The Moderating Roles of Cognitive Flexibility and Well-Being on Need Satisfaction in Social Inclusion and Exclusion

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the association between social exclusion and need satisfaction by examining the interaction effects of cognitive flexibility and well-being. A total of 93 university students (Mage = 21.43, SD = 2.90) completed the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, Need Threat Scale, PERMA Profiler, and Brief Symptom Inventory. The findings indicated that cognitive flexibility moderated the linkage between social inclusion/exclusion and need satisfaction depending on the level of well-being (β = −.05, p < 0.05, 95% CI [−.09, −.01]). The need satisfaction increased as cognitive flexibility increased only in the inclusion group with low well-being. However, the moderator impact of cognitive flexibility was not significant in the exclusion group with low well-being. Consequently, given that cognitive flexibility is thought to increase need satisfaction even in states of low well-being, it is argued that intervention programs aimed at enhancing flexible thinking skills may be effective in increasing basic need satisfaction.

Keywords

cognitive flexibility ostracism social acceptance well-being need threat

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