Abstract

In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between eight socio-emotional constructs (empathy, global self-concept, happiness, prosocial behavior, optimism, anxiety, depression, and academic motivation) and academic achievement in a diverse sample of 583 high school students in order to see which ones are most useful in predicting academic achievement. We also examined the associations separately for African American and European American students, as these groups had substantial numbers of students. Results indicated that optimism, anxiety, and motivation were statistically and significant predictors of achievement, with motivation contributing the most variance. Both groups had similar results, but African Americans had five meaningful predictors of achievement while European Americans had three. The findings suggest that these constructs may be useful in helping to improve academic performance in students.

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