Relationships of personality, affect, emotional intelligence and coping with student stress and academic success: Different patterns of association for stress and success

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe associations of personality, affect, trait emotional intelligence (EI) and coping style measured at the start of the academic year with later academic performance were examined in a group of undergraduate students at the University of Edinburgh. The associations of the dispositional and affect measures with concurrent stress and life satisfaction were also examined. The survey was completed by 238 students, of whom 163 gave permission for their end-of-year marks to be accessed. Complete data for modelling stress and academic success were available for 216 and 156 students respectively. The associations of academic success and stress differed, and high stress was not a risk factor for poor academic performance. Further analyses were based on the extraction of three composite factors (Emotional Regulation, Avoidance and Task Focus) from the EI and coping subscales. Structural equation modelling showed that academic performance was predicted by Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, positive affect and the Task Focus factor. Modelling for stress and life satisfaction showed relationships with personality, affect, and the Task Focus and Emotion Regulation factors. The Task Focus factor played a mediating role in both models, and the Emotion Regulation factor acted as a mediator in the model for stress and life satisfaction. The theoretical interpretation of these results, and their potential applications in interventions targeting at-risk students, are discussed.

Appraisals, Coping and Affective and Behavioral Reactions to Academic Stressors

“…For example, Zeidner (1995) showed that situational emotion-focused coping was related positively to state anxiety whereas problem-focused coping predicted midterm examination grades. Another study by Struthers, Perry and Menec (2000) showed that problem-focused and emotion-focused coping styles were positively related to perceived stress associated with introductory psychology course, and problem-focused coping mediated its effects on college students' motivation which was positively related to academic grades, and similarly, in a recent study (Saklofske, Austin, Mastoras, Beaton, & Osborne, 2012) task-oriented coping was related positively to students' grades.…”

Tertiary Academic Success: A Review of Factors in the Context of Ecological Model

“…Support for these findings has also been received in a systematic review of 26 studies on the relationship between emotional intelligence and tertiary academic success (Hanafi et al, 2016). In some studies, specific dimensions of emotional intelligence were found to be positive and strong predictors of tertiary academic success, adaptability (Saklofske, Austin, Mastoras, Beaton, & Osborne, 2012), and understanding of emotion (Mohzan et al, 2013). Overall, it appears to be an important factor of tertiary educational success.…”

“…Meta analyses have noted that the researchers have focused on the big 5 personality traits (Richardson et al, 2012;Vedel, 2014). Among these traits conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness are good predictors of tertiary academic success (Saklofske et al, 2012;Vedel, 2014). The findings of Richardson et al (2012) show that conscientiousness is strongly positively correlated with tertiary academic success and Vedel (2014)'s meta analysis indicates that of these three predictors conscientiousness is the strongest predictor of it.…”

Action-Emotion Style, Learning Approach and Coping Strategies, in Undergraduate University Students

“…In any case, coping strategies should have their proper place in current psycho-educational models of learning strategies, since we have seen their potential in helping us understand the role of motivational-affective strategies while learning under academic stress (Saklofske, et al, 2012).…”