The Effect of Ego Strength on Adolescents’ Social Interest: The Mediating Role of School Belonging
Keywords:
Social Interest, Ego Strength, School BelongingAbstract
Introduction and Aim: Adolescence is a critical period for social development, during which ego strength and school belonging may contribute to positive social orientations and constructive interpersonal functioning. This study aimed to examine the effect of ego strength on adolescents’ social interest through the mediating role of school belonging.
Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of Grade 10 and Grade 11 secondary school students in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year, from whom 386 students were selected through multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Sahami and Mazloumi Social Interest Questionnaire, the Markstrom et al. Psychosocial Inventory of Ego Strengths, and the Barry et al. School Belonging Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in R version 4.3.1 using the lavaan package. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine bivariate relationships, while path analysis and bootstrapping with 1,000 resamples were used to test the structural model and the mediating effect.
Findings: Ego strength was positively correlated with school belonging (r=0.65, p<0.01) and social interest (r=0.70, p<0.01), while school belonging was positively correlated with social interest (r=0.72, p<0.01). The structural model demonstrated satisfactory fit (χ²/df=2.45, CFI=0.94, NFI=0.92, IFI=0.94, TLI=0.93, RMSEA=0.054, SRMR=0.042). Ego strength significantly predicted school belonging (β=0.44, p<0.001), and school belonging significantly predicted social interest (β=0.51, p<0.001). The direct effect of ego strength on social interest remained significant after inclusion of the mediator (β=0.37, p<0.001). The standardized indirect effect of ego strength on social interest through school belonging was 0.224, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.159 to 0.289, confirming partial mediation.
Conclusion: Ego strength was associated with greater adolescent social interest both directly and indirectly through increased school belonging. Interventions aimed at strengthening adolescents’ internal psychological capacities while simultaneously promoting supportive, fair, participatory, and socially connected school environments may therefore contribute to the development of greater social interest.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Seyed Hamed Sajjadiyan (Author); Hassan Mirzahosseini; Abdolvahid Davoodi
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