PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Creative problem-solving (CPS) is increasingly important in higher education because it may help students respond effectively to academic demands and competing life responsibilities. This study examined the role of CPS in academic achievement and study-life conflict among Thai undergraduate students from a behavioural science perspective grounded in Social Cognitive Theory. The participants were 620 undergraduate students from four universities in Thailand. Cross-sectional data were collected using six self-report questionnaires and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results showed that CPS was positively associated with academic achievement and negatively associated with study-life conflict. Proactive personality emerged as the strongest predictor of CPS, followed by social and emotional learning (SEL). Multi-group analysis also indicated that the associations involving CPS varied across demographic groups. Students with part-time jobs showed a stronger positive association between CPS and academic achievement, whereas female students and students with higher GPAs showed a stronger negative association between CPS and study-life conflict. These findings extend the literature by positioning CPS as a behavioural pathway linking psychosocial resources with both academic and life-related outcomes. The results suggest that universities should support CPS through learning activities and student development systems that strengthen academic adaptation, study-life balance, and career readiness.