Psychosocial Determinants of Subjective Well-Being: The Effects of Social Ostracism and Social Interaction Anxiety in University Students

Abstract

Students living in this modern era are very energetic, enthusiastic, compassionate, and Social. The study aims to know the possible relation between social ostracism, Social Interaction Anxiety and Subjective Well-Being in University Students. It also evaluates being ostracized and having social interaction anxiety on individual’s subjective well-being. Correlational research design was used in the study to check the correlation between the variables. Non probability convenient sampling technique was used to choose participants of the sample (N=200). The population of this research were university students. Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and Subjective Well-Being Scales were the tools used in study to access the social ostracism, Social Interaction Anxiety and Subjective Well-Being. Descriptive of demographic, reliability analyses, Pearson’s product moment, correlational analysis, regression analysis, AMOS for testing mediating model, t-test and ANOVA analysis were conducted. All scales showed good reliability (α > .70). Social ostracism positively correlated with social interaction anxiety (r = .16, p = .02) and negatively with life satisfaction (r = -.16, p = .01). Social interaction anxiety negatively correlated with flourishing (r = -.17, p = .01). Regression analyses revealed social ostracism negatively predicted life satisfaction (β = -.15, p < .05, R² = .06, F = 2.87, p = .027) and social interaction anxiety negatively predicted flourishing (β = -.19, p < .01, R² = .06, F = 2.81, p = .007); no significant prediction for affect balance. Gender differences emerged in life satisfaction, with females reporting higher levels than males, while no differences were found based on institutional type or class groups. Mediation analysis using structural equation modeling demonstrated that social interaction anxiety mediated the relationship between social ostracism and flourishing. Overall, the findings suggest that social ostracism and social interaction anxiety play a significant role in shaping aspects of subjective well-being among university students.