Investigating the Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Attachment Styles with Risky Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in Students
Keywords:
Risky behaviors, psychological capital, attachment styles, self-compassionAbstract
Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the relationship between risky behaviors based on psychological capital and attachment styles with the mediating role of self-compassion.
Methods and Materials: This study was applied in nature and employed a descriptive design in terms of data collection method (research design), and it used structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis. The statistical population consisted of all female students enrolled in lower secondary schools in Tehran during the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 385 students were selected through multistage cluster random sampling. The instruments used in this study included the Risky Behavior Questionnaire by Zadehmohammadi et al. (2008), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire by Luthans et al. (2007), the Attachment Styles Questionnaire by Hazan and Shaver (1987), and the Self-Compassion Scale by Neff (2003). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and LISREL version 8.8.
Findings: The results showed that psychological capital, secure attachment style, and self-compassion had a direct and significant negative effect on risky behaviors. Conversely, avoidant insecure attachment style and ambivalent insecure attachment style had a direct and significant positive effect on risky behaviors. The findings related to indirect effects indicated that the relationships between psychological capital and attachment styles with risky behaviors were significant through the mediating role of self-compassion (P < .01).
Conclusion: Given the study findings, it is essential to understand the elements that may influence adolescents’ tendency toward risky behaviors in order to design effective intervention strategies that can prevent many of these behaviors.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Seyedeh Maryam Bathaei (Author); Rahim Davari; Hossein Ebrahimi Moghaddam (Author)
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