Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social connectedness and life satisfaction in adolescents. It specifically examined whether this relationship is mediated by emotional self-efficacy and anxiety, both independently and combined, using a serial mediation model. The re...

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Main Author: Paula Pedić Duić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Rijeka 2025-07-01
Series:Psychological Topics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pt.ffri.hr/pt/article/view/1020
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author Paula Pedić Duić
author_facet Paula Pedić Duić
author_sort Paula Pedić Duić
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social connectedness and life satisfaction in adolescents. It specifically examined whether this relationship is mediated by emotional self-efficacy and anxiety, both independently and combined, using a serial mediation model. The research involved 308 adolescents enrolled in a Croatian high school, who were predominantly female (72.08%), with an average age of 16 years. Participants completed the Connectedness subscale from the EPOCH questionnaire (Kern et al., 2016) to measure social connectedness, the Emotional Self-Efficacy subscale from the Croatian version of the SEQ-C questionnaire (Vulić-Prtorić & Sorić, 2006) to measure emotional self-efficacy, the Anxiety subscale of the DASS-21 questionnaire (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) to assess anxiety, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) to evaluate life satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the serial mediation model. The results indicated that social connectedness has a positive direct effect on life satisfaction and a positive indirect effect through emotional self-efficacy. However, the indirect effect of social connectedness on life satisfaction via anxiety, as well as the serial mediation effect of emotional self-efficacy and anxiety in the relationship between social connectedness and life satisfaction, were not significant. These findings highlight the importance of fostering social connectedness and emotional self-efficacy in adolescents to enhance their life satisfaction. Conversely, the role of anxiety was found to be less impactful in this context.
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spelling doaj-art-eb0098331f8d462cb9ca3cb4fde948672025-08-20T03:13:18ZengUniversity of RijekaPsychological Topics1332-07421849-03952025-07-01342Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and AnxietyPaula Pedić Duić0Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social connectedness and life satisfaction in adolescents. It specifically examined whether this relationship is mediated by emotional self-efficacy and anxiety, both independently and combined, using a serial mediation model. The research involved 308 adolescents enrolled in a Croatian high school, who were predominantly female (72.08%), with an average age of 16 years. Participants completed the Connectedness subscale from the EPOCH questionnaire (Kern et al., 2016) to measure social connectedness, the Emotional Self-Efficacy subscale from the Croatian version of the SEQ-C questionnaire (Vulić-Prtorić & Sorić, 2006) to measure emotional self-efficacy, the Anxiety subscale of the DASS-21 questionnaire (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) to assess anxiety, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) to evaluate life satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the serial mediation model. The results indicated that social connectedness has a positive direct effect on life satisfaction and a positive indirect effect through emotional self-efficacy. However, the indirect effect of social connectedness on life satisfaction via anxiety, as well as the serial mediation effect of emotional self-efficacy and anxiety in the relationship between social connectedness and life satisfaction, were not significant. These findings highlight the importance of fostering social connectedness and emotional self-efficacy in adolescents to enhance their life satisfaction. Conversely, the role of anxiety was found to be less impactful in this context. https://pt.ffri.hr/pt/article/view/1020social connectednesslife satisfactionemotional self-efficacyanxietyadolescentsserial mediation model
spellingShingle Paula Pedić Duić
Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety
Psychological Topics
social connectedness
life satisfaction
emotional self-efficacy
anxiety
adolescents
serial mediation model
title Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety
title_full Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety
title_fullStr Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety
title_short Exploring the Effect of Social Connectedness on Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Anxiety
title_sort exploring the effect of social connectedness on life satisfaction in adolescents the mediating roles of emotional self efficacy and anxiety
topic social connectedness
life satisfaction
emotional self-efficacy
anxiety
adolescents
serial mediation model
url https://pt.ffri.hr/pt/article/view/1020
work_keys_str_mv AT paulapedicduic exploringtheeffectofsocialconnectednessonlifesatisfactioninadolescentsthemediatingrolesofemotionalselfefficacyandanxiety