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Volume 26, Issue 3 (Autumn 2024)
Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2024, 26(3): 1-13 |
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Ethics code: IR.IAU.BIRJAND.REC.1403.016
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Golgeh A, Ghanifar M, Jafar Tabatabaei T S, Jafar Tabatabaei S S. The relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment in students: The mediating role of rumination. Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2024; 26 (3) :1-13
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1711-en.html
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1711-en.html
Ali Golgeh1 
, Mohamad-Hassan Ghanifar *2 , Toktam Sadat Jafar Tabatabaei2 , Samaneh Sadat Jafar Tabatabaei2
, Mohamad-Hassan Ghanifar *2 , Toktam Sadat Jafar Tabatabaei2 , Samaneh Sadat Jafar Tabatabaei2
1- PhD Student of Educational Psychology, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Birjand Branch, Birjand, Iran
2- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Birjand Branch, Birjand, Iran
2- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Birjand Branch, Birjand, Iran
Abstract: (751 Views)
Introduction
Academic adaptation plays an essential role in academic success and general experiences of students' lack of culture (1). Academic adjustment includes satisfaction with school, academic progress, being liked by the teacher, communication with other students, the opinion of school officials regarding the student's performance, and other cases (3). One of the variables related to the conditions and status of students is their academic optimism, depending on their emotional, social, growth, and progress (6). Academic optimism is defined as a positive belief in students. Studies have confirmed that emphasizing learning plays a crucial role in academic optimism, significantly influencing students' academic adjustment (11). Furthermore, a notable relationship exists between optimism and students' social adjustment (12). Academic optimism also effectively helps students adapt to university life (13). Moreover, rumination is one of the cognitive structures that can affect the learners' academic performance and adaptation (14). People suffering from rumination believe that they should try to focus on themselves because they think that such focus will give them the insight to find a solution to their problems, but they suffer from rumination, leading to the creation of other problems, including tension and incompatibility (18). Research suggests the role of rumination on students' adjustment to school (19), prediction of students' academic failure (20), and academic disinterest (21). Academic adjustment, as one of the general dimensions of psychosocial adjustment, has been the attention of educational researchers, and many efforts have been made in order to determine the factors affecting it researchers. However, the most essential concern in today's schools is academic incompatibility, misbehavior and incompatibility of the students as a whole. It affects the learning process. The problem is that the relationships of various variables with academic adjustment have been confirmed, but the relationships of variables such as academic optimism and rumination have been neglected in the form of structural relationships in the student community, and there is a major research gap in this field. Therefore, the present study was carried out to mediate the role of rumination in the relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment of students and seeks to answer the question of whether the role of rumination has a mediating role in the relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment of students.
Methods
The current research method was a descriptive correlation of the type of structural equations. The research population included all male and female students of the second secondary level in Birjand City, Iran, in the academic year 2023-2024. To determine the sample size, Tabachnick and Fidell’s formula was used, i.e. (100+m≤n), where n is the sample size and m is the number of predictor variables (22). In this research, according to the existence of six predictive variables (academic optimism: three dimensions and rumination: three dimensions), the sample size was estimated to be 106 people. Since the above equation calculates the minimum sample size, 120 people were selected as a sample using the available sampling method to ensure the sample size and possible dropouts. The entry criteria included informed consent, being in high school, and not having mental disorders based on the counseling file, and the exit criteria included unwillingness to cooperate and the questionnaires being distorted (we did not have incomplete and distorted questionnaires in the present study). The data collection tools were academic optimism questionnaires by Tschannen-Moran et al. (2013), rumination by Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow (1991), and academic adjustment by Clark and Clark (1982). SPSS version 24 software (Pearson correlation test) and SmartPLS software were used for data analysis.
Results
The results revealed a positive and significant correlation coefficient between academic optimism and adjustment (P<0.01). The positivity of the obtained coefficient shows a direct relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment of students. The correlation coefficient between rumination and academic adjustment is negative and significant (P<0.01). The negativity of the obtained coefficient shows an inverse relationship between rumination and students' academic adjustment.
According to the results of Table 1, all coefficients of the direct path related to the effect of academic optimism on negative rumination and the effect of academic optimism on academic adjustment are positive and significant (P<0.01). Furthermore, the effect of rumination on academic adjustment is negative and significant (P<0.01). Similarly, the results of the bootstrap test show that the path coefficient of the indirect relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment through the mediating variable of rumination is significant (P<0.01).
Table 1. Direct and indirect path coefficients of the research model
Conclusion
The findings suggest that academic optimism positively and significantly impacts academic adjustment. In other words, as students' academic optimism increases, so does their ability to adjust academically. These results are consistent with previous studies in this area. To explain this, optimism serves as a psychological renewal force. It can positively transform an individual's attitude and self-perception, creating a harmonious blend of psychological and social dimensions. A student with high academic optimism will have a better and more favorable attitude towards expectations and achieving them. With the formation of this attitude, harmony is created between the student and the environment, and if there is enough harmony between him and the environment, there will be more compatibility (29).
