the better the problem-solving skills [36] and interpersonal relationships of college students [37], and the less the degree of social maladaptation [38].
Question 2.
you must list hypotheses and introduce significant support for each.
Answer 2.
Following your suggestion, we revised the research questions into hypotheses. We supplemented the introduction section to support the relationship between the variables corresponding to each hypothesis. The supplemented parts are presented below.
Line 104-112
The current study, basing its analysis on the relationship between perceived stress, cohesion, resilience, and military life adjustment, examined the mediating effect of cohesion and the role of resilience. On these grounds, we propose the following hypotheses.
H1: Cohesion will mediate the relationship between soldiers’ perceived stress and military life adjustment.
H2: Resilience will moderate the relationship between cohesion and military life adjustment.
H3: Resilience will mediate the relationship between stress and military life adjustment.
Line 84-88
Moreover, we cannot overemphasize the importance of resilience in crises because it has significant practical implications for policymakers and psychologists [13]. For example, the higher the level of resilience, the better the problem-solving skills [36] and interpersonal relationships of college students [37], and the less the degree of social maladaptation [38].
Line 92-95
Previous research examining the relationship between the variables that affect soldiers’ adaptation to military life reported that the group with high resilience was more resistant to stressful situations and used more effective stress coping strategies [43,44].
Line 99-103
In other words, resilience promotes adaptation to military life by enhancing problem-solving capacities in the middle of internal and/or external difficulties [43]. Pietrzak and Southwick [45] also found that highly resilient veterans were less affected by adverse incidents and exhibited higher levels of control and leadership than the less resilient group.
Question 3.
you should expand the discussion section in the view of newly added literature.
Answer 3.
We supplemented the discussion with the newly added literature.
Line 263-272.
First, group cohesion showed a mediating effect on the relationship between soldiers’ perceived stress and MLA. That is, soldiers’ perceptions of high stress can directly and significantly affect their adaptation to military life. These results support previous studies’ findings that stressful events are closely related to emotional and anxiety disorders [9], adjustment disorders [10], and subjective well-being [11,12].
Furthermore, the greater the perceived stress, the lower the level of cohesion and, consequently, a lower MLA level. Cohesion is an important variable that decreases soldiers’ suicidal thoughts and mental health risks [28–31]. These results align with the social identity theory that an individual’s sense of self is affected by group membership and role within the group [16].
Line 297-301.
By improving soldiers’ resilience, it is, therefore, possible to enhance soldiers’ adaptation to military life. These results align with previous studies in that resilience promotes adaptation to military life in the face of external/internal difficulties [43,44] and shows higher levels of control and leadership [45].
Line 305-307.
Accordingly, low cohesion may often cause problems adapting to military life because group cohesion is related to goal clarity and work performance [64].
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
This paper is focused: it is short and precise. At the conclusion section I would add more references to other case studies around the world, and in this way turn it into something more comparative and with a wider point of view.
I think that the structure and the findings are excellent.
If I were the author and supposing I had to add something, providing that the paper is not too long, I would add thoughts [based on scholarly literature] on how the army can develop more cohesion and thus add to the soldiers' resilience. I would also put an additional word or two about the practical ramifications of the papers' conclusions.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer’s Comments
- Title of the Manuscript: The Mediating Effect of Group Cohesion Modulated by Resilience in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Military Life Adjustment
- ID: sustainability-1743657
Thank you for your considerate feedback. We have revised the draft as below. The revised parts are colored red.
Question 1.
This paper is focused: it is short and precise. At the conclusion section I would add more references to other case studies around the world, and in this way turn it into something more comparative and with a wider point of view.
Answer 1.
Following your suggestion, we revised the conclusion section as follows.
Line 265-267
These results support previous studies’ findings that stressful events are closely related to emotional and anxiety disorders [9], adjustment disorders [10], and subjective well-being [11,12].
Line 270-272
These results align with the social identity theory that an individual’s sense of self is affected by group membership and role within the group [16].
Line 298-301
These results align with previous studies in that resilience promotes adaptation to military life in the face of external/internal difficulties [43,44] and shows higher levels of control and leadership [45].
Line 337-339
Luthar et al. [70] and Rutter [71] also argued that enhancing resilience is effective in relieving symptoms even during the onset of symptoms after experiencing psychological difficulties.
Line 347-353
Likewise, Leve et al. [73] also stated that promoting individual resilience requires establishing a multi-dimensional cooperative system that considers individuals’ various aspects. Moreover, in a stressful situation, shedding light on the role of protective factors such as resilience and risk is vital [347]. Hence, this study has theoretical and practical implications for discovering enhancements to soldiers’ adaptation to military life through the interactive process of group cohesion and resilience despite the stress.
Question 2.
I think that the structure and the findings are excellent.
If I were the author and supposing I had to add something, providing that the paper is not too long, I would add thoughts [based on scholarly literature] on how the army can develop more cohesion and thus add to the soldiers' resilience. I would also put an additional word or two about the practical ramifications of the papers' conclusions.
Answer 2.
