TITLE:
A Study on University Students’ Psychological Capital and Academic Performance: Autonomous Motivation as the Mediator
AUTHORS:
Jianjin Liu, Shiyao Huang
KEYWORDS:
Psychological Capital, Autonomous Motivation, Academic Performance, Grade Point Average (GPA), Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.6,
June
30,
2022
ABSTRACT: This research examined the relationship among Psychological Capital (PsyCap), Autonomous Motivation (AM) and Academic Performance (AP) in university settings. A sample of 225 college students (Mage = 21.34, 169 females) was collected from G University and data analysis showed that: 1) PsyCap as a whole composite can positively predict grade point average (GPA) and AM; 2) Only hope showed a significant association with GPA among the 4 individual constructs of PsyCap (hope, resilience, self-efficacy, optimism); 3) Hope and self-efficacy were positive predictors while resilience was a negative predictor of AM; 4) AM had a mediating role between PsyCap and GPA. Implications for possible educational intervention to improve college students’ academic performance, especially the role of hope, were also discussed.