Secure Attachment and Perceived Social Support among High School Students: The Mediating Roles of Love and Social Intelligence

Year 2025, Volume: 18 Issue: 3, 467 - 490, 24.07.2025

Meltem Yıldız , Jale Eldeleklioğlu

https://doi.org/10.30831/akukeg.1543379

Abstract

Perceived social support during adolescence is the primary interpersonal resource that is critical for coping with stress and is associated with psychological well-being during this sensitive period of life. Secure attachment, a reflection of positive internal working models, is associated with having high levels of perceived social support and is closely linked to the character strengths of children and adolescents. Character strengths support both personal adjustment and functioning and social bonds. Based on these relationships, the present study aims to reveal the relationships between perceived social support, secure attachment, and “love” and “social intelligence” character strengths in high school students. The mediation role of “love” character strength was further examined in Model 1 and that of “social intelligence” character strengths in Model 2. The study group consists of a total of 537 high school students. Model 1 and Model 2 revealed that the character strengths of “love” and “social intelligence” that adolescents, who are securely attached to their parents and peers, perceive higher social support from their teachers are also effective.

Keywords

perceived social support from teachers, secure attachment to parent, secure attachment to peers, love character strength, social intelligence character strength

Ethical Statement

On 2 October 2020, the Social and Human Sciences Research and Publication Ethics Committee of Bursa Uludag University granted approval for this study, which was conducted under the auspices of the 2020/07 number. Subsequently, the Bursa Provincial Directorate of National Education granted permission on 5 March 2021.

Supporting Institution

This manuscript was not supported by any funding to assist with preparation. The authors declare that they have no relevant financial or non-financial interest to disclose.

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