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

a r t i c l e i n f o The 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. The emotions which students experience within the learning environment are known to be related to important outcomes such as academic success and academic adjustment, and also to student health and well-being. The specific topic of test anxiety and its effect on academic performance has been widely studied (e.g. Zeidner, 1995, 1996). Studies of other correlates of negative emotions have established associations with stress in students (Austin, Saklofske, & Mastoras, 2010) and with poorer academic adjustment (Halamandaris & Power, 1997). The role of positive emotions in educational contexts has been less widely researched but associations have been found with academic performance and In the context of studying student emotions, it is also appropriate to examine the potential utility of emotional intelligence (EI) as an explanatory variable. Models of EI highlight a range of emotion-related capabilities; a component of EI which appears to be particularly likely to support students in the learning environment is Emotion Regulation, since individuals who can regulate their emotions well are better able to manage stress. Other emotional capabilities such as being …