The mediating role of academic satisfaction and examination-related stress in explaining the association between academic grit and university students’ subjective well-being

IntroductionSubjective well-being is increasingly recognized as crucial for the psychological adjustment and academic functioning of university students. Academic grit may represent an important resource for students’ well-being, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the role of academic satisfaction and examination-related stress in mediating the relationship between academic grit and subjective well-being.MethodsA convenience sample of 778 university students (age range: 19, 69, M-age = 27.9, SD-age = 9.9) participated in the study. The study included the following instruments: Academic Grit Scale, College Satisfaction Scale (C-Sat), Examination stress sub-scale of E-CEA, Well-being Profile (WB-Pro). Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) combining latent and observed variables and maximum likelihood estimation in LISREL.ResultsAcademic grit was directly and indirectly associated with subjective well-being through academic satisfaction and examination-related stress. Academic satisfaction emerged as the primary indirect pathway linking academic grit to subjective well-being, whereas examination-related stress played a smaller, although still significant, role. The overall model explained 48.5% of the variance in subjective well-being (R2 = 0.485).ConclusionAcademic grit may represent a relevant psychosocial resource for university students’ subjective well-being. Its association with well-being appears to be partly explained by higher academic satisfaction and lower examination-related stress. These findings suggest that university well-being interventions should consider both the promotion of positive academic experiences, and the management of examination demands.