Influence of attachment styles on the well-being of Maldivian University and college students, being mediated by prosocial behavior, social skills, self-esteem, and trust in others

Abstract

The present investigation attempted to examine the direct and indirect influences of attachment style on well-being being mediated by prosocial behavior, social skills, self-esteem, and trust in others, and also to determine if the hypothesized paths would vary as a function of gender. A total of 1,110 Maldivian university and college students aged between 18 and 30 years consented to fill in a set of questionnaires. In the study two hierarchical models were posited, evaluated, and compared as to their efficacy in explaining the influence of the exogenous variable attachment style on the criterion variable of well-being, via the four cited mediating variables. Evaluation and comparison of the fit of these two nested models pointed to the direct path model as being more parsimonious and better fitting than the full indirect path model. Additionally, it was hypothesized that there are significant differences in the relationships proposed in the model, based on gender. The results confirmed that the patterns of structural relationships posited between attachment style and well-being operated similarly for the male and female Maldivian participants. In effect, no significant gender differences in the hypothesized relationships were found.