This study investigates the relationships among defense styles, academic procrastination, psychological well-being, and approaches to learning. The questionnaires Defense Style Questionnaire-88, Procrastination Assessment Scale Questionnaire, Flourishing Scale, and HowULearn are used to measure the aforementioned variables, respectively. Social science students (N = 628) take part in the study. A hierarchical cluster analysis is used for clustering students into homogeneous groups. Three groups of students are identified: “psychologically stable and adaptive” (n = 285), “immature and unstable at risk” (n = 134), and “defensively dissonant” (n = 209) students. A decision tree model is used with the grade point average (GPA) score as an outcome variable to further examine interactions between the three clusters and the years of study on GPA. “Psychologically stable and adaptive” students report the highest GPA. Our findings bridge mental health variables with learning shedding light on our understanding of the use of defense styles when it comes to learning.

Introduction: Academic adjustment is a crucial factor in the success of undergraduates. Understanding the various factors that shape this process can help develop effective strategies to support students. Aim: This study investigates the role of motivation in predicting academic adjustment among undergraduates, incorporating procrastination as a key mediating factor. Method: We adopted a cross-sectional design. Undergraduates from various Greek universities ( N = 284; 63.4% female and 36.2% male students, M age = 21.2 years, and SD = 1.7) completed measures of academic motivation, academic procrastination, and academic adjustment. The students’ past performance and demographic information were also collected. Results: Findings from structural equation modeling analysis supported the proposed model. Intrinsic motivation predicted better academic adjustment directly and through reduced procrastination, while extrinsic motivation showed a less significant direct effect but still contributed to procrastination behaviors. Amotivation predicted higher levels of procrastination and poorer academic adjustment. Procrastination negatively affected academic adjustment. Conclusion: Promoting intrinsic motivation could significantly enhance academic adjustment by reducing procrastination behaviors. Additionally, addressing amotivation and its role in procrastination is crucial to improving academic outcomes. Therefore, interventions should focus on fostering intrinsic motivation and reducing procrastination to improve academic adjustment.

This study investigates the relationship among defense styles and learning through academic procrastination and psychological well-being. The sample comprises 628 social science students from a Greek university. Path analysis is used to explore associations and interactions among the variables. The results show that academic procrastination and psychological well-being mediate the relationship between defense styles and approaches to learning, indicating the expected direct and indirect effects. Defense styles are directly related to approaches to learning. Mature defense styles are associated with learning through psychological well-being in a positive way, and immature defense styles are associated with learning through academic procrastination in a negative way. This study supports the current line of research in associations between defense styles and learning and the importance of linking mental health variables with learning.

Introduction: This study investigates the impact of gender, age, first university choice, and place of residence on academic adaptation and performance. It further explores how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation mediate these relationships. Aim: The study assesses how personal characteristics influence academic adaptation and performance, specifically focusing on the mediating roles of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Methods: We employed two path analysis models to analyze the data and explore the relationships between the variables. The models specifically examined the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on academic adaptation and performance as well as how these effects vary based on gender, age, first university choice, and place of residence. Results: The analysis revealed that intrinsic motivation positively impacts academic adaptation and performance, especially among female students and those studying in their first-choice departments. Additionally, we found age to be a significant factor, with younger students demonstrating higher academic outcomes than their older counterparts.