Resilience, achievement motivation, and relational skills as predictors of perceived academic performance and college adjustment in undergraduate university students

Abstract

Predictors of upperclassmen undergraduate students’ perceived academic performance and adjustment to college were examined using four instruments. The research sample was comprised of 308 students from South Texas and findings indicate that correlations between predictor variables and the criterion variable student perceived academic performance produced statistically significant positive correlations, except between achievement motivation and performance rating. The largest positive correlations among predictor variables and the criterion variable college student adjustment were between relational skills and achievement motivation and between relational skills and college student adjustment. Of the three predictors, at 5.7%, resilience uniquely accounted for the most variance in college student adjustment. Resilience significantly predicted performance rating, and uniquely accounted for 5% of the variance in the model. The researchers provided implications for educators, college counselors, and college administrators, as well as provided directions for future research.