Self-Compassion As A Mediator Of Grit And Academic Anxiety

Rugianni Skye  Budayao; Iramhel Talon; Sheryll Ann  Castillo

Authors

Skye Adventist University of the Philippines
Iramhel Talon Adventist University of the Philippines
Dr. She Adventist University of the Philippines

Keywords:

Grit, Self-Compassion, Academic Anxiety

Abstract

Academic anxiety is a widespread issue for students. While previous studies have explored how external factors like schools can help, less is known about how personal qualities might influence this anxiety. This research examines how self-compassion may mediate the impact of grit on academic anxiety among college students from religious institutions. To assess grit, self-compassion, and academic anxiety, three established questionnaires were used: the Grit Scale (GS), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and the Academic Anxiety Scale (AAS). Online surveys were completed by 306 selected students from three faith-based colleges. While self-compassion did not directly influence how grit (β= -0.018; p=0.570) affected academic anxiety, it did partially mediate the relationship between grit and anxiety (β= -0.097; p=0.050). This suggests that having self-compassion can indirectly help reduce anxiety, especially when combined with grit. Overall, the study found that personal qualities such as grit and self-compassion can significantly and directly lower academic anxiety. This study investigates the role of self-compassion in mediating the relationship between grit and academic anxiety, revealing that self-compassion plays a crucial role in influencing these other factors and indirectly reducing academic anxiety. This study offers valuable insights for educational psychologists, students, teachers, psychologists, and future researchers.

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