Abstract
Although achievement goals have been the subject of much study about their implications for learning and performance, interest has been less marked in understanding their precursors, particularly those linked to students’ personal characteristics. In this study, we examine the role of a defensive pessimism strategy as a mediator and moderator of the relationships between self-esteem and achievement goals in a sample of 1028 university students. Analysis of mediation and moderation was performed using the PROCESS macro within SPSS. The results showed that defensive pessimism partially mediates and moderates the effect of self-esteem on approach goals (learning and performance). We found no significant mediation or moderation effect for defensive pessimism in the relationship between self-esteem and performance-avoidance goals. These findings suggest that defensive pessimism is an effective strategy to encourage motivational involvement in students with low self-esteem in the academic context.
Highlights
In keeping with the emerging field of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development [1], in recent years there has been growing interest in the study of personal resources that encourage young people’s successful adaptation and positive development in the academic environment, despite the difficulties they may encounter [2,3]
We found that self-esteem had a significant direct negative effect on performance-avoidance goals (b = −0.388; p < 0.001), but there was no indirect effect through defensive pessimism (b = 0.025; 95% CI (−0.043, −0.096))
In terms of the moderating effect of defensive pessimism on the relationship between self-esteem and learning-approach goals, we found that this effect (SE x DP) was statistically significant (b = −0.457; p < 0.001) and significantly increased the variance explained by self-esteem (change in R2 = 0.026, F (1,1024) = 30.182, p < 0.001)
Summary
In keeping with the emerging field of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development [1], in recent years there has been growing interest in the study of personal resources (cognitive, affective, emotional, etc.) that encourage young people’s successful adaptation and positive development in the academic environment, despite the difficulties they may encounter [2,3]. In this context, and in light of their significant impact on students’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral regulation [4], goals have been the focus of considerable attention in psychoeducational research. Students oriented towards performance goals evaluate competency in relation to external standards, prioritizing the demonstration of their academic skills or outperforming their classmates [7]
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