Need to Belong and Negative affect: The Mediating Role of Executive Dysfunction

Abstract

This study sought to assess the mediating role of executive dysfunction, which refers to difficulties in managing, organizing, and regulating thoughts and behaviors, in the connection between the need to belong, defined as the desire to be accepted by and integrated into a social group and negative affect. A total of 395 university students, 232 female and 163 male, were recruited (Mage = 20.75, SD = 1.93). Need to belong, executive dysfunction, and negative affect were examined via the Need to Belong Scale, Executive Dysfunction Subscale of The Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale, respectively. Based on the results of the correlation analysis, a higher need to belong was associated with higher levels of negative affect and greater executive dysfunction. Furthermore, executive dysfunction was positively associated with negative affect. Two mediation models were tested to examine the relationships among need to belong, executive dysfunction, Overall, the findings suggest that the associations among need to belong, executive dysfunction, and negative affect may be bidirectional. These results highlight the importance of cognitive processes in understanding emotional difficulties related to belongingness needs.

Keywords

• Belongingness
• emotion
• executive functions

Aidiyet İhtiyacı ve Negatif Duygulanım: Yürütücü İşlev Disfonksiyonunun Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Bu çalışma, bir sosyal grup tarafından kabul edilme ve bu gruba dahil olma arzusu olarak tanımlanan aidiyet ihtiyacı ile olumsuz duygulanım arasındaki ilişkide, düşünce ve davranışları yönetme, düzenleme ve kontrol etme konusunda yaşanan zorlukları ifade eden yürütücü işlev bozukluğunun aracı rolünü incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. 232'si kadın ve 163'ü erkek olmak üzere toplam 395 üniversite öğrencisi çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir (Myaş = 20.75, SS = 1.93). Aidiyet ihtiyacı, yürütücü işlev disfonksiyonu ve olumsuz duygulanım sırasıyla Aidiyet İhtiyacı Ölçeği, Frontal Sistem Davranış Skalası Yürütücü İşlev Disfonksiyonu Alt Ölçeği ve Pozitif ve Negatif Duygu Ölçeği ile ölçülmüştür. Korelasyon analizi sonuçlarına göre, daha yüksek aidiyet ihtiyacı, daha yüksek düzeyde olumsuz duygulanımı ve daha fazla yürütücü işlev bozukluğu ile ilişkilidir. Ayrıca, yürütücü işlev bozukluğu olumsuz duygulanım ile pozitif olarak ilişkilidir. Aidiyet ihtiyacı, yürütücü işlev bozukluğu ve olumsuz duygulanım arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek için iki aracı model test edilmiştir ve modellerde değişkenlerin yönü tersine çevrilmiştir. Genel olarak, bulgular aidiyet ihtiyacı, yürütücü işlev bozukluğu ve olumsuz duygulanım arasındaki ilişkilerin çift yönlü olabileceğini göstermektedir. Bu sonuçlar, aidiyet ihtiyaçlarıyla ilgili duygusal zorlukları anlamada bilişsel süreçlerin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Aidiyet
• duygu
• yürütücü işlevler

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