Volume 13 Issue 1 (2024)

Psychological Capital, Student-Student Relationship, and Well-Being in the Context of Higher Education

pp. 35-52  |  Published Online: August 2024  |  DOI: 10.22521/unibulletin.2024.131.3

Henry Samuel Edosomwan , Chiyem Lucky Nwanzu , Stephen Alalo

Abstract

Background/purpose. This study adopted the self-determination theory to examine the influence of psychological capital (PsyCap) and student-student relationship (SSR) on psychological well-being (PWB) and whether SSR mediates the relationship between PsyCap and PWB in the context of higher education.  

Materials/methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 200 undergraduate students from Delta State University, Nigeria. The participants comprised 51 (25.5%) males and 149 (74.5%) females with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 2.39). Data were collected using three instruments with good psychometric properties. The Harman single factor test was used to check for common-method bias in the data. A regression-based analysis supported by the PROCESS macro tool was utilized for testing the study’s hypotheses using IBM-SPSS v25.

Results. The direct effect results indicated that PsyCap positively and significantly predicts SSR. Similarly, the direct effect statistics also indicated that PsyCap and SSR positively and significantly predict PWB. The mediation test confirmed that the relationship between PsyCap and PWB was mediated by SSR. Theoretical and empirical findings provided logical explanations for the results obtained.

Conclusion. The findings led to the conclusion that PsyCap and SSR are valuable mechanisms for improving students’ PWB. The study recommends that university academics, administrators, and policymakers provide an environment that fosters positive relationships among peers, and a sense of competence, both of which are implicated in PsyCap and SSR.

Keywords: Higher education, psychological capital, psychological well-being, student-student relationship

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