The Role of Coping in Mediating the Relationship Between Positive Affect and School Satisfaction in Adolescents

Little research has investigated the role of positive emotions among youth in the school setting. Fredrickson’s (2001) broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions hypothesizes that frequent positive emotions broaden individuals’ thinking and behavior resulting in enhanced psychological resources, such as a high level of school satisfaction. This study used Fredrickson’s theory to investigate whether approach coping behaviors mediated the relationship between positive emotions and adolescents’ school satisfaction. Results indicated that positive and negative affect related significantly to school satisfaction. Furthermore, positive affect (but not negative affect) correlated significantly with approach coping strategies. Finally, approach coping styles partially mediated the relationship between positive affect and school satisfaction. These findings thus suggest that the presence of positive emotions during school is crucial for adolescents’ school satisfaction. The findings also suggest that frequent positive emotions serve to facilitate students’ approach coping behaviors, which in turn facilitate satisfaction with their schooling experiences. Implications for the development of child indicators of subjective well-being as well as the promotion of students’ positive school experiences are discussed.