RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT, PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND MEANING IN LIFE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Transition from college to university is often marked by important changes in roles, responsibilities, expectations and academic pressure. During this phase, individuals makes efforts to seek out meaning in their lives. However, for many students, this transition appears to be very stressful and students experience various psychological health issues. Literature suggests that these psychological health issues can be alleviated if campus culture and overall society promotes protective factors which can help them deal with upcoming stressful transition from college to university. This research aimed to check the preexisting differences in sources of perceived social support and meaning in life among boarder and non-boarder university students. Furthermore, it aimed to study the relationship between all three study variables. Lastly, study aimed to assess that which the two sources of meaning in life (perceived social support and prosocial behavior) is a better predictor of meaning in life. Convenient sampling was used. A total sample of 185 first year university students, including boarders (N=79) and non-boarders (N=106) was included in study. Meaning in life questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Prosocial Tendency Measure was used to assess variables of interest. Results indicated that boarder students perceived more social support from their families (M= 5.38, SD=1.29) as compared to their peers(M= 5.02, SD=1.30), t(79)=2.684, p=0.009. While boarders did not differ in their perception of social support from both sources. Findings did not indicate any significant difference in the experience of meaning n life of boarders (M=29.52; SD= 9.576) and nonboarders (M= 49.792; SD= 9.521; t= -.148, p= .82). Furthermore, prosocial behavior did not have correlational with meaning in life while, perceived social support was found to have significant correlation with meaning in life (r = .393, p < .05),. However, at subscale level, dire (r= .188, p < .01), anonymous (r= .201, p < .05), emotional (r=.157, p < .05), and compliant prosocial behavior (r=.200, p < .01), were found be correlated with meaning in life. Moreover, perceived social support from family was found to mediate the relationship between dire prosocial behavior and search for meaning in life (b= .401, BCI=.0466, .902). Results also indicated perceived social support (β =0.381, p < 0.05) to be a better predictor of meaning in life. This study provides a meaningful insight into the sources of meaning in life among boarder and nonboarder university students.