Examining the Effects of Academic Stress, Self-Efficacy, Cognitive–Behavioral Outcomes, Psychological Distress, and Prosocial Behavior: A Moderated-Mediation Model

Abstract

Background: Academic stress significantly affects students’ well-being and academic performance. This study addresses this gap by exploring how academic self-efficacy mediates the relationship between academic stress and both educational and psychological distress while considering cognitive and prosocial behaviors. Methods: This study surveyed 412 participants (mean age 22–25 years; 55.1% male, 44.9% female). Descriptive analysis and regression found factors that predict prosocial behavior, and a moderated-mediation model looked at how academic self-efficacy affects the link between academic stress and prosocial behavior, with psychological distress and cognitive behavior acting as middle factors. Results: The mean academic stress score was 3.42 (SD = 0.81), and the mean academic self-efficacy score was 3.91 (SD = 0.65). Academic stress was negatively correlated with both academic self-efficacy (r = −0.36, p < 0.01) and prosocial behavior (r = −0.29, p < 0.01). Academic self-efficacy positively predicted prosocial behavior (b = 0.35, p = 0.001), while academic stress negatively predicted it (b = −0.18, p = 0.011). Moderated-mediation analysis revealed that academic self-efficacy moderated the relationship between academic stress and prosocial behavior (b = −0.19, p = 0.001). The model explained 60% of the variance in prosocial behavior (R2 = 0.60, p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study found that academic stress negatively affects prosocial behavior, while academic self-efficacy positively predicts it. Self-efficacy also moderated the impact of stress, suggesting its protective role. The model explained a significant portion of the variance in prosocial behavior, highlighting the importance of enhancing self-efficacy to mitigate academic stress.