Abstract:

In this study, the mediating and moderating roles of perceived social support on the relationship between self-esteem and trait anger were examined by gender. The participants were 487 undergraduate students who were attending a public university in Turkey. Cross-sectional data were collected by using the Trait Anger Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that perceived social support fully mediated the relationship between self-esteem and trait anger in male. The perceived social support did not predict the trait anger in female. The perceived social support did not moderate the relationship between self-esteem and trait anger in both male and female. This research reveals that social support is a mediator of a negative relationship between self-esteem and trait anger in the males studying at the university and cannot be a moderator in both males and females, and is important in terms of indicating the areas where the effect of social support is limited in psychological adjustment of the individual.

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