Another research finding showed that the direct effect of rumination on academic adjustment is negative and significant; in other words, with the increase of rumination, students' academic adjustment decreases. The obtained findings are consistent with the results of previous studies in this field. The explanation suggests that many negative emotions stem from ruminations that arise in the mind after negative experiences. This thinking pattern can hinder a person's ability to seek external emotional and social support. It often leads to widespread anxiety and gradually erodes confidence in one's ability to build necessary relationships. Consequently, individuals may lose the confidence needed to participate in social and academic situations, making it difficult to fulfill their social needs. This cycle can result in a deeper plunge into unpleasant emotions, complicating the adaptation process (30).
The last research finding indicates a significant indirect relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment, mediated by rumination. This suggests that academic optimism can enhance students' academic adjustment by reducing their tendency to ruminate. Although direct studies on this specific relationship are lacking, it can be inferred that optimism stems from logical expectations, self-fulfillment, and a sense of life's purpose. Consequently, optimistic individuals tend to focus on positive outcomes rather than negative ones when facing challenges. With a positive outlook, optimistic people emphasize the favorable aspects of situations and events, maintaining positive expectations for future achievements (31). Thus, academic optimism is linked to a decrease in negative thoughts, such as rumination. As a result, a person with rumination is involved in positive emotions with cognitive re-evaluation and appropriate use of strategies. The individual uses adaptive strategies in facing the event situation, which can play a role in increasing performance; based on this, rumination reduces the aggravation of negative emotions. Besides, the increase in positive emotions is adapted to coping behaviors.
Among the limitations of the current research was that the current research design was structural equation modeling from the subset of correlation designs, so it is impossible to show the causal relationships between the variables. Furthermore, another limitation of the current study was the method of sampling and conducting the study on high school students of Birjand City, so it is suggested that in future research, the mentioned variables should be conducted on students of other educational levels, students, and in different cities. Based on the results, it is suggested that school counselors and relevant officials use factors such as academic optimism and rumination in preparing educational and intervention programs to promote academic adaptation.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This research is extracted from the first author's doctoral dissertation and has the ethics code number IR.IAU.BIRJAND.REC.1403.016 from the Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University of Birjand.
Authors' contributions
The first author was a student and wrote the article's main text. The second author was a supervisor in the role of project manager and supervisor. The third and fourth authors were consultants who provided statistical advice and editing for the final article.
Funding
The present research was carried out at the personal expense of the authors.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to all the officials and students of Birjand City who have cooperated in this research.
Conflicts of interest
There is no conflict of interest between the authors in this article.
Academic adaptation plays an essential role in academic success and general experiences of students' lack of culture (1). Academic adjustment includes satisfaction with school, academic progress, being liked by the teacher, communication with other students, the opinion of school officials regarding the student's performance, and other cases (3). One of the variables related to the conditions and status of students is their academic optimism, depending on their emotional, social, growth, and progress (6). Academic optimism is defined as a positive belief in students. Studies have confirmed that emphasizing learning plays a crucial role in academic optimism, significantly influencing students' academic adjustment (11). Furthermore, a notable relationship exists between optimism and students' social adjustment (12). Academic optimism also effectively helps students adapt to university life (13). Moreover, rumination is one of the cognitive structures that can affect the learners' academic performance and adaptation (14). People suffering from rumination believe that they should try to focus on themselves because they think that such focus will give them the insight to find a solution to their problems, but they suffer from rumination, leading to the creation of other problems, including tension and incompatibility (18). Research suggests the role of rumination on students' adjustment to school (19), prediction of students' academic failure (20), and academic disinterest (21). Academic adjustment, as one of the general dimensions of psychosocial adjustment, has been the attention of educational researchers, and many efforts have been made in order to determine the factors affecting it researchers. However, the most essential concern in today's schools is academic incompatibility, misbehavior and incompatibility of the students as a whole. It affects the learning process. The problem is that the relationships of various variables with academic adjustment have been confirmed, but the relationships of variables such as academic optimism and rumination have been neglected in the form of structural relationships in the student community, and there is a major research gap in this field. Therefore, the present study was carried out to mediate the role of rumination in the relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment of students and seeks to answer the question of whether the role of rumination has a mediating role in the relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment of students.
Methods
The current research method was a descriptive correlation of the type of structural equations. The research population included all male and female students of the second secondary level in Birjand City, Iran, in the academic year 2023-2024. To determine the sample size, Tabachnick and Fidell’s formula was used, i.e. (100+m≤n), where n is the sample size and m is the number of predictor variables (22). In this research, according to the existence of six predictive variables (academic optimism: three dimensions and rumination: three dimensions), the sample size was estimated to be 106 people. Since the above equation calculates the minimum sample size, 120 people were selected as a sample using the available sampling method to ensure the sample size and possible dropouts. The entry criteria included informed consent, being in high school, and not having mental disorders based on the counseling file, and the exit criteria included unwillingness to cooperate and the questionnaires being distorted (we did not have incomplete and distorted questionnaires in the present study). The data collection tools were academic optimism questionnaires by Tschannen-Moran et al. (2013), rumination by Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow (1991), and academic adjustment by Clark and Clark (1982). SPSS version 24 software (Pearson correlation test) and SmartPLS software were used for data analysis.
