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From Social Support to Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being: the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Prosocial Behavior and Gender Difference

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) whether social support relates to subjective well-being (SWB) directly and indirectly through emotion regulation (including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and prosocial behavior in adolescents and (b) whether such associations differ across gender. A total of 512 Chinese adolescents ranging in age from 10 to 17 were surveyed. Results showed that cognitive reappraisal and prosocial behavior mediated the relationship between social support and SWB; moreover, multigroup analyses indicated gender differences. For male adolescents, only indirect pathways through cognitive reappraisal and prosocial behavior from social support to SWB were significant. For female adolescents, a significant direct pathway from social support to SWB was also found. Applications and limitations are discussed.

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This research was supported by “the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities”.

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  1. Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Houzhu Building, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China

    Jing Li, Meilin Yao & Hongrui Liu

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  1. Jing Li
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Li, J., Yao, M. & Liu, H. From Social Support to Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being: the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Prosocial Behavior and Gender Difference. Child Ind Res 14, 77–93 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-020-09755-3

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