Predictors of National Security Awareness Among University Students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to identify variables contributing to the prediction of national security awareness among university students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The sample comprised 395 male and female students from Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, with a mean age of 19.85 years and a standard deviation of 1.11. The research utilized scales of national security awareness, psychological security, critical thinking, quality of life, national belonging, and intellectual extremism. Structural Equation Modeling (Path Analysis) was employed to analyze the data. Results: The study revealed that national security awareness can be statistically predicted based on the examined variables, namely critical thinking, quality of life, and national belonging, across all participants. National belonging emerged as the most influential variable in predicting national security awareness, followed by critical thinking and quality of life. Additionally, there were no differences in the contributing variables according to gender and academic qualifications. Conclusion: The findings were discussed and interpreted, highlighting the importance of national belonging, critical thinking, and quality of life in predicting national security awareness among university students. The study concluded with suggestions and recommendations for enhancing national security awareness through targeted interventions focusing on these key variables.