{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T09:20:13Z","timestamp":1787649613366,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787616000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ.","EJIHPE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Academic performance does not depend solely on cognitive abilities, but also depends on socioemotional processes. Emotional experiences may be associated with school performance; however, their effects are often inconsistent, suggesting the need to examine mediating mechanisms such as self-esteem and developmental conditions such as age. Objective: We aimed to analyze the association between positive and negative emotional experiences and academic performance in school students, assessing the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating effect of age. Methods: A cross-sectional explanatory study was conducted with 325 students from Lima, Peru (149 boys and 176 girls). Emotional experiences were assessed using the PANAS-N, self-esteem with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and academic performance with final grades in Communication and Mathematics. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), with bootstrapping based on 10,000 subsamples. Results: Positive emotional experiences were positively associated with self-esteem (\u03b2 = 0.434, p &lt; 0.001) and academic performance (\u03b2 = 0.272, p &lt; 0.001). Negative emotional experiences were negatively associated with self-esteem (\u03b2 = \u22120.489, p &lt; 0.001) but showed no significant direct association with academic performance (\u03b2 = \u22120.005, p &gt; 0.05). Self-esteem was positively associated with academic performance (\u03b2 = 0.114, p = 0.043). The model explained 40.8% of the variance in self-esteem and 11.3% of the variance in academic performance. Age moderated only the association between negative emotional experiences and self-esteem (\u0394\u03b2 = 0.183, p = 0.035). Conclusions: Self-esteem plays a significant mediating role in the association between emotional experiences and academic performance, and this effect is especially relevant during adolescence. The findings suggest that self-worth constitutes a key psychological process for understanding how emotional experiences are linked to school performance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ejihpe16090123","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T08:00:48Z","timestamp":1787644848000},"page":"123","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Self-Esteem as a Mediating Mechanism in the Association Between Emotional Experiences and Academic Performance in School Students: The Moderating Role of Age"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Roxana","family":"Bernal-Rojas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate School, Universidad Peruana Uni\u00f3n, Lima 15102, Peru"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Quispe-Sanca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate School, Universidad Peruana Uni\u00f3n, Lima 15102, Peru"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1177-6088","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gutember","family":"Peralta-Eugenio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela Profesional de Psicolog\u00eda, Universidad C\u00e9sar Vallejo, Chimbote 02710, Peru"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1208-9121","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wilter C.","family":"Morales-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Teolog\u00eda, Universidad Peruana Uni\u00f3n, Lima 15102, Peru"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liset Z.","family":"Sairitupa-Sanchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela Profesional de Psicolog\u00eda, Universidad Se\u00f1or de Sip\u00e1n, Chiclayo 14001, Peru"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Acosta-Rom\u00e1n, M., Salda\u00f1a-Chafloque, C. F., Torres-Huaman\u00ed, J., \u00c1lvarez Reyes, J. C., Vasquez-Salazar, A. G., and Garcia-Curo, G. (2024). La autoestima y rendimiento acad\u00e9mico en estudiantes universitarios de una regi\u00f3n pobre del Per\u00fa. Contextos Educativos. Revista de Educaci\u00f3n, 131\u2013148.","DOI":"10.18172\/con.5985"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"29","article-title":"An\u00e1lisis de la dimensionalidad de la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg en una muestra de adolescentes valencianos","volume":"22","author":"Atienza","year":"2000","journal-title":"Revista de Psicolog\u00eda Universitas Tarraconensis"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21582440231181432","DOI":"10.1177\/21582440231181432","article-title":"Strategic flexibility and organizational performance: Mediating role of innovation","volume":"13","author":"Awais","year":"2023","journal-title":"SAGE Open"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bandalos, D. L., and Finney, S. J. (2018). Factor analysis: Exploratory and confirmatory. The Reviewer\u2019s guide to quantitative methods in the social sciences, Routledge. [2nd ed.].","DOI":"10.4324\/9781315755649-8"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carroza-Pacheco, A. M., Le\u00f3n-del-Barco, B., and Bringas Molleda, C. (2025). Academic performance and resilience in secondary education students. Journal of Intelligence, 13, (5).","DOI":"10.3390\/jintelligence13050056"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-010814-015156","article-title":"Beyond simple models of self-control to circuit-based accounts of adolescent behavior","volume":"66","author":"Casey","year":"2015","journal-title":"Annual Review of Psychology"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101196","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssaho.2024.101196","article-title":"Optimism and perseverance: Examining interrelations with test anxiety and academic achievement","volume":"10","author":"Chue","year":"2024","journal-title":"Social Sciences and Humanities Open"},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Curr\u00edculo Nacional de La Educaci\u00f3n B\u00e1sica, Ministerio de Educaci\u00f3n (2026, April 05). Available online: https:\/\/www.minedu.gob.pe\/curriculo\/pdf\/curriculo-nacional-de-la-educacion-basica.pdf."