Social support and adjustment outcomes of first-year university students in Hong Kong: Self-esteem as a mediator

Social support and adjustment outcomes of first-year university students in Hong Kong: Self-esteem as a mediator

• Lau, Eva Yi Hung The Education University of Hong Kong
• Chan, Kevin Ka Shing The Education University of Hong Kong
• Lam, Chun Bun The Education University of Hong Kong

Journal of College Student Development, 59(1), 129-134, 2018

The Johns Hopkins University Press

2018

• A Human Growth & Development
  • AC Socialization, Self-concept, Self-esteem, Identity, Affective, Emotional, Psycho-social & Moral Development
• Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  • QE Post-Secondary Education

Student Adjustment College Freshmen Self Esteem Foreign Countries Role Social Support Groups Self Concept Developmental Stages Developmental Tasks Family Relationship Peer Relationship Correlation Questionnaires Student Attitudes Self Concept Measures Occ

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

Although the contribution of family support and peer support to university adjustment has been examined separately, few attempts have been made to explore the mechanism underlying this relation. This is the first study in the Asian context to test the role of self-esteem in mediating the effect of social support on first-year university adjustment outcomes. Self-esteem is a measure of one's positive or negative attitudes toward oneself (Rosenberg, 1965). Higher self-esteem is vital to a variety of developmental outcomes in early adulthood, such as the transition to university, whereas lower self-esteem has been related to poorer adjustment (Hickman, Bartholomae, & McKenry, 2000). Perceived self-esteem stems from social attachments to others that reflect positively on oneself and provide interpersonal support (Friedlander, Reid, Shupak, & Cribbie, 2007). High self esteem developed as a result of social support from family and peers may increase individuals' belief in their ability to solve problems, leading to better university adjustment. The authors hypothesized that self-esteem mediates the impact of family support and peer support on university adjustment. The participants in this study were 418 first year university students (mean age 19.94 years; 65% female) at an education university in Hong Kong, China, offering mainly education related subjects. As expected, findings showed that first-year university students receiving greater family and peer support reported better adjustment outcomes overall, which provides additional evidence of the universally beneficial effects of multiple support figures on university adjustment. Such findings corroborate the previous argument that parental support plays an important role throughout adolescence and early adulthood, even as reliance on support from peers increases.
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• English

Journal Articles

• 08975264

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/a8c0f36e

2018-06-14