Linking social support to subjective well-being: The influence of virtuous personality in a longitudinal mediation model

Social support is often seen as an important factor in improving people's subjective well-being (SWB). However, the underlying processes by which social support contributes to SWB are still not completely understood. Social support may have an impact by shaping individuals' positive personality traits. In this process, virtuous personality, as a moral component of personality, could play a significant role. Furthermore, longitudinal study is crucial for understanding the long-term effect and mechanism behind this relationship. Thus, this study explored the potential mediating role of virtuous personality in the link between social support and SWB over time. Data were collected at two time points from 2149 participants (883 males, 41.1 %), with a three-month interval between assessments. A longitudinal mediation model was constructed. Results showed that social support at T1 significantly predicted SWB at T2. Moreover, T2 virtuous personality mediated the relationship between T1 social support and T2 SWB. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of virtuous personality as a key mediator in the pathway linking social support to enhanced SWB, offering significant insights into the sources of SWB and potential strategies for its improvement.