Line 326-331
In addition, since soldiers’ cohesion is related to positive support and stressors [55], military administrators can help soldiers’ adjustment by (1) examining the sources of stress experienced by soldiers, (2) helping to reduce stress through counseling services, and (3) intervening to build support systems and/or resources within the units. We also recommend overall cohesive power through team coaching, team building, or team-based discussion [67,68].
Line 341-345
The main contents of this program are to improve the components of resilience, such as self-efficacy, flexibility, impulse control, and empathy. In addition, supportive social networking and stress relief enhance resilience [72]; it would be better if the military units provided appropriate interventions at environmental and personal levels after examining the soldiers’ stress and military situations.
Line 346-353
Even in cases where soldiers lack cohesion due to stress, improving their coping skills can improve their adaptation to military life. Likewise, Leve et al. [73] also stated that promoting individual resilience requires establishing a multi-dimensional cooperative system that considers individuals’ various aspects. Moreover, in a stressful situation, shedding light on the role of protective factors such as resilience and risk is vital [347]. Hence, this study has theoretical and practical implications for discovering enhancements to soldiers’ adaptation to military life through the interactive process of group cohesion and resilience despite the stress.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The paper analyzes the relationship between soldiers' perceived stress, group cohesion, military life adjustment, and resilience, examining the mediating effect of cohesion and the role of resilience in a sample of soldiers from two different army troops.
The theoretical framework for the potential relationships is sufficient but was not given a detailed or updated picture. As a result, the theoretical contributions do not support, in a balanced way, all the relationships subsequently established.
The empirical contributions are, in general, scientifically honest and their operationalization is correct. There is a statistical exploration of the potential dynamics between the variables and a test of the mediating logic of positioning the variables, in a valid sample, but of very limited representativeness.
The discussion presents some of the limits associated with the characteristics of the theoretical component.
The conclusions and implications are consequential with the exposed results, lacking a reading of the results that would consider the participants' actual profile and the military context.
In a global approach, including theoretical and empirical contributions, we consider that the article, in its proposed version, should not be considered for publication in the journal - Sustainability, because the contributions to the thematic section were not clear.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer’s Comments
- Title of the Manuscript: The Mediating Effect of Group Cohesion Modulated by Resilience in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Military Life Adjustment
- ID: sustainability-1743657
Thank you for your feedback. We have revised the draft as below. The revised parts are colored red.
Question 1.
The theoretical framework for the potential relationships is sufficient but was not given a detailed or updated picture. As a result, the theoretical contributions do not support, in a balanced way, all the relationships subsequently established.
Answer 1.
We supplemented the introduction section to support the relationship between the variables with updated references. The supplemented parts are presented below.
Line 42-52
As such, when individuals feel insecure and have no sense of security or perceive threats, their emotions affect their behavioral responses, which ultimately influence daily adjustment or maladjustment [8]. Similarly, after stressful events or traumatic experiences, people may suffer from emotional disturbances, anxiety disorders [9], and/or adjustment disorders [10], and their subjective well-being might deteriorate [9,11,12]. Therefore, if an organization does not recognize these potential dangers and provide prompt support, its members’ performance can degrade [13]. The more comprehensive these personal and environmental stresses are, the harder it is for soldiers to adapt to military life. It is, therefore, vital to identify multiple ways to cope with stress. Moreover, recent studies on stress are of growing interest in revealing the consequences of stress and psychological characteristics that can overcome and buffer stress [14].
Line 58-61
From the perspective of social identity theory, an individual’s sense of self is formed based on group membership and the roles assumed by group members [16]. Therefore, people internalize the sense of group identity and develop attitudes toward group members within the group [17].
Line 82-95
In particular, in long-term stressful situations, it is important to examine the role of risk factors and protective factors, including psychological resilience [34]. People with high resilience can effectively overcome their stress [35]. Moreover, we cannot overemphasize the importance of resilience in crises because it has significant practical implications for policymakers and psychologists [13]. For example, the higher the level of resilience, the better the problem-solving skills [36] and interpersonal relationships of college students [37], and the less the degree of social maladaptation [38].
In military studies, resilience is a leading variable that positively affects one’s adaptation to military life [2]. Additionally, soldiers with high resilience are likewise good at adjustment [39,40]. A primary characteristic of resilience is that it is an individual’s intrapsychic resource [41] that one can improve through repeated training and effort [42]. Previous research examining the relationship between the variables that affect soldiers’ adaptation to military life reported that the group with high resilience was more resistant to stressful situations and used more effective stress coping strategies [43,44].
Line 99-103
In other words, resilience promotes adaptation to military life by enhancing problem-solving capacities in the middle of internal and/or external difficulties [43]. Pietrzak and Southwick [45] also found that highly resilient veterans were less affected by adverse incidents and exhibited higher levels of control and leadership than the less resilient group.
Question 2.
The empirical contributions are, in general, scientifically honest and their operationalization is correct. There is a statistical exploration of the potential dynamics between the variables and a test of the mediating logic of positioning the variables, in a valid sample, but of very limited representativeness.
Answer 2.
We further commented on those limitations in the discussion section.
