Cognitive and Affective Determinants of Academic Success Among Female Freshmen in a Society Emerging from Patriarchy
S. Aamir, M. Pilotti, M. Bo JulaiaIntroduction
Student populations from the Global South, particularly female students from societies transitioning away from patriarchal norms, remain underrepresented in mental health research. In such contexts, first-year university women face unique cognitive and emotional demands as they navigate new academic challenges while countering persistent gender stereotypes. Understanding how these factors interact is vital for informing culturally sensitive mental health support.
Objectives
This study aimed to examine how cognitive difficulties (e.g., self-reported memory lapses), affective factors (e.g., anxiety), and personal strengths (e.g., self-efficacy and prior achievement) relate to first-year academic success among Saudi female freshmen. It further explored whether these relationships differ between students enrolled in male-dominated STEM fields and non-STEM programs.
Methods
A purposive sample of 1,141 Saudi female freshmen (STEM: n=482; non-STEM: n=659) enrolled at an English-medium university participated (97% response rate). Emotional difficulties were measured using the GAD-7; cognitive challenges via the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ); self-efficacy through the General Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (GASE); and prior achievement with high school GPA. First-year GPA indexed academic performance. ANOVA and linear regression analyses tested group differences and predictors of GPA. Ethical approval was obtained from the institution’s Deanship of Research (PMU-DoR-2023-2024-17).
Results
Non-STEM students reported significantly higher anxiety levels (M=11.75 vs. 10.53;
p
<.001), more prospective memory lapses (
p
=.034), and lower high-school GPAs (
p
=.001) than STEM peers, but no difference emerged in first-year GPA. Regression analyses showed that for non-STEM students, higher memory lapses and lower self-efficacy predicted lower first-year GPA. For STEM students, greater anxiety related to school issues and more memory lapses predicted lower GPA. Notably, anxiety in non-STEM students did not significantly impact their academic attainment, suggesting possible compensatory mechanisms via self-efficacy.
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