AI Insight
This study of 778 university students examined how academic grit relates to subjective well-being through academic satisfaction and examination-related stress. Results showed that academic grit was associated with higher well-being both directly and indirectly, primarily through increased academic satisfaction and, to a lesser extent, through reduced examination stress. The model explained approximately half of the variance in students' well-being.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that university mental health interventions could be more effective by fostering students' perseverance in academic goals while simultaneously promoting positive academic experiences and helping students manage examination-related pressures. This provides evidence-based guidance for designing comprehensive well-being programs in higher education settings.
Understand the Science
IntroductionSubjective well-being is increasingly recognized as crucial for the psychological adjustment and academic functioning of university students. Academic grit may represent an important resource for students’ well-being, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the role of academic satisfaction and examination-related stress in mediating the relationship between academic grit and subjective well-being.MethodsA convenience sample of 778 university students (age range: 19–69, M-age = 27.9, SD-age = 9.9) participated in the study. The study included the following instruments: Academic Grit Scale, College Satisfaction Scale (C-Sat), Examination stress sub-scale of E-CEA, Well-being Profile (WB-Pro). Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) combining latent and observed variables and maximum likelihood estimation in LISREL.ResultsAcademic grit was directly and indirectly associated with subjective well-being through academic satisfaction and examination-related stress. Academic satisfaction emerged as the primary indirect pathway linking academic grit to subjective well-being, whereas examination-related stress played a smaller, although still significant, role. The overall model explained 48.5% of the variance in subjective well-being (R2 = 0.485).ConclusionAcademic grit may represent a relevant psychosocial resource for university students’ subjective well-being. Its association with well-being appears to be partly explained by higher academic satisfaction and lower examination-related stress. These findings suggest that university well-being interventions should consider both the promotion of positive academic experiences, and the management of examination demands.