Academic Performance as a Function of Approaches to Studying and Affect in Studying

• Published in: Journal of happiness studies Vol. 14; no. 6; pp. 1751 - 1763
• Main Authors: Rogaten, Jekaterina, Moneta, Giovanni B., Spada, Marcantonio M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Anxiety; College students; Data collection; Economics; Educational tests & measurements; Emotions; Learning; Memory; Personality and Social Psychology; Philosophy; Positive Psychology; Quality of Life Research; Research Paper; Social Sciences; Students; Study skills; University students; Positive affect; Undergraduate university students; Approaches to studying; Evaluation anxiety; Academic performance; Negative affect
• ISSN: 1389-4978; 1573-7780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9408-5

Based on the model of approaches to studying and the control-process model of self-regulation of behavior, it was hypothesized that students’ strategic approaches to studying and positive affect in studying would be positively associated with academic performance, whereas students’ surface approach to studying and negative affect in studying would be negatively associated with academic performance. A sample of 406 undergraduate students completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Evaluation Anxiety Scale, and their end-of-semester and past semester academic performance were recorded. Regression analyses controlling for past semester performance and evaluation anxiety showed that positive affect predicted better examination grades, coursework grades and Grade Point Average, negative affect measured in the second half of a semester predicted worse examination grades and Grade Point Average, whereas approaches to studying did not predict performance. The implications of the findings are outlined.