Motivation, stress, and GPA
Keywords:
grade point average, academic motivation, financial stress, postsecondary academic performance, multiple linear regressionAbstract
Objective: This study examined the independent associations of academic motivation and financial stress with postsecondary GPA and tested whether motivation moderates the financial stress-GPA relationship. Methods: Using Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 data, base-year motivation was linked with third-follow-up financial stress and transcript-based GPA. A baseline regression included 6,568 students; an expanded model added socioeconomic status, parental education, sex, race/ethnicity, prior achievement, and the motivation by financial stress interaction. Results: The baseline model was significant, with motivation positively and financial stress negatively associated with GPA. Both associations held in the weighted expanded model (R² = .174) after adjusting for the covariates above, with prior achievement the strongest continuous predictor. Black participants had lower adjusted GPAs than White non-Hispanic participants. Conclusions: Motivation and financial stress were each independently related to GPA. Contrary to the hypothesized buffering effect, the financial stress-GPA relationship was slightly stronger, not weaker, at higher motivation, though the interaction was small and not robust to sensitivity analysis. Significance: These findings suggest motivation and financial stress are independently associated with GPA and may inform student support efforts. Future research should further examine the racial disparities identified here.
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