Line 354-358
This study also has some limitations. First, the participants were conscripted soldiers from a specific region of Korea; as such, there are some limitations in generalizing these specific results to all Korean soldiers. As we did not target representative samples by sufficiently considering the unit characteristics or working environment, this further limits the generalizability of our results.
Question 3.
The discussion presents some of the limits associated with the characteristics of the theoretical component.
Answer 3.
We have sufficiently supplemented the literature through discussion and presented relevant theoretical grounds among the variables.
Line 263-272
First, group cohesion showed a mediating effect on the relationship between soldiers’ perceived stress and MLA. That is, soldiers’ perceptions of high stress can directly and significantly affect their adaptation to military life. These results support previous studies’ findings that stressful events are closely related to emotional and anxiety disorders [9], adjustment disorders [10], and subjective well-being [11,12].
Furthermore, the greater the perceived stress, the lower the level of cohesion and, consequently, a lower MLA level. Cohesion is an important variable that decreases soldiers’ suicidal thoughts and mental health risks [28–31]. These results align with the social identity theory that an individual’s sense of self is affected by group membership and role within the group [16].
Line 298-307
These results align with previous studies in that resilience promotes adaptation to military life in the face of external/internal difficulties [43,44] and shows higher levels of control and leadership [45].
Indeed, stress can cause a maladaptation to military life [2]. In contrast, high cohesion and resilience can be adaptive protective factors. Cohesion builds when group members perceive each other as loyal and reliable, thus, coping and confronting stress together [63]. Therefore, as soldiers’ stress increases, the cohesion decreases. Accordingly, low cohesion may often cause problems adapting to military life because group cohesion is related to goal clarity and work performance [64].
Line 326-331
In addition, since soldiers’ cohesion is related to positive support and stressors [55], military administrators can help soldiers’ adjustment by (1) examining the sources of stress experienced by soldiers, (2) helping to reduce stress through counseling services, and (3) intervening to build support systems and/or resources within the units. We also recommend overall cohesive power through team coaching, team building, or team-based discussion [67,68].
Line 337-353
Luthar et al. [70] and Rutter [71] also argued that enhancing resilience is effective in relieving symptoms even during the onset of symptoms after experiencing psychological difficulties. As such, it will be imperative to find ways to strengthen and promote soldiers’ resilience, such as implementing diverse programs. The main contents of this program are to improve the components of resilience, such as self-efficacy, flexibility, impulse control, and empathy. In addition, supportive social networking and stress relief enhance resilience [72]; it would be better if the military units provided appropriate interventions at environmental and personal levels after examining the soldiers’ stress and military situations.
Even in cases where soldiers lack cohesion due to stress, improving their coping skills can improve their adaptation to military life. Likewise, Leve et al. [73] also stated that promoting individual resilience requires establishing a multi-dimensional cooperative system that considers individuals’ various aspects. Moreover, in a stressful situation, shedding light on the role of protective factors such as resilience and risk is vital [347]. Hence, this study has theoretical and practical implications for discovering enhancements to soldiers’ adaptation to military life through the interactive process of group cohesion and resilience despite the stress.
Question 4.
The conclusions and implications are consequential with the exposed results, lacking a reading of the results that would consider the participants' actual profile and the military context.
Answer 4.
Line 122-128
Of the 300 distributed questionnaires, we used 285 questionnaires in the final analysis, excluding 15 incomplete surveys. The final participants (N = 285) were all male, and their mean age was 20.99, ranging from 19 to 29 years (SD = 1.36). Those aged 20 and under 22 comprised the largest group at 71.3%, and those between 22 and under 24 accounted for 17.2% of the total. The participants’ service included five-to-ten months (30.6%), 15 months or more (28.7%), and less than five months (15.7%). The soldiers’ rank distribution was private first class (49.6%), corporal (32.1%), and private (10.1%).
Question 5.
In a global approach, including theoretical and empirical contributions, we consider that the article, in its proposed version, should not be considered for publication in the journal - Sustainability, because the contributions to the thematic section were not clear.
Answer 5.
Line 347-353
Likewise, Leve et al. [73] also stated that promoting individual resilience requires establishing a multi-dimensional cooperative system that considers individuals’ various aspects. Moreover, in a stressful situation, shedding light on the role of protective factors such as resilience and risk is vital [347]. Hence, this study has theoretical and practical implications for discovering enhancements to soldiers’ adaptation to military life through the interactive process of group cohesion and resilience despite the stress.
Line 354-358.
This study also has some limitations. First, the participants were conscripted soldiers from a specific region of Korea; as such, there are some limitations in generalizing these specific results to all Korean soldiers. As we did not target representative samples by sufficiently considering the unit characteristics or working environment, this further limits the generalizability of our results.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The revised article can be accepted in its present form.
Author Response
Dear Sir/Madam
We sincerely appreciate your comments.
We have English proofread for the manuscript.
Thank you.
Reviewer 3 Report
The authors have successfully responded to the evaluation and made improvements to the article.
The graphic quality and resolution of the images (cf. Figures 1 and 2) included should be optimized before the article is considered for publication.
Author Response
We have attached the revised pictures. In addition, the picture files are submitted separately.
Thank you.
