Association between Social Connectedness and Well-Being: A Study of the Mediating Role of Psychological Vulnerability

Abstract

The researcher in this study examined psychological vulnerability as a mediator between social connectedness and well-being among university students in Turkey. Two hundred sixty-one students (138 females and 123 males, mean age = 20.95 ± 1.49) completed self-report questionnaires including the Social Connectedness Scale, the Subjective Vitality Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale, the Flourishing Scale, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale. The researcher explored a theoretical-conceptual model and tested it using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping. SEM results showed that social connectedness had a direct effect on well-being, partially mediated by psychological vulnerability. The results indicated an indirect yet significant effect of psychological vulnerability on the relationship between social connectedness and well-being. Theoretical implications and research limitations were discussed.

Keywords

• Social Connectedness
• Psychological Vulnerability
• Well-being
• Structural Equation Modelling
• Bootstrapping

Sosyal Bağlılık ve İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişkide Psikolojik Kırılganlığın Aracılık Rolü

Abstract

Bu araştırmada üniversite öğrencilerinin iyi oluşları ile sosyal bağlılıkları arasındaki ilişkide psikolojik kırılganlığın aracılık rolü incelenmiştir. 261 üniversite öğrencisi (138 kadın, 123 erkek, yaş ortalaması = 20.95 ± 1.49) Sosyal Bağlılık Ölçeği, Öznel Zindelik Ölçeği, Öznel Mutluluk Ölçeği, İyilik Hali Ölçeği ve Psikolojik Kırılganlık Ölçeğini doldurmuştur. Teorik olarak kurulan model Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi (YEM) ve bootstrapping tekniği ile analiz edilmiştir. YEM sonuçlarına göre sosyal bağlılık iyi oluşu hem doğrudan hem de psikolojik kırılganlık aracılığıyla etkilemektedir. Bootstrapping tekniği ile psikolojik kırılganlığın sosyal bağlılık ile iyi oluş arasındaki ilişkide kısmi aracılığı doğrulanmıştır. Çalışmanın doğurguları ve sınırlıkları ilgili literatür çerçevesince tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

• Sosyal Bağlılık
• Psikolojik Kırılganlık
• İyi Oluş
• Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi
• Bootstrapping

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