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Published
2026-06-18
Section
Feature Articles
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Copyright (c) 2026 Johanna Sweet, Alice Obenchain-Leeson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright of all articles published in JCOTR belong to the author(s) and are published under a CC BY-NC license.
How to Cite
Academic Psychological Capital: College Retention, GPA, Demographic and Student Groups
Johanna Sweet
Roanoke College
Alice Obenchain-Leeson
Roanoke College
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jcotr.v1i33.6864
Keywords: Academic Psychological Capital, PsyCap, student retention, GPA, student groups, demographics, student success
Abstract
This study aims to further explore the relationship between Academic Psychological Capital (PsyCap), GPA and retention, while also examining how Academic PsyCap differentiates among demographic and student groups. This research is significant as it examines six years of incoming college freshmen with a response rate of 76% (n=2379) and explores Academic PsyCap with demographic and student groups that have not yet been discussed in the academic setting. The results support that Academic PsyCap has a positive significant relationship with GPA and retention, and identified student groups with overall higher Academic PsyCap scores (honor students and student athletes) and groups with overall lower Academic PsyCap scores (female, minorities, and LGBTQ+). As liberal arts colleges and other educational institutions struggle with financial, recruitment, and transition challenges, Academic PsyCap could be one underexplored tool to aid in retention efforts (Sweet & Swayze, 2023). With relationships between Academic PsyCap with GPA and retention, incorporating Academic PsyCap developmental initiatives (hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience) into orientation and core curricula benefits both the student’s educational outcomes and the long-term strategic goals of the institution.
