The Mediating Role of Psychological Vulnerability and Grit in the Effect of Childhood Happiness Memories on Subjective Happiness

Childhood experiences are significantly associated with people's mental health and subjective happiness. This study aims to examine the relationship between Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness and Subjective Happiness by exploring the serial mediating roles of Psychological Vulnerability and Grit. Convenience sampling was used to gather data. A total of 345 volunteer university students from different universities in Türkiye (275 females, 79.7%; 70 males, 20.3%) participated in the study. The participants’ mean age was 21.37 years (SD = 4.17). Results of structural equation modeling showed acceptable fit indices [χ²(659) = 1268.935, χ²/df = 1.94, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .05, CFI = .91, TLI = .90]. Mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro Model 6 revealed that Psychological Vulnerability and Grit serially mediated the relationship between EMWS and Subjective Happiness. Specifically, higher levels of EMWS were associated with lower Psychological Vulnerability, which, in turn, was associated with higher Grit and Subjective Happiness. The serial indirect association of EMWS with Subjective Happiness via Psychological Vulnerability and Grit was significant (B = 0.0156, BootSE = 0.0090, 95% CI [0.0001, 0.0351]). In addition, the direct association of EMWS with Subjective Happiness was significant (B = 0.2915, SE = 0.0651, 95% CI [0.1636, 0.4195]). These findings suggest that higher levels of EMWS are associated with higher levels of subjective happiness, with this association statistically explained by lower psychological vulnerability and greater grit, highlighting the potential relevance of emotional stability and personal resilience in understanding subjective well-being.