Resource barrier versus resource drain: Adult attachment differentially moderates the impact of social support on well-being through need satisfaction

Perceived social support consistently predicts subjective well-being (SWB), yet the underlying psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions remain insufficiently understood. Integrating Conservation of Resources (COR) theory with Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study tested a moderated mediation model in which basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, relatedness) mediates the social support–SWB relationship, with adult attachment orientations (anxiety, avoidance) as moderators. A sample of 488 Chinese university students (52.0% female; Mage = 20.15) completed self-report measures. Parallel mediation analysis showed that all three needs significantly mediated the social support–SWB link, with competence as the strongest mediator. Moderated mediation analyses showed that attachment avoidance significantly weakened the indirect effect through competence satisfaction, whereas attachment anxiety, despite significant negative main effects, did not moderate any pathway. These findings suggest that avoidance may function as a “resource barrier” that attenuates the internalization of support into need satisfaction, whereas anxiety may operate as a “resource drain,” associated with depleted baseline resources while the support-uptake mechanism remains intact. This study advances theory by proposing distinct functional roles for attachment dimensions within an integrated COR-SDT framework. Practical implications for attachment-informed, need-supportive interventions among university students are discussed.

Text 127766.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB) Official URL or Download Paper: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/7/1170

Actions (login required)

View Item