Objective: To explore the relationship between learning motivation, positive coping style,
hardiness personality and female college students’ depression. Methods: 319 female college students were
tested by self-rating depression scale, learning motivation questionnaire, hardiness personality scale
and simple coping style questionnaire. Results: coping style, learning motivation, hardiness personality
were negatively correlated with depression (r=-0.56, P<0.01; r=-0.25, P<0.01; r=-0.38, P<0.01). The
learning motivation was positively correlated with coping style and hardiness personality (r=0.29, P<0.01;
r=0.35, P<0.01) . The learning motivation can’t significantly direct predictive effect on the depression of
female college students (β=-0.06, p>0.05) , but can through three indirect effect on female namely the
independent mediating effect of coping style and hardiness personality, and the serial intermediary effect
of both. Conclusion The serial mediation model can better explain the mediating role of coping style and
hardiness personality between learning motivation and depression of female college students.