Academic buoyancy and psychological risk: Exploring reciprocal relationships

•Cross-lagged SEM examined prior academic buoyancy predicting psychological risk.•Cross-lagged SEM also examined prior psychological risk predicting academic buoyancy.•Analyses confirmed a reciprocal effects model.•Psychological risk impacts academic buoyancy and academic buoyancy impacts psychological risk.

Based on hypothesized reciprocal relations between psychological risk and academic buoyancy (dealing with ‘everyday’ academic setback in the ordinary course of school life), the present study used cross-lagged structural equation models to examine the relative salience of (1) prior academic buoyancy in predicting subsequent psychological risk and (2) prior psychological risk in predicting subsequent academic buoyancy. Academic buoyancy and psychological risk (academic anxiety, failure avoidance, uncertain control, emotional instability, neuroticism) measures were administered to 2971 students (11–19 years) from 21 Australian high schools at two time waves across a one-year interval. Analyses confirmed a reciprocal effects model in which psychological risk impacts academic buoyancy and academic buoyancy impacts psychological risk. The findings hold applied and conceptual implications for practitioners and researchers seeking to help students deal more effectively with adversity in school life.