Hope and optimism as predictors of academic performance and subjective well-being in college students

• Published in: Learning and individual differences Vol. 81; p. 101906
• Main Authors: Rand, Kevin L., Shanahan, Mackenzie L., Fischer, Ian C., Fortney, Sarah K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2020
• Subjects: Academic performance; Hope; Optimism; Subjective well-being; Subjective well-being; Hope; Academic performance; Optimism
• ISSN: 1041-6080; 1873-3425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101906

Snyder's (1994) hope and Scheier and Carver's (1985) optimism have been shown to independently predict academic performance and changes in subjective well-being. This study seeks to clarify their unique associations. An undergraduate class (N = 334, 59.6% female, 75.7% Caucasian, M = 19.89 years) was studied at two time points in a semester. Students predicted their expected grade in the course and completed measures of hope, optimism, and subjective well-being (i.e., positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) the first week of classes. The final week of classes, students completed subjective well-being measures and final grades were obtained from the instructor. Path analysis showed that hope, but not optimism, predicted grade expectancy. Grade expectancy, in turn, predicted final grades, even after controlling for previous academic achievement. Hope did not directly predict final course grade, but had a significant indirect effect through grade expectancy. Path analysis showed that hope significantly predicted increases in positive affect and life satisfaction over the semester; whereas, optimism predicted decreases in negative affect. These findings extend previous research demonstrating that hope and optimism, while conceptually similar, have differential longitudinal associations with academic performance and subjective well-being among college students. Implications for screening for at-risk college students and employing targeted interventions are discussed. •Hope, but not optimism, predicted grade expectancies in college students.•Grade expectancies predicted final grades, even after controlling for previous grade point average.•Hope indirectly predicted final grades in college students through its relationship with grade expectancies.•Hope predicted increases in positive affect and life satisfaction over the course of a semester.•Optimism predicted decreases in negative affect over the course of a semester.•Hope and optimism had differential longitudinal associations with academic performance and subjective well-being in college students.