How the desire for academic validation impacts the mental health of students
- whereemotionsflow
- Mar 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 30
by Deetya Rao
Introduction
● Seven out of ten teens have named anxiety as a major problem among each other. Parents and teachers often applaud and appreciate those who receive high academic achievements but do not realize the amount of work the student had to do. With the praise a student receives from a young age, they may base most if not their whole identity, on their academic success.
● Academic praise can become unhealthy when not managed properly, two-thirds of high school students and 87 percent of college students find themselves stressed about their academics.
● Academic validation occurs when individuals derive a sense of self-worth or accomplishment from their academic performance. For many students, this validation becomes a significant source of motivation. However, over-reliance on external recognition can lead to challenges in maintaining a balanced self-image.
(Gomez, December 19, 2022)
Causes of academic validation
External validation:
Humans are social creatures who naturally seek approval from others. Academic validation taps into this psychological need, providing a measurable way for students to feel valued. When praise is tied to performance, students associate their worth with their achievements.
Connection to self worth:
For some students, academic success becomes synonymous with personal success. They may feel their value depends on maintaining high grades, which can lead to fragile self-esteem.
Dopamine and reward system:
Achieving academic recognition activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. This creates a cycle where students strive for more validation to maintain their fulfillment.
Constant competition:
Low grades often make students feel “dumb” or “unworthy”. In an atmosphere where teachers tend to praise the students to score high grades and look down upon the students who score low grades, this causes favouritism and bias. This can lead to loss of motivation and self-esteem, which is feared by many students. Thus, they often strive for academic validation.
(Business Primex, December 17, 2024)
Downsides of academic validation
Through an endless cycle, students’ standards are raised so high that the achievement is unachievable and the goal is unclear. It is never truly about self-improvement—it’s about how others perceive their intelligence and if they deem them worthy of praise. The entire foundation of self-worth under the mindset of academic validation relies on the value of their work. Therefore, if their work is below their self-set standards, their inward perception becomes skewed, and their mental health deteriorates. It’s dangerous, unhealthy, and counterproductive.
(Kloza, Lavelle, Siddiqui, December 22, 2021)
Anxiety: Academic validation gives students constant pressure to excel. Students who seek academic validation constantly work towards meeting a certain standard of expectations that give them anxiety and stress. They constantly feel the need to maintain their high grades, meet academic standards, and have the pressure to excel.
Fear of failure: Students who depend on academic validation start fearing failure. This fear may lead to perfectionism. The student sees it as their duty and feels compelled to meet unrealistic standards in the academic setting without facing any failure.
Hindered well-being: Academic validation also leaves an imprint on an individual’s identity and self-worth. Challenges in academia may then be perceived as personal failures. Academic success becomes closely linked to self-worth and identity. Other aspects of the student’s life and their personality are ignored in favour of academic validation. Students also feel burnout as they constantly chase validation and have the pressure to excel. This burnout can have a severe negative impact on their mental health and well-being.
(Business Primex, December 17, 2024)
(Psychologs world, December 4, 2023)
Conclusion: How generational gaps act as an obstacle in breaking the chain of academic validation
The generational gap further adds to the desire of academic validation on students. Older generations often regard academic success as success in the life of the student. Many children feel uncomfortable in approaching people like their parents and teachers related to this issue due to the outdated thinking of most of them. The older generation often regards stress as a “first world problem” and accuses the generation to be “overly sensitive” for taking stress or “lazy” for not being able to give their best due to lack of motivation, along with comparing themselves to this generation of students, disregarding the increased pressure put on students and a more demanding coursework. Bridging this divide requires collective efforts from educators, policymakers, parents, and students to foster a more inclusive approach to education. Encouraging open dialogue, and prioritizing well-being over academic metrics can help break the chain of academic validation and create a more adaptive and fulfilling educational environment.
(Josephine J, Jones L, 16 September, 2022)
References
Gomez, G. V. (2022, December 19). Academic validation: The unhealthy relationship of a student’s life. The Spellbinder.
Business Primex. (2024, December 17). Academic validation. Business Primex.
Kloza, K., Lavelle, C., & Siddiqui, M. (2021, December 22). We don’t talk enough about academic validation. ML Mountaineer.
Psychologs World. (2023, December 4). What is academic validation? Psychologs.
Josephine, J., & Jones, L. (2022, September 16). Understanding the impact of the generation gap on teaching and learning in medical education. Advances in Medical Education and Practice.
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