Happiness Predicts academic achievement: A Longitudinal Empirical Analysis of Subjective Well-Being and Academic Performance Among College Students
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study employed a longitudinal design involving 312 college students in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China, to examine the predictive relationship between subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive emotions, negative emotions) and academic achievement (GPA earned). Data were collected through two questionnaire surveys (one year apart). Results indicate that subjective well-being predicts academic achievement one year later. Specifically, life satisfaction and positive emotions exert significant predictive effects, while negative emotion shows no significant impact. Conversely, academic achievement did not significantly predict subjective well-being one year later. The study confirms that happiness is a positive predictor of academic achievement, rather than academic achievement influencing happiness. However, the explained variance is small (3-4%), indicating that other factors play a more substantial role. Further analysis indicates that positive emotions exert long-term effects on academic achievement by broadening cognitive and behavioral patterns and enhancing stress resilience. Life satisfaction indirectly promotes academic achievement by increasing learning engagement and autonomy. The study suggests that higher education should prioritize happiness education, enhancing student academic achievement through value transformation and well-being training. Limitations include regional sample concentration, uncontrolled socioeconomic variables, and the need for larger, more diverse samples in future research.
Source: New Horizon of Education
DOI: 10.63944/gwd.nhe
Authors: Yundong Wu, Li Jintao, Weijian Kong, Ruofan Lin
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4414415940