Psychopathology and academic performance: The role of motivation and learning strategies.

Abstract

How psychopathology, defined as high psychological distress with concomitant limited coping resources, relates to students' academic performance and its determinants is examined. The correlation between college students' (N = 326) level of psychopathology and their course grade was not significant. However, psychopathology was significantly related to students' motivation and use of leaming strategies that were, in tum, related to academic performance. Specifically, more poorly adjusted students perceived themselves as less competent to succeed, experienced greater test anxiety, and were less likely to regulate their study environment, persist in the face of difficulty, and seek academic assistance when needed. Structural equation modeling (EQS) provided evidence that psychopathology had a significant indirect effect on performance and demonstrated the important role of self-efficacy and resource management.