Positive thinking mediates the relation between successful intelligence and achievement motivation among Omani university students using structural equation modeling

Abstract Background How cognitive ability, positive psychological dispositions, and motivation jointly shape student success has been an enduring question in higher education research. Although successful intelligence, positive thinking, and achievement motivation have each been widely studied, their interaction within a single structural model has rarely been examined, and evidence from the Arab Gulf remains limited. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to 510 undergraduate and graduate students at A’Sharqiyah University, Oman (223 males, 287 females; mean age 22.9 years), recruited through convenience sampling. Successful intelligence, positive thinking, and achievement motivation were measured using validated self-report scales (SIS, PTS, AMS; Cronbach’s α = 0.92, 0.90, and 0.86). Confirmatory factor analyses supported factorial validity, Harman’s single-factor test was used to assess common method bias, and metric invariance was verified across sex. Structural equation modeling tested direct and indirect effects, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals. Results The structural model showed excellent fit (χ²/df = 2.21, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.049, SRMR = 0.026). Successful intelligence had a strong positive effect on positive thinking (β = 0.752, p < 0.001) and a substantial direct effect on achievement motivation (β = 0.543, p < 0.001). Positive thinking also predicted achievement motivation (β = 0.279, p < 0.001), and partially mediated the SI–AM relationship, accounting for 27.9% of the total effect (indirect β = 0.210, 95% CI [0.114, 0.329], p < 0.001). Conclusion Successful intelligence influences achievement motivation both directly and indirectly through positive thinking. Higher education institutions in Oman and similar Gulf contexts may strengthen student motivation through curricular and support programs that jointly cultivate the three components of successful intelligence alongside positive psychological orientations.