Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement

This study aims to examine the association between supervisors’ academic supervising behaviors and academic thriving of graduate students, as well as its underlying mechanisms—the mediating effects of admiration and task engagement. A sample of 1792 graduate students in central China was recruited t...

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Main Authors: Yang Wu, Zhenzhen Chen, Dongjing Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/754
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author Yang Wu
Zhenzhen Chen
Dongjing Zhang
author_facet Yang Wu
Zhenzhen Chen
Dongjing Zhang
author_sort Yang Wu
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to examine the association between supervisors’ academic supervising behaviors and academic thriving of graduate students, as well as its underlying mechanisms—the mediating effects of admiration and task engagement. A sample of 1792 graduate students in central China was recruited to participate in this study (52.3% male; <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 23.266, <i>SD</i><sub>age</sub> = 5.435). The results show that the supervisors’ academic supervising behaviors are positively associated with graduate students’ self-reported academic thriving; furthermore, the mediating effects of both admiration and task engagement in the relationship are also significant, which consist of three mediating paths—the separate mediating effects of admiration and of task engagement, and serial mediation involving both admiration and task engagement. This study found that frequent supervising behaviors may promote academic thriving in graduate students through increasing students’ admiration for supervisors and task engagement. The findings not only contribute to our understanding of graduate students’ academic thriving and its mechanisms, but also add to the literature on promoting a positive psychological state of graduate students as well as graduate education.
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spelling doaj-art-29a2e0480bbc48cfad6049cec1d33db62025-08-20T03:32:31ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-05-0115675410.3390/bs15060754Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task EngagementYang Wu0Zhenzhen Chen1Dongjing Zhang2School of Marxism, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, ChinaSchool of Psychology & Mental Health Center, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, ChinaSchool of Marxism, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, ChinaThis study aims to examine the association between supervisors’ academic supervising behaviors and academic thriving of graduate students, as well as its underlying mechanisms—the mediating effects of admiration and task engagement. A sample of 1792 graduate students in central China was recruited to participate in this study (52.3% male; <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 23.266, <i>SD</i><sub>age</sub> = 5.435). The results show that the supervisors’ academic supervising behaviors are positively associated with graduate students’ self-reported academic thriving; furthermore, the mediating effects of both admiration and task engagement in the relationship are also significant, which consist of three mediating paths—the separate mediating effects of admiration and of task engagement, and serial mediation involving both admiration and task engagement. This study found that frequent supervising behaviors may promote academic thriving in graduate students through increasing students’ admiration for supervisors and task engagement. The findings not only contribute to our understanding of graduate students’ academic thriving and its mechanisms, but also add to the literature on promoting a positive psychological state of graduate students as well as graduate education.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/754supervisor’s academic supervising behaviorsadmirationtask engagementacademic thriving
spellingShingle Yang Wu
Zhenzhen Chen
Dongjing Zhang
Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement
Behavioral Sciences
supervisor’s academic supervising behaviors
admiration
task engagement
academic thriving
title Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement
title_full Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement
title_fullStr Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement
title_full_unstemmed Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement
title_short Supervisors’ Academic Supervising Behaviors and Graduate Students’ Academic Thriving: The Mediating Roles of Admiration and Task Engagement
title_sort supervisors academic supervising behaviors and graduate students academic thriving the mediating roles of admiration and task engagement
topic supervisor’s academic supervising behaviors
admiration
task engagement
academic thriving
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/6/754
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AT zhenzhenchen supervisorsacademicsupervisingbehaviorsandgraduatestudentsacademicthrivingthemediatingrolesofadmirationandtaskengagement
AT dongjingzhang supervisorsacademicsupervisingbehaviorsandgraduatestudentsacademicthrivingthemediatingrolesofadmirationandtaskengagement