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

Abstract

The aims explored the associations between stress and eustress ratings and influences on coping (control, support and personality), on mood, course satisfaction and learning motivation. Undergraduate students, (N = 175), were surveyed on student stressors, personality, support and control against mood, course satisfaction and motivation. Defensive pessimism, context control and agreeableness lowered anxiety, while neuroticism, extraversion and hassle ratings of tutor support, increased it. Control and neuroticism mediated between the hassle ratings accorded to support from family and friends and anxiety. Optimism and defensive pessimism lowered depression scores. Those in the upper quartile on Defensive pessimism, compared to those in the upper quartile on optimism, scored lower on anxiety, higher on learning motivation and course satisfaction and this is despite the optimism group being higher in self-efficacy, control and conscientiousness. Both groups scored higher than the cohort average on GPA, with the upper quartile in optimism, highest. The results suggest context control, defensive pessimism and optimism all offer effective coping, with individual difference an important caveat – for those capable and high in anxiety, defensive pessimism was effective. An optimistic outlook is unlikely to be helpful. It may even have negatives, while optimistic thinking strategies together with defensive pessimism are likely to boost motivation, satisfaction and mood.