Multidimensionality vs. unitary of academic hardiness: An under explored issue…?

The purpose of the study was to examine the hypothesis that academic hardiness may be represented as a multi-dimensional trait with separate measures for commitment, control and challenge. The “Revised Academic Hardiness Scale” and the “Undergraduates Stressors Questionnaire” were distributed to 850 undergraduates attending a Social Science Department. The study suggests that academic hardiness researchers should examine the components-academic hardiness attitudes (commitment, control and challenge) separately. Results also reveal commitments' differentiation from control and challenge. Control and challenge seem to reduce the detrimental effects of the stressors, while commitment seems to comprise with the stressors as a unified entity. The findings are discussed in the context of the recent literature.