Understanding characteristics that contribute to psychology students’ academic success is important to better support them during their studies. Referring to person–environment fit theory, we examined effects of study-relevant characteristics (self-efficacy beliefs, self-assessed level of information about the study program) on subjective criteria of success (persistence with the choice of study subject, later study satisfaction) and controlled for effects of grade point average (GPA) and mathematical skills. We present a longitudinal survey study including five cohorts of first-year students (total N = 854). Mediation models (N = 254) revealed that self-efficacy and level of information at study entry predicted students’ persistence at the end of the first semester, which predicted satisfaction at the end of the second semester. In the presumed overall model we found total effects of self-efficacy and level of information, with direct and indirect effects (via persistence) on satisfaction, and no total or direct effects of GPA and mathematical skills, but an indirect effect of GPA on satisfaction. Thus, psychology students’ satisfaction substantially depends on study-relevant characteristics and less on skills. An enhancement of students’ self-efficacy beliefs and comprehensive information for those who are interested in the subject might help to increase satisfaction and thus success.

了解有助于心理学学生学习成功的特征对于在学习过程中更好地支持他们至关重要。参照人与环境的适应理论，我们研究了与学习相关的特征（自我效能信念，对学习计划的信息的自我评估水平）对成功的主观标准（坚持学习主题的选择，后来的学习满意度）的影响。 ），并控制其平均绩点（GPA）和数学技能的效果。我们提出了一项纵向调查研究，包括五个队列的一年级学生（总N  = 854）。调解模型（N = 254）表明，入学时的自我效能和信息水平可以预测学生在第一学期末的毅力，而这可以预测第二学期末的满意度。在假定的总体模型中，我们发现自我效能和信息水平的总体影响，对满意度的直接和间接影响（通过持久性），对GPA和数学技能没有总的或直接的影响，但是对满意度的间接影响是GPA的间接影响。因此，心理学学生的满意度在很大程度上取决于与学习相关的特征，而较少地取决于技能。增强学生的自我效能感信念，并为对本课程感兴趣的人提供全面的信息，可能有助于提高满意度并因此获得成功。