The Mediating Effect of Intrapersonal Empowerment on the Relationship between Happiness and Sense of Community

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of intrapersonal empowerment in the relationship between happiness and a sense of community among social welfare major university students.Based on previous research, this analysis examines the impact of happiness on the sense of community and assesses the significance of intrapersonal empowerment as a mediating factor.A survey was conducted among social welfare major students from three regions in South Korea, yielding a total of 261 responses for analysis.Regression analysis was performed using SPSS 29.0 to examine the effects of happiness and intrapersonal empowerment on the sense of community.Additionally, Baron & Kenny's three-step mediation analysis and the Sobel Test were conducted to verify the mediating effect.The key findings are as follows.First, as happiness increased, the level of intrapersonal empowerment also increased.Second, higher levels of happiness were associated with an increased sense of community.Third, intrapersonal empowerment was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between happiness and a sense of community.These findings suggest that happiness plays a crucial role in enhancing the sense of community among students majoring in social welfare.Furthermore, when developing intervention strategies to promote a sense of community among university students, intrapersonal empowerment and psychological factors should also be considered.