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The Relationships Among Gratitude, Self-esteem, Social Support and Life Satisfaction Among Undergraduate Students

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Abstract

Gratitude is a positive psychological characteristic that is connected to well-being. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of both social support and self-esteem in the association between gratitude and life satisfaction among undergraduate students. Four hundred and twenty-seven Chinese undergraduate participants were asked to complete the Gratitude Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Path analysis indicated that social support acted as a full mediator of the association between gratitude and life satisfaction. The identified model also revealed a significant path from gratitude through social support and self-esteem to life satisfaction. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis indicated that males with high gratitude scores are more likely to get greater social support than females, while females with high social support scores tended to report greater life satisfaction than males. The present findings provide valuable guidance for how to implement psychological interventions aimed at enhancing undergraduates’ well-being.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

    Feng Kong & Ke Ding

  2. School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China

    Jingjing Zhao

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  1. Feng Kong
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  2. Ke Ding
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  3. Jingjing Zhao
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Correspondence to Feng Kong or Jingjing Zhao.

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Kong, F., Ding, K. & Zhao, J. The Relationships Among Gratitude, Self-esteem, Social Support and Life Satisfaction Among Undergraduate Students. J Happiness Stud 16, 477–489 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9519-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9519-2

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