Personality, bricolage, and well-being: A longitudinal study of college students during adversity

Abstract

Well-being matters not only for college students' mental health but also for their physical health. However, existing studies present an unclear understanding of who can enhance life well-being under adversity, why this occurs, and how the process unfolds. To address this gap, we used Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) and Study Demands–Resources (SD-R) theory to examine which students engage in bricolage as a proactive resource-construction activity, and through what mechanisms bricolage enhances well-being during crises. We validated our research model using a sample of 702 students (age range: 18–26, 81.481 % female) collected in 2021 through four phases (one-week intervals) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our structural equation modeling results indicated that students who possess a proactive personality (β = 0.494, p < .001) and learning orientation (β = 0.366, p < .001) are more inclined to rely on bricolage. Furthermore, bricolage enhances their well-being by improving learning capacity (effect = 0.216, p < .05) and reducing learning burnout (effect = 0.020, p < .05). This study advances well-being literature and JD-R/SD-R theories by demonstrating how personality traits and adaptive behaviors interact to sustain student well-being in adversity.