Page No :431-441
Gopika K Govind and Maxim Pereira
Sampurna Montfort College, Bangalore
The aim of the study was to determine whether there is a relationship between Defensive
Pessimism and Academic Stress Among College Students. the research aims to explore
how negative thinking about the future can influence/ impact the students’ academic
experiences and stress levels. A quantitative correlational design was employed; the
data collected from 106 postgraduate students in Ernakulam and Bangalore using
standardized questionnaires—the Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire and Academic
Stress Scale.Results revealed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.292, p < 0.01)
between defensive pessimism and academic stress, indicating that students with higher
levels of defensive pessimism experience more academic stress. Linear Regression
analysis further showed that defensive pessimism significantly predicts 8.5% of the
variance in academic stress. These findings suggest that while defensive pessimism
may function as a coping mechanism, it can also increase stress in academic contexts.
Limitations include a small, convenience-based sample, time constraints, self-report
measures.