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114581","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2024.114581","article-title":"Measurement invariance testing in partial least squares structural equation modeling","volume":"177","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Business Research"},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"29","article-title":"A validation study of the state self-esteem scale-20 (SSES-20) and the state self-esteem scale-6 (SSES-6) in a Spanish-speaking sample","volume":"41","author":"Molinari","year":"2025","journal-title":"Anales de Psicologia"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1002\/pits.23029","article-title":"Bullying and victimization in schools: Causal relationship between adolescent disruptive behavior, sleep schedules, and extended school hours","volume":"61","author":"Figueiredo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychology in the Schools"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3192","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2015.12.008","article-title":"Common methods variance detection in business research","volume":"69","author":"Fuller","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Business Research"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"783","DOI":"10.2147\/PRBM.S450195","article-title":"The effect of bullying victimization on adolescent non-suicidal self-injury: The mediating roles of alexithymia and self-esteem","volume":"17","author":"Guo","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychology Research and Behavior Management"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.2753\/MTP1069-6679190202","article-title":"PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet","volume":"19","author":"Hair","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lrp.2013.01.001","article-title":"Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications, better results and higher acceptance","volume":"46","author":"Hair","year":"2013","journal-title":"Long Range Planning"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Castillo Apraiz, J., Cepeda Carri\u00f3n, G. A., and Rold\u00e1n, J. L. (2019). Manual de partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), OmniaScience. [2nd ed.].","DOI":"10.3926\/oss.37"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1007\/s11747-014-0403-8","article-title":"A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling","volume":"43","author":"Henseler","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tourman.2017.03.026","article-title":"Large sample size, significance level, and the effect size: Solutions to perils of using big data for academic research","volume":"62","author":"Khalilzadeh","year":"2017","journal-title":"Tourism Management"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed., Number 5), Guilford Press."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Lazarus, R. S., and Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping, Springer Publishing Company."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Le\u00f3n Garc\u00eda, D. C. (2024). La autoestima en los adolescentes de centros educativos: Revisi\u00f3n te\u00f3rica. Aula Virtual, 12, (5), Available online: https:\/\/ve.scielo.org\/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2665-03982024000203001."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, H., Li, J., Feng, X., Liang, R., Qi, Y., and Zhang, J. (2025). Relationship between sense of coherence and professional identity in nursing students: The chain mediating effect of academic emotion and self-esteem. BMC Nursing, 24, (1).","DOI":"10.1186\/s12912-025-03174-x"},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Minedu (2016). Programa curricular de educaci\u00f3n b\u00e1sica secundaria, Ministerio de Educacion."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100482","DOI":"10.1016\/j.edurev.2022.100482","article-title":"A research synthesis of the impacts of successful educational actions on student outcomes","volume":"37","year":"2022","journal-title":"Educational Research Review"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1587","DOI":"10.37811\/cl_rcm.v9i1.15921","article-title":"La autoestima y su influencia en el rendimiento acad\u00e9mico de los estudiantes de cuarto a\u00f1o de educaci\u00f3n b\u00e1sica","volume":"9","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ciencia Latina Revista Cient\u00edfica Multidisciplinar"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2496449","DOI":"10.1080\/02673843.2025.2496449","article-title":"Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students","volume":"30","author":"Newar","year":"2025","journal-title":"International Journal of Adolescence and Youth"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1849","DOI":"10.1108\/IMDS-07-2015-0302","article-title":"Mediation analysis in partial least squares path modelling, Helping researchers discuss more sophisticated models","volume":"116","author":"Nitzl","year":"2016","journal-title":"Industrial Management and Data Systems"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"381","DOI":"10.1177\/0963721414547414","article-title":"The development of self-esteem","volume":"23","author":"Orth","year":"2014","journal-title":"Current Directions in Psychological Science"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.4067\/S0717-95022017000100037","article-title":"T\u00e9cnicas de muestreo sobre una poblaci\u00f3n a estudio","volume":"35","author":"Otzen","year":"2017","journal-title":"International Journal of Morphology"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.21615\/cesp.6974","article-title":"Estudio psicom\u00e9trico de la escala de afecto positivo y negativo para ni\u00f1os y adolescentes (PANAS-N) en poblaci\u00f3n mexicana","volume":"16","year":"2023","journal-title":"Revista CES Psicolog\u00eda"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1007\/s10648-006-9029-9","article-title":"The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice","volume":"18","author":"Pekrun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Educational Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1007\/s10648-024-09909-7","article-title":"Control-value theory: From achievement emotion to a general theory of human emotions","volume":"36","author":"Pekrun","year":"2024","journal-title":"Educational Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1653","DOI":"10.1111\/cdev.12704","article-title":"Achievement