(PS7-D79) Examining the Moderating Effect of Acceptance Between Perceived Stress and Adaptation to College

Students’ ability to adapt to their college environment has been shown to be negatively impacted by their levels of perceived stress (Chemers et al., 2011; Pancer et al., 2000; Wintre & Yaffe, 2000). Acceptance, which is the tendency to be receptive to one’s thoughts and emotions, has been found to be particularly beneficial in the context of heightened stress (Feldman et al., 2016; Feldner et al., 2003; Ford et al., 2017). Research supports the paradoxical notion that acceptance of stress and negative experiences is associated with lower negative affect and greater mental health (Ciesla et al., 2012; Masedo & Esteve, 2007; Simons & Gaher, 2005). Few studies have examined the interaction between stress and acceptance to predict outcomes (Shallcross et al., 2010). Additionally, no studies exist examining this interaction in the context of first year college students matriculating during a global health crisis.

The current study examined the moderating effect of acceptance on the negative relationship between perceived stress and students’ adjustment to college. Specifically, it was hypothesized that acceptance would moderate the relationship between perceived stress and adjustment to college while controlling for household income, campus involvement, and high school GPA. Over the course of one semester, 198 first year, first-semester students were recruited and consented to participate in the study (67% female; 56% White, 16% Black or African American, 10% Asian/Asian American, 2% American Indian/Alaska Native, and 16% identified as more than one race; 13% identified their ethnicity as Hispanic/Latino). Students completed a demographic questionnaire, the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (Cardaciotto et al., 2008), the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1988), and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker & Siryk, 1989).

The results indicated that perceived stress (β = -.17, p < .05), acceptance (β = .41, p < .001), and high school GPA (β = .21, p < .001), significantly predicted student adjustment. The moderation model was not significant, R² =.35, F (1,183) = .38, p > .001, likely due to inadequate power for testing the interaction. However, visual inspection of the graphed interaction demonstrated a mild buffering effect on the relationship between perceived stress and adjustment to college model has important implications for interventions designed to improve students’ responses to stress encountered in college. Finally, the present study adds a unique contribution to this area of study, as this model was examined in a racially diverse sample of first-year students entering college during the COVID-19 pandemic.