Academic Expectation Stress, Psychological Capital, Humour Style and Student Wellbeing

A well established and accepted inevitability has emerged that students are vulnerable to stress throughout their academic journey, negatively influencing their psychological wellbeing. The current study explored the relationship between academic expectation stress and psychological wellbeing in 212 undergraduate students (44 males and 168 females) age ranging between 18-41 years old. Psychological capital and humour use were also explored to identify the potential mediating roles played by these variables within the academic expectation stress and wellbeing relationship. Findings demonstrated support for psychological capital and humour styles in mediating the relationship between academic expectation stress and student wellbeing. Relationships between these variables previously received little research attention, therefore this study sheds light on the potential stress buffering effect which could inform future interventions in a bid to aid coping and improve wellbeing in students.