emotions and academic performance: Longitudinal models of reciprocal effects","volume":"88","author":"Pekrun","year":"2017","journal-title":"Child Development"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Psychology"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Qi, M., Liu, W., Li, M., Wang, G., and Liu, B. (2025). The impact of achievement emotions on learning performance in online learning context: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1599543"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3332","DOI":"10.1177\/15248380241246758","article-title":"Association between adverse childhood experiences and academic performance among children and adolescents: A global meta-analysis","volume":"25","author":"Qu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Trauma, Violence, and Abuse"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1177\/09727531231194898","article-title":"Augmenting trait meta-mood: An intervention to enhance psychological well-being and academic achievement in adolescents","volume":"32","author":"Rana","year":"2025","journal-title":"Annals of Neurosciences"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.32870\/talincrea.v10i2.16","article-title":"Autoestima y estrategias de afrontamiento en alumnado con altas capacidades","volume":"10","year":"2024","journal-title":"TALINCREA: Talento, Inteligencia y Creatividad"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103422","DOI":"10.1016\/j.euroecorev.2020.103422","article-title":"The distributional effects of early school stratification\u2014Non-parametric evidence from Germany","volume":"125","author":"Roller","year":"2020","journal-title":"European Economic Review"},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Rosenberg, M. (2015). Society and the adolescent self-image. Society and the adolescent self-image, Wesleyan University Press."},{"key":"ref_41","first-page":"173","article-title":"Escalas Panas de afecto positivo y negativo para ni\u00f1os y adolescentes (PANASN)","volume":"8","year":"2003","journal-title":"Revista de Psicopatolog\u00eda y Psicolog\u00eda Cl\u00ednica"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sarstedt, M., Henseler, J., and Ringle, C. M. (2011). Multigroup analysis in partial least squares (PLS) path modeling: Alternative methods and empirical results. Advances in International Marketing, 22.","DOI":"10.1108\/S1474-7979(2011)0000022012"},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"985","article-title":"The influence of family functioning on college students\u2019 achievement goals: The mediating role of self-esteem","volume":"54","author":"Shi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Iranian Journal of Public Health"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1080\/14330237.2023.2195716","article-title":"Self-consciousness and grit in rural adolescents: Moderation by self-esteem and mediation by achievement motivation","volume":"33","author":"Shi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Psychology in Africa"},{"key":"ref_45","first-page":"63","article-title":"Emotional experience and consequences of growing up in a family with alcoholism in adult children of alcoholics","volume":"13","author":"Osewska","year":"2023","journal-title":"The Person and the Challenges. The Journal of Theology, Education, Canon Law and Social Studies Inspired by Pope John Paul II"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"691","DOI":"10.1111\/tops.12664","article-title":"What the acute stress response suggests about memory","volume":"16","author":"Thomas","year":"2024","journal-title":"Topics in Cognitive Science"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wu, R., and Yu, Z. (2022). Exploring the effects of achievement emotions on online learning outcomes: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.977931"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"769","DOI":"10.1007\/s12187-020-09777-x","article-title":"Bullying victimization and adolescents\u2019 social anxiety: Roles of shame and self-esteem","volume":"14","author":"Wu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Child Indicators Research"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24705","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-75768-5","article-title":"Mediating role of academic self-efficacy and academic emotions in the relationship between teacher support and academic achievement","volume":"14","author":"Xu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Scientific Reports"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yang, Y., Peng, W., and Chen, G. (2025). Effects of achievement emotions on L2 writing performance in argumentative tasks with different complexity levels. Language Awareness, 1\u201322.","DOI":"10.1080\/09658416.2025.2545776"},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhao, B., Deng, X., and Zhou, Z. (2025). Connection between college students\u2019 sports activities, depression, and anxiety: The mediating role of self-esteem. BMC Psychology, 13, (1).","DOI":"10.1186\/s40359-025-02838-2"},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1086\/651257","article-title":"Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis","volume":"37","author":"Zhao","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Consumer Research"},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1007\/s11336-003-0974-7","article-title":"Cronbach\u2019s \u03b1, Revelle\u2019s \u03b2, and McDonald\u2019s \u03c9H: Their relations with each other and two alternative conceptualizations of reliability","volume":"70","author":"Zinbarg","year":"2005","journal-title":"Psychometrika"}],"container-title":["European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2254-9625\/16\/9\/123\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T08:35:39Z","timestamp":1787646939000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2254-9625\/16\/9\/123"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]]},"references-count":53,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["ejihpe16090123"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ejihpe16090123","relation":{},"ISSN":["2254-9625"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2254-9625","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]]}}}