Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Brianna Stith

Date

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

School Psychology

Committee Chair

Xu Jiang

Committee Member

Kristoffer Berlin

Committee Member

Elizabeth Meisinger

Committee Member

Idia Thurston

Abstract

The current study examined the function of strength-based parenting and personal growth initiative in the relation between university-related stress and life satisfaction in undergraduate students. Two types of moderation models were formulated to test the relations among the main variables, including a multiple moderator model and a moderated moderation model. Six types of university-related stressors were measured, and each stressor was the predictor in separate models. Data was collected from 353 undergraduate students (age range 18-23, 73.9% female) at a public university. Analyses of the multiple moderation model found that personal growth initiative significantly moderated the relation between practical stressors and life satisfaction. More specifically, the negative effect of practical stressors on life satisfaction decreased as personal growth initiative levels increased. In the remaining models, with five other stressors, neither the stressor nor strength-based parenting predicted life satisfaction, and no interaction was significant. However, personal growth initiative emerged as a significant predictor in four of the five models. The moderated moderation model showed no significant three-way interaction between practical stressors, personal growth initiative, and strength-based parenting. Overall, results demonstrate the saliency of practical stressors to college students and highlight the buffering role of personal growth initiative in protecting emerging adults life satisfaction from practical stress. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest

Download

Share

COinS