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.