Results
The results revealed a positive and significant correlation coefficient between academic optimism and adjustment (P<0.01). The positivity of the obtained coefficient shows a direct relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment of students. The correlation coefficient between rumination and academic adjustment is negative and significant (P<0.01). The negativity of the obtained coefficient shows an inverse relationship between rumination and students' academic adjustment.
According to the results of Table 1, all coefficients of the direct path related to the effect of academic optimism on negative rumination and the effect of academic optimism on academic adjustment are positive and significant (P<0.01). Furthermore, the effect of rumination on academic adjustment is negative and significant (P<0.01). Similarly, the results of the bootstrap test show that the path coefficient of the indirect relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment through the mediating variable of rumination is significant (P<0.01).
Table 1. Direct and indirect path coefficients of the research model
| Variable | Path | Beta | t | P | Hypothesis testing | |
| Academic optimism | Rumination | -0.654 | 13.36 | 0.01 | Confirmation | |
| Academic optimism | Academic adjustment | 0.263 | 2.30 | 0.05 | Confirmation | |
| Rumination | Academic adjustment | -0.378 | 3.32 | 0.01 | Confirmation | |
| Mindfulness | Rumination | Academic adjustment | 0.247 | 3.05 | 0.01 | Confirmation |
Conclusion
The findings suggest that academic optimism positively and significantly impacts academic adjustment. In other words, as students' academic optimism increases, so does their ability to adjust academically. These results are consistent with previous studies in this area. To explain this, optimism serves as a psychological renewal force. It can positively transform an individual's attitude and self-perception, creating a harmonious blend of psychological and social dimensions. A student with high academic optimism will have a better and more favorable attitude towards expectations and achieving them. With the formation of this attitude, harmony is created between the student and the environment, and if there is enough harmony between him and the environment, there will be more compatibility (29).
Another research finding showed that the direct effect of rumination on academic adjustment is negative and significant; in other words, with the increase of rumination, students' academic adjustment decreases. The obtained findings are consistent with the results of previous studies in this field. The explanation suggests that many negative emotions stem from ruminations that arise in the mind after negative experiences. This thinking pattern can hinder a person's ability to seek external emotional and social support. It often leads to widespread anxiety and gradually erodes confidence in one's ability to build necessary relationships. Consequently, individuals may lose the confidence needed to participate in social and academic situations, making it difficult to fulfill their social needs. This cycle can result in a deeper plunge into unpleasant emotions, complicating the adaptation process (30).
The last research finding indicates a significant indirect relationship between academic optimism and academic adjustment, mediated by rumination. This suggests that academic optimism can enhance students' academic adjustment by reducing their tendency to ruminate. Although direct studies on this specific relationship are lacking, it can be inferred that optimism stems from logical expectations, self-fulfillment, and a sense of life's purpose. Consequently, optimistic individuals tend to focus on positive outcomes rather than negative ones when facing challenges. With a positive outlook, optimistic people emphasize the favorable aspects of situations and events, maintaining positive expectations for future achievements (31). Thus, academic optimism is linked to a decrease in negative thoughts, such as rumination. As a result, a person with rumination is involved in positive emotions with cognitive re-evaluation and appropriate use of strategies. The individual uses adaptive strategies in facing the event situation, which can play a role in increasing performance; based on this, rumination reduces the aggravation of negative emotions. Besides, the increase in positive emotions is adapted to coping behaviors.
Among the limitations of the current research was that the current research design was structural equation modeling from the subset of correlation designs, so it is impossible to show the causal relationships between the variables. Furthermore, another limitation of the current study was the method of sampling and conducting the study on high school students of Birjand City, so it is suggested that in future research, the mentioned variables should be conducted on students of other educational levels, students, and in different cities. Based on the results, it is suggested that school counselors and relevant officials use factors such as academic optimism and rumination in preparing educational and intervention programs to promote academic adaptation.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This research is extracted from the first author's doctoral dissertation and has the ethics code number IR.IAU.BIRJAND.REC.1403.016 from the Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University of Birjand.
Authors' contributions
The first author was a student and wrote the article's main text. The second author was a supervisor in the role of project manager and supervisor. The third and fourth authors were consultants who provided statistical advice and editing for the final article.
Funding
The present research was carried out at the personal expense of the authors.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to all the officials and students of Birjand City who have cooperated in this research.
Conflicts of interest
There is no conflict of interest between the authors in this article.
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2024/08/24 | Accepted: 2024/11/6 | Published: 2025/01/16
Received: 2024/08/24 | Accepted: 2024/11/6 | Published: 2025/01/16
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