PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: INVESTIGATING PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE AS A MODERATING FACTOR
Keywords:
perceived discrimination, academic performance, psychological resilience, stress, coping strategies, student well-beingAbstract
Perceived discrimination has been identified as one of the most pervasive psychological stressors influencing students’ academic engagement and success in higher education. This study examines how experiences of perceived discrimination affect academic performance and explores the moderating role of psychological resilience as a potential buffer against its negative consequences. Data were collected from 250 university students across three institutions through standardized questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Statistical analyses revealed that perceived discrimination significantly predicted lower academic performance, while psychological resilience moderated this relationship by reducing its negative impact. Qualitative findings further illustrated that resilient students employed adaptive coping mechanisms, such as cognitive reframing, self-efficacy enhancement, and seeking social support, to sustain their motivation and academic achievement despite facing discrimination. The study concludes that fostering resilience within academic environments is a powerful approach to promoting equity and psychological well-being among students exposed to discriminatory experiences.
References
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. T. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18(2), 76–82.
Eccles, J. S., & Wong, C. A. (2020). Educational pathways and perceived discrimination: A developmental perspective. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2, 203–229.
Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2020). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 91(3), 747–765.
Masten, A. S. (2018). Resilience theory and research on children and families: Past, present, and promise. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(1), 12–31.
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797–811.






Azerbaijan
Türkiye
Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan
Turkmenistan
Kyrgyzstan
Republic of Korea
Japan
India
United States of America
Kosovo