The Structural Relationship among Positive Affect, Negative Affect, Cognitive Flexibility, Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-being of Undergraduate Students : Focusing on Multiple Mediation Effects Using Phantom Variables

This study explored the relationships among positive affect, negative affect, cognitive flexibility, perceived stress, and psychological well-being in college students. Data from 523 students were analyzed using a parallel multivariate model to assess multiple mediating effects simultaneously, with analyses conducted in SPSS and AMOS.BR/ Key findings include: (1) the model fit and predicted relationships were appropriate, (2) negative affect did not directly impact psychological well-being, and (3) cognitive flexibility and perceived stress significantly mediated the relationship between positive affect and psychological well-being, while only cognitive flexibility mediated the effect of negative affect on well-being. These results underscore the importance of enhancing cognitive flexibility and reducing perceived stress to promote college students' psychological well-being.