نویسندگان:
مرضیه بهاررستمی1 ، عباس عبداللهی2 ، سیمین حسینیان3 .1کارشناسی ارشد مشاوره خانواده، دانشکدۀ علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی دانشگاه الزهرا (س) تهران، ایران
2استادیار، گروه مشاوره، دانشکدۀ علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی، دانشگاه الزهرا (س)، تهران، ایران
3استاد گروه مشاوره، دانشکده علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی، دانشگاه الزهرا، تهران، ایران.
چکیده فارسی: هدف از این پژوهش، بررسی نقش میانجیگری تنظیم هیجانی در رابطۀ بین سپاسگزاری و بهزیستی روانشناختی در بین دانشجویان بوده است. روش پژوهش، همبستگی از نوع مدلیابی معادلات ساختاری بوده و جامعۀ آماری، تمامی دانشجویان دانشگاه شهید بهشتی تهران در تمامی مقاطع در نیمسال دوم سال تحصیلی 1402-1401 میباشد. حجم نمونه 376 نفر تعیین گردید و برای گردآوری دادهها از پرسشنامۀ سپاسگزاری GQ-6 مک کلاف و همکاران (2002)، مقیاس بهزیستی روانشناختی ریف (2002) و مقیاس تنظیم هیجان ERQ گراس و جان (2003) استفاده شد. دادههای این پژوهش از طریق نرمافزار SPSS و نرمافزار AMOS تجزیه و تحلیل شدند. نتایج نشان داد که بین متغیر سپاسگزاری و بهزیستی روانشناختی رابطۀ معنادار آماری وجود دارد (001/0>p ،51/=0β). همچنین بین متغیر سپاسگزاری و تنظیم هیجانی، رابطۀ مثبت و معنادار وجود دارد (001/0>p ،42/=0β) و بین متغیر تنظیم هیجانی و بهزیستی روانشناختی رابطۀ معنادار وجود دارد (001/0>p ،17/=0β). با توجه به اهمیت بهزیستی روانشناختی در دانشجویان که آیندهسازان جامعه هستند و تأثیر مستقیم و غیرمستقیم سپاسگزاری بر بهزیستی روانشناختی، نتایج این تحقیق میتواند بهصورت یک برنامۀ آموزشی در دانشگاهها توسط روانشناسان در راستای ارتقای بهزیستیروانشناختی و بهبود تنظیمهیجانی مورد توجه قرار گیرد.
Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between Gratitude and Psychological Well-Being in Students
English Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between gratitude and psychological well-being among students. We used a correlational method with structural equation modeling (SEM) for this purpose. The statistical population comprised all students of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran in the second semester of the academic year 2022-2023. The sample size was determined to be 376 students, and the McCullough et al. Gratitude Questionnaire, the Ryff Scales of Psychological Wellbeing, and the Gross and John’s Emotion Regulation Questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The findings showed a statistically significant relationship between gratitude and psychological well-being, and that emotion regulation plays a partial mediating role. The results of this study can be considered as a training program in universities by psychologists to promote psychological well-being and improve emotion regulation. Introduction In recent years, the mere absence of mental illness is no longer considered a sufficient indicator of mental health; rather, mental health is increasingly defined by the presence of positive psychological attributes such as adaptability, well-being, and self-confidence. (Karademas, 2007). Following the emergence of the positive psychology movement, some psychologists began using the term psychological well-being as an alternative to mental health to emphasize the presence of positive functioning rather than merely the absence of illness. (Ryff & Singer, 1998). Psychological well-being is a theoretical concept and refers to the state of mental balance of individuals (Widha, et al., 2021) and can develop the inherent abilities of humans (Delavarpour, et al., 2024). One of the variables that has a positive and significant relationship with psychological well-being is gratitude (Bali, et al., 2022). Gratitude can affect individual’s mental health and ability to regulate their emotions. Gratitude increases the efficiency of emotion regulation in individuals, as well (Boggio, et al., 2020) and people with high levels of gratitude experience fewer emotional problems (Ghadampour, et al., 2021). Psychological well-being is also predicted through emotion regulation (Bemani Zare Sharif Abad, 2022). Emotion regulation includes changes in emotional response such as reducing, increasing, or maintaining negative and positive emotions (Liu, et al., 2023), and having strong emotion regulation skills allows an individual to experience more positive mood states (Marchica, et al., 2020). Despite existing research, most studies have examined constructs such as gratitude or emotion regulation as isolated variables, often focusing on limited populations such as older adults or organizational employees. Therefore, conducting the present study is not only important for addressing existing research gaps, but it may also contribute theoretically, practically, and socially to the development of psychological interventions centered on gratitude and emotion regulation, aimed at enhancing the psychological well-being of this influential population. Methodology This research is classified as applied research in terms of its purpose and quantitative research in terms of its approach, which is descriptive and correlational and was conducted using the structural equation modeling method. The statistical population of the present study comprised students of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran in the second semester of the academic year 2022-2023, totaling 19,153 students. The sample size was determined using the Cochran sample size formula to be 376 students, who were selected from the statistical population using the convenience sampling method. The following instruments were used to collect the data: The Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being (RSPWB): This scale (2002) consists of 54 items and is designed for adults. It measures six dimensions of self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, purpose in life, personal growth, and environmental mastery. Scoring is based on a six-point Likert scale. In the present study, the alpha coefficient of the entire questionnaire was 0.701. Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6): The McCullough et al.’s (2002) gratitude questionnaire has six items. Scoring is based on a seven-point Likert scale. In the present study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the gratitude questionnaire was 0.767. Emotion regulation Questionnaire (ERQ): The Gross and John’s (2003) emotion regulation questionnaire consists of 10 items. This questionnaire measures two subscales: reappraisal and suppression, and the subject responds to its items on a Likert scale from 1 to 7. In the present study, the alpha coefficient of the entire questionnaire was 0.732. Data were analyzed in SPSS and AMOS software, and the research findings were reported at descriptive and inferential levels. Results Table 1 shows the descriptive indices of the research variables along with their bivariate correlation. As can be seen in Table 1, the relationships among the variables follows the same trend as that in other similar studies. The variables of gratitude and emotion regulation have a positive and significant correlation with the psychological well-being. This means that as gratitude and emotion regulation improve, the level of psychological well-being also improves. This table also shows that gratitude has a positive correlation with emotion regulation, indicating that the more gratitude students have, the better their emotion regulation will be. To test the main hypothesis of the research, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in AMOS software. After checking the assumptions, a statistical analysis was carried out. First, the fit of the theoretical model with the data was calculated according to the indexes in Table 2, and the results showed the good fit of the model with the data. Next, the coefficient of determination (R2) was calculated and found to be 0.36, meaning that gratitude and emotion regulation explain 36 percent of the changes in psychological well-being. In the final stage of structural equation modeling, the mediating role of emotion regulation between the gratitude variable and psychological well-being was examined using Baron and Kenny’s method. A direct and an indirect model were defined in Amos software to examine the type of mediator variable with these models. In the direct model, excluding the mediator variable, the relationship between gratitude and psychological well-being was examined and found to be positive and statistically significant (β=0.58, p<0.001). In the indirect model, when emotion regulation was included as a mediating variable, the relationship between gratitude and psychological well-being remained positive and statistically significant (β=0.51, p<0.001). Considering the comparison between the direct and indirect models, it can be concluded that emotion regulation plays a partial mediating role. Discussion and conclusion The results of structural equation modeling showed that gratitude indirectly and positively predicts psychological well-being in students through the mediation of emotion regulation. In other words, gratitude can lead to increased psychological well-being through the mediating role of emotion regulation. This finding is consistent with the results of Zhang et al. (2023) who reported a positive and significant relationship between gratitude and psychological well-being, and the results of the study by Boggio et al. (2020) who showed that gratitude can affect an individual's ability to regulate their emotions based on a positive view of life characteristics and increase the efficiency of emotion regulation in individuals. It is also consistent with the findings of Yildiz's (2016) research, which showed emotion regulation strategies assist individuals in managing negative arousal and emotions, enable the use of specific and effective responses to problems, and ultimately contribute to physical and social survival as well as psychological well-being. The present study had some limitations. The most important one was the lack of face-to-face access to the participants due to environmental conditions and time and space constraints, which caused data collection to be conducted solely online and through questionnaires. It is suggested that qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews or direct observation be used in future studies to collect data with greater depth and accuracy. Given the importance of promoting mental health among students, the findings of this study can serve as a foundation for designing educational and counseling interventions by psychologists and university counselors—particularly those aimed at enhancing gratitude and emotion regulation skills to improve students' psychological well-being.