Investigation of the relationships between academic hardiness and passion for studies with undergraduates’ affect and happiness

Abstract

Personality variables contribute to the development of passion for studies leading undergraduates to different affective experiences. Academic hardiness, an affective personality trait, may have effect on undergraduates’ passion for studies. The purpose of the study (which uses a quantitative methodological approach) was twofold: (a) to examine the psychometric properties of Passion scale in Greek undergraduates and (b) to investigate the role of Academic Hardiness 3Cs in the Harmonious (HP) and Obsessive (OP) passion. A convenience sample of 293 undergraduates completed the following scales: (a) Passion scale, (b) Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, (c) The Positive and Negative Affect schedule, and (d) The revised Academic Hardiness scale. Initially, results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the two-factor passion scale. Moreover, results from SEM analyses revealed that control and challenge were positively related to HP, whereas commitment was positively related to both HP and OP. A negative relationship was found between control and OP. OP was positively related with negative affect, which, in turn, was negatively related with undergraduates’ happiness. On the contrary, HP was positively related with positive affect, which, in turn, was positively related with happiness. Findings of the study are discussed, focusing on the adaptive nature of academic hardiness and harmonious passion in academic settings.