Friendship relationships, psychological well-being, and social problem solving in primary school students

Abstract

During the primary school years, friendships between children gradually begin to strengthen. During this process, establishing and maintaining friendships are closely related to children's psychological well-being (PWB). However, the development of this relationship can be better understood through the mediating role of social problem-solving (SPS) skills. Within the scope of the study, the nature of friendship and the meaning children attribute to it, as well as the processes of defining problems in social life, including problem-solving, producing solutions, and evaluating them, were examined. In this study, we examine how SPS skills mediate the relationship between friendships and the PWB levels of primary school students. 428 primary school students participated in the study. The study group consisted of eight- and nine-year-old children with an average age of 8.9. All participants were in the fourth grade of primary school. Data were collected using friendships, PWB, and SPS scales. Data were analyzed using path analysis. The results show that SPS, friendships, and PWB are positively related. In addition, SPS mediates PWB and friendship relationships (FR). This result shows that SPS shapes the relationship between PWB and FR. Additionally, it was found that SPS mediates the relationship between friendships and PWB.