Optimism and Proactive Habits: Predicting Academic Resilience and Achievement

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between optimism, proactive habits, and academic resilience and achievement among university students. Grounded in the positive psychology framework, it conceptualizes resilience as a mediating mechanism linking personal dispositions to academic performance outcomes. Data were collected from 70 valid respondents through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling SmartPLS 4.0. The results reveal that both optimism and proactive habits significantly enhance academic resilience, which subsequently exerts a positive influence on academic achievement. However, their direct effects on achievement were not statistically significant, indicating that resilience functions as a psychological bridge that converts positive personality traits into improved academic performance. Theoretically, this study enriches the understanding of noncognitive predictors of academic success by integrating emotional and behavioral dimensions into a unified framework. Practically, the findings emphasize the importance of educational programs that promote positive thinking, adaptive coping, and self-regulation among students. Interventions such as cognitive-behavioral training, mentorship schemes, and resilience-based workshops can strengthen learners persistence in academically demanding contexts. Overall, this study contributes to educational psychology by providing empirical support for the mediating role of resilience, highlighting the value of psychological adaptability in sustaining achievement and well-being in higher education.