Social connectedness, optimism, and adaptive coping among university students in mainland China: a mediation model of perceived social support

作者：Wen Fu · 发表于：Frontiers in Psychology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1693258 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Optimism, Hope, and Well-being、Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction、Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies

Introduction: This mixed-methods study investigated the interplay among social connectedness, optimism, and perceived social support in predicting adaptive coping in university students in mainland China. The study examined the mediating role of perceived social support in the relationships of social connectedness and optimism with adaptive coping. Methods: Using an explanatory sequential design, quantitative data were first collected from 463 undergraduate students across three universities using questionnaires, and the hypothesized mediation model was tested using path analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM). Subsequently, qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 20 students to explain the quantitative findings. Results: Quantitative results revealed that the hypothesized model showed a good fit to the data. Social connectedness and optimism were significant positive predictors of perceived social support and adaptive coping. Importantly, perceived social support significantly partially mediated the relationships of both social connectedness and optimism with adaptive coping. Qualitative findings contextualized these results, illustrating plausible mechanisms for the mediation pathways, while analysis of contradictory cases highlighted complexities such as optimism facilitating direct intrapersonal coping and pessimism potentially inhibiting support activation. Discussion: The study's findings indicate that perceived social support pla...