Associations between the Wellbeing Process and Academic Outcomes

Background: The Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) has been used to identify predictors of both positive and negative wellbeing. These variables can now be used to investigate whether different aspects of the wellbeing process are associated with academic outcomes.

Aims: The wellbeing process involves established predictors such as exposure to stressors, negative coping, social support, positive personality, and conscientiousness. The wellbeing outcomes are positive (e.g. happiness, positive affect, and life satisfaction), and negative (e.g. stress, anxiety and depression). The aim was to examine associations between these variables and academic outcomes (Grade Point Average [GPA]; perceived efficiency; perceived course stress, and perceived workload).

Methodology: The research described in this paper was carried out with the approval of the ethics committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and the informed consent of the participants (1296 psychology undergraduates; 89.4% female; 49.7% year 1; mean age 19.5 years). An online survey was carried out and this included the Student WPQ and academic outcomes. A MANOVA was conducted to examine associations between the wellbeing process variables and the academic outcomes.

Results: The main factor associated with the academic outcomes was conscientiousness. Those in the high conscientiousness category had higher GPA sores, reported greater efficiency and higher course stress and workload. GPA scores were also associated with student stressors, with those in the high stress category having lower GPA scores. Greater efficiency was associated with higher scores for positive wellbeing and social support, and lower negative coping. Higher course stress was associated with higher scores for exposure to stressors, negative coping and negative wellbeing. Higher negative wellbeing was also associated with higher perceived workload.

Conclusion: Conscientiousness is the best predictor of academic outcomes. Other components of the wellbeing process have selective effects on academic outcomes.