Alienation and Life Satisfaction: Mediation Effects of Social Identity and Hope among University Students

Background: Interpersonal alienation has increasingly been recognized as a salient risk factor affecting university students’ psychological adjustment and life satisfaction. Guided by Social Identity and Self-Categorization theories, this study examines how alienation influences life satisfaction through the mediating roles of social identity and hope. Methods: This study surveyed 492 Taiwanese undergraduate students (53.7 percent female, mean age 21.08 years) from 60 universities using convenience sampling in May 2023. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via faculty-managed teaching media platforms. Measures included perceived social identity, state hope, interpersonal alienation, and life satisfaction. All instruments were adapted from validated scales, translated into traditional Chinese through back-translation, and reviewed by experts to ensure content validity and cultural relevance. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 20 and SmartPLS 4.0. Results: Harman’s single-factor test indicated no significant common method bias. Measurement model analyses demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and absence of multicollinearity. All four hypothesized paths were supported: interpersonal alienation negatively predicted life satisfaction, with perceived social identity and hope serving as individual and sequential mediators. The model explained 10.5% of the variance in social identity, 25.3% in hope, and 49.6% in life satisfaction. Group comparisons revealed that male students reported significantly higher hope and life satisfaction than females, and first-year students experienced greater alienation than upper-level peers. Conclusion: This study elucidates how interpersonal alienation undermines life satisfaction among university students and highlights the protective roles of social identity and hope. Findings underscore the importance of fostering psychological resources that promote resilience and well-being. The results offer practical implications for designing educational programs that enhance students’ sense of belonging, optimism, and emotional strength. These insights contribute to a deeper theoretical understanding of the mechanisms linking alienation and life satisfaction and inform strategies to support student adaptation and flourishing in higher education.