Thesis Title: Optimism, Perceived Stress and Academic Performance of Newly Inducted Students
Student Name: Noureen Naseer
Supervisor: Afsheen Masood, PhD
Degree: MSc
Year: 2016-2018
Department: Institute of Applied Psychology
University: Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Corresponding Address: Department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: chairperson@appsy.pu.edu.pk, Phone: 92-42-9231245
Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate relationship between optimism, perceived stress and academic performance of newly inducted students in MSc program. It was hypothesized that optimism and perceived stress would be associated with academic performance of newly inducted students. Cross sectional research design was employed. The sample comprised of 150 students (n = 75 men, n = 75 women) taken from different departments of University of the Punjab, Lahore, within age ranges of 21-27 years. Life Orientation Test-Revised (Scheier & Carver, 1992), Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), and Percentage of first semester marks were used to measure optimism, perceived stress and academic performance of newly inducted students. Pearson product moment correlation revealed that optimism had significant and positive relationship with academic performance, whereas perceived stress had significant and negative relationship with academic performance. Further, simple linear regression revealed that optimism significantly and positively predicted academic performance. Moreover, perceived stress also significantly predicted academic performance. The gender differences were found non-significant in this study. It is important that students should be educated to manage stress effectively otherwise it can adversely influence their academic performance.
Keywords: Optimism, perceived stress, academic performance, newly inducted students.
