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Understanding How Intelligence and Academic Underachievement Relate to Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents with and
Alicia Neumann1, Ricarda Steinmayr2, Marcus Roth1
1Department of Psychology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany.
Journal of Intelligence
|September 26, 2025
Summary
Students with a migration background reported higher life satisfaction. Underachievement negatively impacts well-being for this group, unlike their peers without a migration background.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
- Student Well-being
Background:
- Student well-being is influenced by intelligence, academic achievement, and underachievement.
- Existing research on these factors is limited and yields inconsistent results.
- The role of migration background in these associations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between intelligence, academic achievement, and life satisfaction in adolescents.
- To differentiate these associations based on whether students have a migration background.
- To investigate the impact of underachievement on well-being across different student groups.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 695 fifteen-year-old students in Germany participated.
- Data included intelligence (IQ) and academic achievement (grade point average).
- Statistical analyses, including segmented regression, were used to assess associations.
Main Results:
- Students with a migration background reported higher life satisfaction than those without.
- Intelligence was not associated with life satisfaction in any group.
- Academic achievement positively correlated with life satisfaction for students without a migration background, but not for those with one.
- Underachievement was linked to lower life satisfaction specifically among students with a migration background.
Conclusions:
- Findings challenge previous assumptions about the uniform impact of academic performance on student well-being.
- Underachievement poses a particular risk to the life satisfaction of students with a migration background.
- Educational policies should consider targeted interventions promoting academic skills, emotional support, and social integration for this group.
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