to cognitive processing (e.g., learning, memory, decision making/inhibition), (Fernandez-Martin

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1 Adolescence is a period typically characterized by elevated levels of stress (Stroud et al., 2009). There is a diverse body of literature demonstrating the negative impacts of stress related to cognitive processing (e.g., learning, memory, decision making/inhibition), (Fernandez-Martin et al., 2015), academic performance (Fernandez-Martin, et al., 2015; Lee, So, & Sung, 2015), and self-esteem (McKay, Dempster, & Byrne, 2014); however, the literature primarily focuses on students in public schools. It has been shown that affluent youth attending highly competitive high schools experience high levels of chronic stress as well (Luthar & Becker, 2002). Therefore, research including this population will aid in expanding the scope of the literature. Social support has been demonstrated to moderate the impact of perceived stress and is correlated with a variety of positive outcomes including student adjustment (Rueger, Malecki, & Demaray, 2008) and academic achievement (Song, Bong, Lee, & Kim, 2015). These outcomes have been shown to vary depending on the source of social support (i.e., parent, teacher, or peer support) (Rueger et al., 2008; Song et al., 2015). Additionally, gender and sexual orientation appear to play a significant role in both levels of perceived stress and perceived social support (Kosciw, Palmer, Kull, & Greytak, 2013). Including individuals within the sexual minority population may also add additional variation in examining the relationship between stress, academic performance, and social support. The current study was guided by the following research questions: 1) What is the relation between overall stress and academic performance for students attending a boarding school? 2) Does the relationship between overall stress and academic performance vary by gender and sexual orientation? 3) Does social support moderate the relationship between overall stress and academic performance? 4) Does the strength of social support as a moderator vary by gender and sexual orientation?

2 The current study includes th through 12 th -grade students (63.3% girls, 60.9% heterosexual; 76.6% white, 5.1% Black or African American, 17.8% Asian, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2% Other) from a private boarding school in the Midwest. Data were collected as part of a school-wide school climate and social-emotional assessment as requested by the school and IRB approval has been obtained to use the data for research purposes. Three hundred and fiftyeight students completed the surveys (73% of student population). Not all students who participated are included in the data analysis as not all students provided their student ID which paired their results with their current GPA. As a result, only 197 students will be included for data analysis. All results will be presented at the session. Multiple regression analyses will be utilized to answer the research questions. As recommended by Hayes (2018), moderation (i.e., two-way interactions) and moderated moderation (i.e., three-way interactions) will be utilized to investigate the impact that Social Support, Gender, and Sexual Orientation have in the relation between Stress and Academic Performance (see Figures 1, 2, and 3). Analyses will be conducted using SPSS and the Hayes PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2018).

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5 References Fernandez-Martin, E., Trianes-Toress, M., Maldonado-Montero, E., Marianda-Paez, J., Ortiz, C., & Enguix, A. (2015). Psychological and psychobiological stress in the relationship between basic cognitive function and school performance. Anales de Psicologia, 31, , doi: /anelesps Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression based approach. New York, NY: Guilford Press Kosciw, J. G., Palmer, N. A., Kull, R. M., & Greytak, E. A. (2013). The effect of negative school climate on academic outcomes for LGBT youth and the role of in-school supports. Journal of School Violence, 12(1), doi: / Lee, S., So, W., & Sung, D. J. (2015). Association between chronic mental stress and academic performance among korean adolescents. Universitas Psychologica, 14(3), Retrieved from ew/ ?accountid=10181 Luthar, S. S., Becker, B. E. (2002). Privileged but pressured?: A study of affluent youth. Child Development, 73, doi: / McKay, M. T., Dempster, M., & Byrne, D. G. (2014). An examination of the relationship between self-efficacy and stress in adolescents: The role of gender and self-esteem. Journal of Youth Studies, 17, , doi: / Rueger, S. Y., Malecki, C. K., & Demaray, M. K. (2008). Gender differences in the relationship between perceived social support and student adjustment during early adolescence. School Psychology Quarterly, 23, doi: /

6 Song, J., Bong, M., Lee, K., & Kim, S. (2015). Longitudinal investigation into the role of perceived social support in adolescents academic motivation and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107, doi: /edu Stroud, L. R., Foster, E., Papandonatos, G. D., Handwerger, K., Granger, D. A., Kivlighan, K. T., & Niaura, R. (2009). Stress response and the adolescent transition: Performance versus peer rejection stressors. Development and Psychopathology, 21, 47-68, doi: /s