Effects of Maladaptive Interpersonal Schemas on College Students' Performance

Post-secondary education has seen a rise in students affected by mental health problems. Research has shown that college students experiencing mental health problems also see a decrease in academic performance and college satisfaction (Eisenberg et al., 2007). Previous research studies have supported a connection between high mental health issues and high maladaptive interpersonal schemas--negative representations of an individual's prior experiences that influence current perceptions--which represents a possible connection between maladaptive interpersonal schemas and college students' performance (Wright, et al, 2009). The internalization of maladaptive interpersonal schemas (MIS) has been shown to positively correlate with psychological distress, and therefore, measuring MIS is a useful approach to understanding current issues that students might be facing. The purpose of our study is to find a relationship between MIS and college performance which would determine whether MIS are prominent issues among college students. We hypothesize that college students with high MIS will have low academic performance and college satisfaction. We are currently finalizing data collection; we have over 200 completed participants and are moving into data analysis of college student's performance and MIS scores at this time. If results are found to be significant, we can further research how to advise college students with high MIS in finding tools to achieve academically and mentally. If our study identifies these schemas as a prominent issue, the next step would be to research why college students experience high MIS, and how students can develop more positive schemas to improve their academic performance and college satisfaction.