Understanding happiness in higher education: Psychosocial model of positivity, personality traits, and friends’ support

Happiness in university life emerges from a complex interplay between internal strengths and social connections. This study examined the relationships among positivity, extraversion, resilience, friends’ support, and happiness using Structural Equation Modeling–Path (SEM-Path). Participants were 325 undergraduate students (male and female) recruited through an online survey. The path analysis produced a well-fitting model (GFI = 0.987; RMSEA = 0.061; CFI = 0.990). Results showed that positivity exerted multiple effects on extraversion, friends’ support, resilience, and happiness. More specifically, two distinct pathways were identified: an interpersonal pathway, where extraversion facilitated stronger peer support that enhanced happiness, and an intrapersonal pathway, where extraversion promoted resilience that sustained well-being. Although extraversion did not directly predict happiness, it acted as a pivotal factor linking positivity with resilience and peer support. Interpreted through the lens of Self-Determination Theory, the findings suggest that positivity nurtures competence, while friends’ support strengthens relatedness—two essential needs for fostering happiness in higher education. Taken together, this study concludes that students’ happiness is shaped by the synergy of intrapersonal strengths (positivity and resilience) and interpersonal resources (friends’ support and extraversion). These insights highlight the need for integrated interventions that simultaneously cultivate internal capacities and supportive peer environments to enhance student well-being.