The Relationship Between Defensive Pessimism, Goal Orientation, and Self-Esteem Among Nursing Students
Mohamed Hussein Ramadan Atta1,2, Esraa Elsayed Rushdan3, Nadia Waheed Elzohairy4
1Nursing Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Wadi Addawasir, Saudi Arabia.
Introduction:
Academic achievement in nursing students is significantly influenced by their self-esteem and goal orientation. Defensive pessimism, a strategy where students set low expectations to prepare for potential failure, helps them stay motivated and focused. While this cognitive strategy can boost effort and performance, its relationship with self-esteem and goal orientation remains underexplored among nursing students, revealing a gap in understanding how these factors interact to influence academic success.
Objective:
Assess the level and relationship between defensive pessimism, goal orientation, and self-esteem among nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing.
Method:
Four hundred students were included in the research using a stratified sampling method followed by a simple randomization sampling technique to select 100 students from each academic year. Tools: The Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire, the Goal Orientation Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale were used.
Results:
56.28% of participants had a low level of defensive pessimism, about two-thirds (62.30%) had a low level of goal orientation, and 70.0% of the students had a mild level of self-esteem. In addition, higher levels of defensive pessimism are significantly associated with stronger goal orientation (r = .291, p < .001) but lower self-esteem (r = -.246, p < .001). Additionally, self-esteem is significantly positively correlated with mastery-performance approach goals (r = .335, p < .001; r = .142, p < .001) and significantly negatively correlated with mastery-performance avoidance goals (r = -.351, p < .001; r = -.041, p < .001).
Conclusion:
These findings highlight the complex interplay between defensive pessimism, goal orientation, and self-esteem in nursing students. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing targeted interventions to enhance academic achievement and psychological well-being among nursing students, potentially by fostering adaptive goal-setting strategies and addressing the impacts of defensive pessimism on self-esteem.
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