Perceived social support and academic achievement in Argentinean college students

DE LA IGLESIA, GUADALUPE; STOVER, JULIANA BEATRIZ; FERNÁNDEZ LIPORACE, MERCEDES

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Leibniz-Institute for Psychology Information

Lugar: Trier; Año: 2014 vol. 10 p. 636 - 649

1841-0413

Abstract Thisresearchaimedatdescribingperceivedsocialsupportanditsrelationtoacademicachievementinasampleof760Argentineancollege students.Perceptionofsocialsupportwasassessedintermsoffourpossiblesources:parents,teachers,classmates,and boyfriend/girlfriend or best friend. Academic achievement was measured using three different indicators: the rate of passed, failed and dropped classes in the time since the academic career was initiated. The main hypothesis posed was that a higher perception of social support would be related to a better academic achievement (a bigger rate of passed classes, and a smaller rate of failed and dropped classes). Findings showed that womenperceivedsignificantlymoresupportthanmenfromallsources,exceptfromteachers.Bothmalesandfemalesperceivedmoresupport from best friends or boyfriends/girlfriends, and identified teachers as the less supportive source. A higher perception of social support was associated with better academic achievement but only for females. Limitations of the study and implications for the set in motion of different interventions in the academic field, which could be specific to certain type of students, are discussed.Keywords: perceived social support, academic achievement, college students, buffering model