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Mediating and Moderating Effects of Social Support in the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Hope Levels in Children

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Journal of Happiness Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Hope is hearing the melody of the future. Faith is to dance to it.

Reubem Alves (1972).

Abstract

This study aims to examine whether hope levels are predicted by social anxiety and social support and to investigate if the relationship between social anxiety and children’s hope levels is mediated and moderated by the social support of children. The Social Anxiety Scale for Children, Children’s Hope Scale, and Social Support Appraisals Scale for Children were administrated to a sample of 289 children (148 males and 141 females) enrolled in public school. To determine the relationships between variables, a Pearson correlation coefficient was utilized. Regression-based mediation and moderation analyses assessed whether social support mediates and moderates the relationship between social anxiety and children’s hope levels. Social anxiety and social support both correlated significantly with children’s hope levels; social anxiety had a negative correlation with children’s hope levels, while social support was positively correlated. Regression-based mediation and moderation analyses showed that social support mediates and moderates the relationship between social anxiety and children’s hope levels. The results of the present study emphasized the effects of social support on children; it had a positive effect on hope levels and a negative effect on social anxiety. Based on these results, it is recommended that the social support of children is increased via psycho-education programs for parents, caregivers, and teachers. It is further recommended that social-support-seeking behavior programs are developed in educational and mental health settings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education, Sakarya University, Adapazarı, Sakarya, Turkey

    Ümit Sahranç, Eyüp Çelik & Mehmet Emin Turan

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  1. Ümit Sahranç
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  2. Eyüp Çelik
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Correspondence to Ümit Sahranç.

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Halime Güngör and Erkan Turan have been renounced her coauthorship, instead Ümit Sahranç took over the responsibility of reanalayzing and rapporting the research with other authors stated above.

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Sahranç, Ü., Çelik, E. & Turan, M.E. Mediating and Moderating Effects of Social Support in the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Hope Levels in Children. J Happiness Stud 19, 1003–1019 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9855-0

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