Latent profiles of grit, self-control, belonging, and college motives: differential effects of self-control on academic performance among Chilean university students

The challenge of improving academic performance, retention, and graduation rates has prompted researchers to examine the role of psychological factors in higher education success. Among these, grit, self-control, sense of belonging, and motives for attending college have emerged as key psychological variables that shape academic trajectories. The purpose of this study was to identify latent profiles of university students based on grit, self-control, sense of belonging, and motives for attending college, and to explore their associations with academic performance. The sample consisted of 1,651, mostly first-year students, from a private highly selective university in Santiago, Chile. Participants completed validated scales measuring each of the four psychological variables. Latent Profile Analysis was conducted to uncover distinct psychosocial configurations, followed by multinomial logistic regression to identify predictors of profile membership and associations with academic outcomes. Results supported a four-profile solution, with most students classified into a predominant group characterized by moderate grit and self-control but a strong sense of belonging. Profiles were primarily differentiated by self-control and motivational orientations rather than grit or belonging. Neither grit nor sense of belonging predicted academic performance; however, self-control subscales showed differential associations—interpersonal self-control was positively related to academic achievement, whereas work self-control showed a slight negative association. These findings suggest that while psychosocial profiles offer valuable insights into student diversity, their predictive power for academic performance may be limited in homogeneous, high-achieving university contexts. Nevertheless, the differential role of self-control highlights the importance of targeted interventions promoting adaptive self-regulation and emotional competence in higher education settings.