Relations among self‐control, hope, and psychological adjustment: A two‐wave longitudinal mediation study

Abstract

While the relationships between self‐control, hope, and psychological adjustment have been examined in cross‐sectional studies, the fact that these variables have not been considered together in any longitudinal research creates a gap in the literature. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationships between self‐control, hope, and psychological adjustment. Specifically, a cross‐lagged panel study in two waves was conducted to examine whether hope mediated the association between self‐control and psychological adjustment using a Turkish college sample (N = 349). The results revealed that hope had a significant mediation effect in the longitudinal association between self‐control and psychological adjustment. In this direction, self‐control indirectly predicts psychological adjustment through hope. This longitudinal study reveals that having self‐control may have a positive influence on a person's level of hope and that hope may be a significant predictor of individual psychological adjustment.