Understanding the role of stress, personality and coping on learning motivation and mental health in university students during a pandemic

Abstract

The aims explored the associations between stress, personality and coping on student mental health and compared defensive-pessimism and optimism as influences on learning motivation. Most research construes ‘stress’ as ‘distress’, with little attempt to measure the stress that enhances motivation and wellbeing. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 162) were surveyed on student and pandemic-related stressors, personality, support, control, mental health and learning motivation. Overall, adverse mental health was high and the lack of motivation acute. While positive ratings of teaching and optimistic thinking were associated with good mental health, context control was key. Adverse ratings of teaching quality lowered learning motivation. Support and conscientiousness bolstered learning motivation and conscientiousness buffered against the adverse impact of stress on motivation. Openness was associated with the stress involved in learning. For those anxious-prone, defensive-pessimism was as effective as optimism was in stimulating learning motivation. Developing context control, support and strategies linked to personality could bolster student resilience during and post Covid-19.

Untangling the role of optimism, pessimism and coping influences on student mood, motivation and satisfaction.

“…Gibbons (2022b) found that teaching and course demands, along with a range of support -from peers, tutors, the wider university and one's partner, when rated as a hassle, were higher in those 'at risk' of a stress-related illness. The support ratings were also associated with lower course satisfaction and higher anxiety (Gibbons, 2022b(Gibbons, , 2022c. Personal sources of stress include nancial concerns, managing free time, working part-time while studying, and future concerns (Gibbons, 2015).…”

“…Sources of student stress include academic demands, such as coursework, exams and work-life balance (Ansari, Oskrochi & Haghgoo, 2014, Gibbons, 2022a, 2022b; fear of failure, lack of timely feedback and the quality of teaching (Gibbons, 2008(Gibbons, , 2010(Gibbons, , 2015. Gibbons (2022b) found that teaching and course demands, along with a range of support -from peers, tutors, the wider university and one's partner, when rated as a hassle, were higher in those 'at risk' of a stress-related illness. The support ratings were also associated with lower course satisfaction and higher anxiety (Gibbons, 2022b(Gibbons, , 2022c.…”

“…Context control, or the skills acquired to manage particular situations, has been found to be an important coping resource in several studies (Maddi, 2002, Gibbons, 2015, 2022a, 2022b) and self-e cacy or con dence, is commonly reported (Zimmerman, 2000). Other important Big Five traits (McCrea & Costa, 2004) linked to coping include: extraversion (Kuijpers et al, 2021), levels of emotional stability and openness (Vollrath & Torgersen, 2000).…”

“…They are more forgiving of their mistakes and they reframe losses by imagining scenarios worse than those they faced. They are more active in learning from their coping mistakes and they tend to be higher on conscientiousness, control and support (Lazarus & Folkman, 1987, Gibbons, 2022b.…”

“…Those high on optimism construe stress demands in a way that makes success more likely. As well as a biased expectation of good outcomes, they more readily employ a number of other strategies: They tend to perceive change and stress demands as opportunities to grow and achieve and good copers more frequently score stress demands higher on uplifts and lower on hassles (Gibbons, 2010(Gibbons, , 2022b. They are biased to attend more to positive over negative events (defensive optimism), especially in situations where they are unable to exercise control to bring about positive change (Fournier, De Ridder & Bensing, 2002).…”