Effect of Temperament and Social Support on the School Adjustment of Adolescents: Mediating Effects of Positive Psychological Capital

Abstract

This study grasps the structural relationships between temperament, social support, and school adjustment by adolescents as well as investigates the mediating effect of positive psychological capital from relationships between temperament, social support, and school adjustment. Participants in this study consisted of 763 students in the second grade of five middle schools. Productive correlation analysis were conducted on data collected for this study using PASW statistics ver. 18.0 program; in addition, structural equation modeling analysis was conducted using AMOS ver. 18.0 program. The main findings are as follows. Paths appeared in different ways according to the investigation of mediating effect of positive psychological capital under the impact of temperament and social support on school adjustment of adolescents. Investigation showed that harm avoidance temperament had a statistically significant indirect effect on school adjustment with a medium of positive psychological capital. Novelty seeking temperament and persistence temperament had a direct impact on the school adjustment of adolescents; however, it appeared to also indicate an indirect impact through a medium of positive psychological capital. Social support seemed to indicate a direct impact on school adjustment of adolescents as well as an indirect impact through a medium of positive psychological capital. This study provides basic data to help in the school adjustment of adolescents using personal, environmental, and psychological variables that proves the importance of positive psychological capital in adolescence. Keywords: temperament, social support, positive psychological capital, school adjustment