Adaptability and Social Support: Examining Links With Psychological Wellbeing Among UK Students and Non-students

Abstract

The purpose of this multi-study article was to investigate the roles of adaptability and social support in predicting a variety of psychological outcomes. Data were collected from Year 12 college students (N = 73; Study 1), university students (N = 102; Study 2), and non-studying members of the general public (N = 141; Study 3). Findings showed that, beyond variance attributable to social support, adaptability made a significant independent contribution to psychological wellbeing (life satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, flourishing, and general affect) and psychological distress across all studies. Beyond the effects of adaptability, social support was found to make a significant independent contribution to most wellbeing outcomes (but not psychological distress in university students). In a multi-group analysis comparing predictors of psychological wellbeing in university students and non-studying adults, where the same outcome measures were used (Study 4; N = 243), it was found that adaptability played a stronger role (relative to social support) for university students, whereas social support played a stronger role for non-studying adults. Finally, (contrary to expectations) there was no evidence of an interaction between adaptability and social support predicting psychological outcomes—adaptability and social support operated as independent main effects. These findings demonstrate the importance of adaptability and social support in uniquely predicting psychological wellbeing in different sample groups. It is argued here that these two factors, should be given greater consideration in discussions of psychological wellbeing, and are relevant to psychological wellbeing at different major developmental life stages.

Adaptability and High School Students’ Online Learning During COVID-19: A Job Demands-Resources Perspective

“…We can infer that the adjustments required by students to navigate these uncertain circumstances were well met by the psychological attribute of adaptability. This expands on the pre-COVID-19 evidence base for the positive effects of adaptability on students' educational outcomes (Martin et al, 2013;Holliman et al, 2018Holliman et al, , 2019Holliman et al, , 2021. Thus, in line with Collie et al (2020a); see also Collie and Martin, 2016), it seems that adaptability fosters mastery and efficacy experiences-manifested in our research by online learning self-efficacy.…”

“…Adaptability is the capacity to regulate one's behaviors, thoughts, and feelings in response to novel, variable, uncertain, and unexpected situations and circumstances (Martin et al, 2012(Martin et al, , 2013. Adaptability has been identified as an important capacity for students' academic and personal development, including their motivation, engagement, achievement, and socialemotional wellbeing (Martin et al, 2013;Holliman et al, 2018Holliman et al, , 2019Holliman et al, , 2021. Given adaptability is specifically aimed at successfully navigating change, uncertainty, and novelty, it is also likely a vital personal attribute to support students during periods of novelty, variability, and uncertainty, such as with COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, including periods of online learning through these times.…”

Influence of Professional Identity on the E-Learning Adaptability Among Chinese Nursing Students During COVID-19

“…Adaptability is an essential academic and personal development capacity among students (8). The better the E-learning adaptability of students, the better the learning effect (9). Conversely, learning maladjustment may adversely affect their learning efficiency and the occupation prospects for development (10,11).…”

Effects of Social Media Use on Psychological Well-Being: A Mediated Model

“…Indeed, social media provides several ways to interact both with close ties, such as family, friends, and relatives, and weak ties, including coworkers, acquaintances, and strangers (Chen and Li, 2017 ), and plays a key role among people of all ages as they exploit their sense of belonging in different communities (Roberts and David, 2020 ). Consequently, despite the fears regarding the possible negative impacts of social media usage on well-being, there is also an increasing number of studies highlighting social media as a new communication channel (Twenge and Campbell, 2019 ; Barbosa et al, 2020 ), stressing that it can play a crucial role in developing one's presence, identity, and reputation, thus facilitating social interaction, forming and maintaining relationships, and sharing ideas (Carlson et al, 2016 ), which consequently may be significantly correlated to social support (Chen and Li, 2017 ; Holliman et al, 2021 ). Interestingly, recent studies (e.g., David et al, 2018 ; Bano et al, 2019 ; Barbosa et al, 2020 ) have suggested that the impact of smartphone usage on psychological well-being depends on the time spent on each type of application and the activities that users engage in.…”