The Mediating Role of Optimism on the Relationship of Individual Attachment Style with the Amount of Happiness and their Life Expectancy
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Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of optimism on the relationship of individual attachment style with the amount of happiness and their life expectancy. Thus, among all students at Shiraz University, 220 students (108 boys and 112 girls) were selected and they were asked to complete Hazan and Shaver attachment styles inventory, Life Orientation Test (LOT), Oxford Happiness questionnaire (OHQ) and Snyder hope scale. The results of path analysis showed that secure attachment style had direct and indirect (with mediating of optimism) positive relationship with happiness and ambivalent and avoidant attachment style had direct and indirect negative relationship (with happiness). On the other hand direct path of secure and avoidant attachment style to life expectancy was not significant but when optimism was entered in to the model, it could predict life expectancy positively for secure attachment style and negatively for avoidant attachment style. Also the result of path analysis revealed that ambivalent attachment style had direct and indirect negative relationship with life expectancy. Overall attachment style and optimism explained 50% of the variance for happiness. Also in the second model attachment style and optimism explained 27 % of the variance for life expectancy. the model had acceptable fit to the data and the role of optimism confirmed as mediator in the relationship of attachment style with happiness and life expectancy.
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