Optimism as a Mediator of the Relationship between Adolescents’ Stress and Intelligence: Using the K-WISC-V

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The current study focuses on adolescent intelligence and its relationship with stress and optimism. We aim to examine the mediating role of optimism in the association between stress and intelligence. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 665 South Korean adolescents aged 12-16 years (M = 14.3; SD = 1.4; 47.4% female). Intelligence was assessed by K-WISC-V subtests, and we derived Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) and five primary index scores (e.g., VCI, VSI, FRI, WMI, PSI) for analyses. Stress and optimism were also measured by self-report questionnaires. Through correlation and mediation analysis, we attained the following results. Stress did not significantly predict intelligence in general, while optimism positively predicted intelligence. Also, optimism mediated the association between stress and FSIQ and the association between stress and primary index scores except for PSI, after controlling for sex and region. The current study is the first empirical attempt to clarify the pathway from stress to intelligence among adolescents by revealing that stress indirectly affects intelligence through optimism. In this way, we provide direction for further discussions on how to protect and enhance adolescent intelligence.

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