“Doing College” Amidst COVID-19

Abstract

Mindset beliefs (beliefs about malleability of human attributes) influenced the psychological adjustment of undergraduate students during the pandemic. This study investigated the role of mindset beliefs about to adaptability (the ability to adapt to change) in shaping mental health and behavioral engagement of international and domestic students in the U.S. The psychological experiences of 98 international students and 98 domestic counterparts enrolled at a public U.S. institution during Fall 2020 were compared. Tests of mean differences showed that international students reported a stronger view, relative to domestic students, that people could become more adaptable to changing circumstances and better mental health. The two groups did not differ in their behavioral engagement. Path analysis showed that mental health mediated the relationship between international student status and behavioral engagement, whereas mindset beliefs about adaptability did not. The findings highlight the psychological strengths of international students.