The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem in the Relationship Between Internet Altruism and Life Satisfaction Among University Students

Bilgiz Akbayır S.

Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, cilt.16, sa.2, ss.272-281, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Life satisfaction refers to whether or not an individual is satisfied with their overall life experience. In recent years, with the growing interest in positive psychology, researchers have focused on identifying the factors that influence life satisfaction. From this perspective, this study examined the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between university students’ internet altruism and their life satisfaction. The study sample consisted of 385 college students (204 women, 181 men). The “Internet Altruism Scale,” the “Life Satisfaction Scale,” and the “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale” were used as data collection instruments in the study. The research model was designed according to Hayes PROCESS Macro Model 4. Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between variables, and the SPSS Process Macro was used for mediation analysis. The results of the study revealed a moderate positive relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction. A low-level positive relationship was found between internet altruism and self-esteem and life satisfaction. Furthermore, self-esteem was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between internet altruism and life satisfaction. The research results were interpreted from the perspective of the positive activation model. Based on the research findings, recommendations were presented for researchers and practitioners who will conduct future studies in this field.