Guo Niting, Li Tianyuan
School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, P. R. China.
Psych J. 2025 Aug;14(4):483-490. doi: 10.1002/pchj.70000. Epub 2025 Apr 24.
Originating from the self-determination theory, the authentic inner compass (AIC) enlightens people about their authentic values, interests, and life aspirations, functioning as an action-guiding schema. Previous studies have examined AIC among adolescents, but its significance for emerging adults is underexplored, especially in less autonomy-oriented cultures (e.g., Chinese cultures). Informed by the self-determination theory, the present study aimed to investigate the association between AIC and subjective well-being among Chinese emerging adults and examine further the mediating role of resilience and the moderating role of anxious attachment. A total of 155 Chinese emerging adults completed measures on AIC, resilience, anxious attachment, and subjective well-being. The results showed that AIC was positively associated with subjective well-being, and resilience fully mediated the association. Moreover, anxious attachment strengthened the positive link between AIC and resilience. The findings highlight the importance of AIC and resilience in boosting subjective well-being, emphasizing the significance of AIC for anxiously attached individuals. The moderated mediation model enriches the self-determination theory and resilience literature. Future practices aiming to promote the well-being of Chinese emerging adults may focus on fostering AIC and resilience and consider individual differences in attachment styles.
源自自我决定理论的真实内在指南针（AIC）能让人们了解自己真实的价值观、兴趣和生活抱负，起到行动指导模式的作用。以往的研究考察了青少年中的AIC，但它对新兴成年人的重要性尚未得到充分探索，尤其是在自主性较低的文化（如中国文化）中。基于自我决定理论，本研究旨在调查中国新兴成年人中AIC与主观幸福感之间的关联，并进一步考察心理韧性的中介作用和焦虑依恋的调节作用。共有155名中国新兴成年人完成了关于AIC、心理韧性、焦虑依恋和主观幸福感的测量。结果表明，AIC与主观幸福感呈正相关，且心理韧性完全中介了这种关联。此外，焦虑依恋增强了AIC与心理韧性之间的正向联系。这些发现凸显了AIC和心理韧性在提升主观幸福感方面的重要性，强调了AIC对焦虑依恋个体的意义。调节中介模型丰富了自我决定理论和心理韧性文献。未来旨在促进中国新兴成年人幸福感的实践可能会侧重于培养AIC和心理韧性，并考虑依恋风格的个体差异。
