A longitudinal study of 1st-year university student adjustment examined the
effects of academic self-efficacy and optimism on students' academic perfo
rmance, stress, health, and commitment to remain in school. Predictor varia
bles (high school grade-point average, academic self-efficacy, and optimism
) and moderator variables (academic expectations and self-perceived coping
ability) were measured at the end of the first academic quarter and were re
lated to classroom performance, personal adjustment, stress, and health, me
asured at the end of the school year. Academic self-efficacy and optimism w
ere strongly related to performance and adjustment, both directly on academ
ic performance and indirectly through expectations and coping perceptions (
challenge-threat evaluations) on classroom performance, stress, health, and
overall satisfaction and commitment to remain in school. Observed relation
ships corresponded closely to the hypothesized model.