La perspective temporelle des étudiants français en première année d’études supérieures : quels liens avec les stratégies de coping et le sentiment d’efficacité ?

Abstract

BackgroundLiterature data suggest coping strategies and self-efficacy have a significant influence on academic success and distress among students. It is then crucial to investigate the psychological variables involved in coping and self-efficacy among students. In fact, time perspective (TP), which can be described as an individual's attitude toward personal past, present and future, influences one's thoughts and behaviors, and could play a role in adaptive behavior and the sense of capability. However, the impact of TP on coping and self-efficacy among students has rarely been studied. To our knowledge, these interactions have never been investigated among students during their first year in college, which appears particularity relevant given its high academic failure rate. Moreover, self-efficacy and coping has always been studied independently in studies investigating TP; although we know self-efficacy can be considered as an interactional variable impacting coping. Consequently, we set out to explore the relationship between time perspective, coping and self-efficacy among first year undergraduate French students. MethodThree hundred and sixty-two first year undergraduate students (77.35% females, mean age=19) completed self-reported questionnaires assessing coping (Brief Cope), self-efficacy (GSE) and time perspective (ZTPI). Statistical analyses include: (1) regression analysis in order to investigate the predictive power of TP on coping strategy and self-efficacy, and (2) mediation analysis in order to investigate the mediation effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between TP and coping. ResultsAnalysis revealed that negative past and fatalistic present are negatively correlated with self-efficacy and adaptive coping strategy, and positively correlated with maladaptive coping strategies such as disengagement. Inversely, positive past and future orientation are positively associated with self-efficacy and adaptive coping strategies such as active coping, positive thinking or social support-focused coping. Hedonistic present yielded more ambiguous results, as it appeared positively associated with self-efficacy, social support-focused coping and positive thinking, but also with substance use. Mediation analysis revealed that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between negative past and three coping strategies (problem solving, avoidance, cognitive restructuration), and mediates the relationship between future orientation and problem solving. DiscussionThis study has some limitations: the sample is mostly female, and the lack of longitudinal or experimental design prevent from drawing conclusions concerning the predictive effect of TP. However, results highlight the importance of TP when considering adaptive behavior and self-efficacy among students, especially during their first year in college that is very demanding in terms of adaptation. Perspectives for further studies and prevention applications will be discussed, in terms of using TP as a potential tool to identify profiles of students at risk of non-adjustment in an academic context.