The Structure of Psychosocial Factors in Academic Success: A Gaussian Graphical Model Approach

Past research identified various psychosocial indicators of college students' academic success. Using the affordance ecology framework, the present study explored the complex relations among different psychosocial indicators with a Bayesian Gaussian Graphical Model approach. Specifically, this study aims to uncover the general patterns of the psychosocial indicators, central variables, and the network centrality indices (network betweenness, closeness, and strength). The final sample consisted of 997 college students. Results showed that after accounting for the complex covariances of all indicators, sense of belonging, having the highest strength, was one of the most central factors in the network of psychosocial indicators and demonstrated a strong direct link to the rest of the psychosocial indicators. Variables relating to the family background and socioeconomic status, including perceived parental support, perceived family social status, and perceived personal financial situation, demonstrated high betweenness and closeness in the network. Implications for higher education research on the psychosocial experiences of students were discussed.