Abstract

This study aimed to examine whether individual characteristics, such as happiness, goal perception, grit, age, and gender, caused differences in reactivity to failure (i.e., failure-is-enhancing mindset, failure tolerance, learned helplessness, and fear of failure). A total of 449 undergraduate students aged 18-25 were recruited for a web-based survey study. The multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model offered a good fit of the data and indicated that individuals were significantly different in their reactivity to failure. Specifically, both happier individuals and those with clearer goal-perception reacted more positively to all failure-associated reactivities (p<.05). However, other relationships such as those between grittiness, learned helplessness, and fear of failure; age and reactivity types other than fear of failure; and gender and fear of failure, were not significant. The implications and limitations of this study are further discussed.