The Role of Mental Wellbeing, Social Support, and Social Comparison in Predicting Achievement Goals in University Students
Creators: name: Bhangoo, Jazmin Kaur
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024

description: Research indicates that achievement goals, notably approach goals, have many beneficial achievement-related outcomes. In order to facilitate student achievement in higher education, we must understand how to promote it. This thesis aimed to explore the role of mental wellbeing, social support, and social comparison in predicting approach goals in undergraduates through four empirical studies. Study 1 used a longitudinal design to examine the role of mental wellbeing in predicting approach goals (mastery-approach and performance-approach goals) in a psychology undergraduate sample (n ≈ 300) at Time 1 (baseline), Time 2 (lockdown), and Time 3 (post-lockdown). The findings demonstrated that mental wellbeing predicted mastery-approach goals from baseline (T1) to lockdown (T2) and performance-approach goals from baseline (T1) to lockdown (T2) and lockdown (T2) to post-lockdown (T3). Study 2 used cross-sectional and longitudinal components to investigate the role of social support (friend and university support) in predicting approach goals (mastery-approach and performance-approach goals) in a psychology undergraduate sample (n = 307) at Time 2 (lockdown) and Time 3 (post-lockdown). This study found associations between higher university support at Time 2 (lockdown) with higher mastery-approach goals at Time 2 (lockdown); between higher university support at Time 2 (lockdown) and higher performance-approach goals at Time 2 (lockdown) and between higher university support at Time 2 (lockdown) and higher mastery-approach goals at Time 3 (post-lockdown). Study 3 used an experimental design to compare the impact of social comparison information (negative or positive) in promoting mental wellbeing and adoption of approach goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, task-approach, and self-approach goals) in a psychology undergraduate sample (n = 217, adherent participants). This study showed that exposure to negative social comparison information resulted in a reduction in mastery-approach goals, whereas no change was found following positive social comparison. Finally, Study 4 used a qualitative design with a think-aloud protocol to explore how psychology undergraduates (n = 17) make sense of assessment marks in the context of social comparison information. This study found that social comparison information led participants to describe a range of emotional reactions, different types of social support they would draw upon, and self-preservation strategies they would adopt to reassure themselves. Overall, the results from this thesis suggest that mental wellbeing and social support (university support) are positive predictors of mastery-approach and performance-approach goals, while negative social comparison information results in a reduction in mastery-approach goals. In addition, showed how different types of social comparison information can lead to different emotional reactions, how social support can be utilised, and the ways in which self-preservation strategies can lead to changes in motivation.