Need to Belong and Negative affect: The Mediating Role of Executive Dysfunction

This study sought to assess the mediating role of executive dysfunction, which refers to difficulties in managing, organizing, and regulating thoughts and behaviors, in the connection between the need to belong, defined as the desire to be accepted by and integrated into a social group and negative affect. A total of 395 university students, 232 female and 163 male, were recruited (Mage = 20.75, SD = 1.93). Need to belong, executive dysfunction, and negative affect were examined via the Need to Belong Scale, Executive Dysfunction Subscale of The Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale, respectively. Based on the results of the correlation analysis, a higher need to belong was associated with higher levels of negative affect and greater executive dysfunction. Furthermore, executive dysfunction was positively associated with negative affect. Two mediation models were tested to examine the relationships among need to belong, executive dysfunction, Overall, the findings suggest that the associations among need to belong, executive dysfunction, and negative affect may be bidirectional. These results highlight the importance of cognitive processes in understanding emotional difficulties related to belongingness needs.