Trait Mindfulness Supports Self-perceived Scholastic Competence in Adolescent Girls

Identity development is a core task of adolescence. Self-perceptions of scholastic competence are tied to the academic domain of identity development and have immediate consequences for educational attainment. Understanding the malleability of self-perceptions of scholastic competence, and the factors which may influence its developmental course, are crucial for efforts to improve educational outcomes. This preregistered longitudinal study describes how self-perceived scholastic competence changes across early adolescence, relates to trait mindfulness, and is impacted by school transitions. We investigated these questions in 174 adolescent girls (10-16 years), who each contributed up to three waves of data, using multilevel modeling. Our results demonstrated that prior levels of self-reported mindfulness and school transitions are positively related to self-perceived scholastic competence, whereas age is not.