Psychological topics, Vol. 15 No. 1, 2006.
Original scientific paper
Coping with School Failure: How Important are Emotional Competence, Personality and Learning Goal Orientation?
Ingrid Brdar
Sanja Bakarčić
Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between coping with school failure, emotional competence, personality, goal orientation, school achievement, and cognitive stress appraisals. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) emotion-focused
coping can be best predicted from personality variables and emotional competence; 2) problem-focused coping can be best predicted from age, school achievement and motivation.
534 high school students (294 females and 240 males), aged 14 to 19 years, participated in this study. Results showed that six groups of predictors (age and gender, personality traits, emotional competence, goal orientation, school achievement, and cognitive stress appraisal) explained 44% of emotion-focused coping variance, with personality traits being best predictor group. The same predictor groups explained 41% of problem-focused coping variance, with age and gender being best predictor group.
The results have confirmed both hypotheses. Personality variables and emotional competence explained 35% of emotion-focused coping variance (compared to 9% of problem-focused coping variance). Age, school achievement and motivation explained 21% of problem-focused coping variance (compared to 8% of emotion-focused variance).
Keywords
coping strategies; emotional competence; goal orientation; optimism; neuroticism
Hrčak ID:
11835
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2006.
Visits: 13.076 *