Psychological Resilience as a Mediator in the Effect of Subjective Vitality on Test Anxiety Among Student-Athletes

This study investigates the mediating role of psychological resilience in the effect of subjective vitality on test anxiety among university student-athletes. Student-athletes often face increased psychological pressure due to academic responsibilities and intensive training schedules, which can heighten test anxiety and hinder both academic and athletic performance. Subjective vitality, grounded in self-determination theory, refers to individuals’ sense of energy and aliveness, whereas psychological resilience represents the capacity to adapt to stress and recover from adversity. Both constructs are recognized as protective factors within educational and sport psychology. The research employed a relational screening model with a causal-comparative framework. The sample consisted of 223 student-athletes enrolled in the Faculties of Sport Sciences at universities across Türkiye. Participants voluntarily completed standardized instruments assessing subjective vitality, psychological resilience, and test anxiety. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Atatürk University. Data analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 27, AMOS, and the PROCESS Macro with 5.000 bootstrap resamples to test the proposed mediation model. Findings showed that subjective vitality significantly predicted higher psychological resilience, while resilience had a significant negative effect on test anxiety. Although subjective vitality did not directly predict test anxiety, mediation analysis demonstrated that psychological resilience indirectly reduced its impact. Individuals with greater vitality displayed stronger resilience, contributing to lower levels of test anxiety. These results highlight the central role of psychological resilience in reducing test anxiety among student-athletes. The study enriches current understanding and recommends integrating resilience-based interventions into student support programs. Future research should employ further longitudinal designs.