The moderating role of academic achievement attribution in shaping the impact of negative life events on adolescent problem behaviors and school dropout tendency

This study explores how negative life events influence dropout tendencies through internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors, with a particular focus on the moderating effect of academic achievement attribution tendencies on the relationship between negative life events and internal/external problem behaviors. The study used structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 1,012 students from middle and vocational high schools. The results showed that: (1) negative life events had no direct impact on dropout tendency; (2) internalizing/externalizing problem behaviors fully mediated the relationship between negative life events and dropout tendency; (3) high external attribution for academic achievement strengthened the link between negative life events and internalizing behaviors, while low external attribution for academic achievement exacerbated the impact on externalizing behaviors. These findings emphasize the importance of considering academic achievement attribution tendencies in educational interventions to reduce problem behaviors and the risk of school dropout.