Exploring the Impacts of Meaning in Life, Character Strengths, and Social Connectedness on Affect and Achievement in Gifted Students

TL;DR

This study shows that meaning in life, character strengths, and social connectedness help gifted students feel better and perform better academically.

Contribution

The study reveals new indirect pathways through social connectedness linking meaning and strengths to affect and achievement in gifted students.

Findings

Meaning in life and character strengths indirectly influence positive affect through social connectedness.

These factors also reduce negative affect and improve perceived academic achievement via social connectedness.

Effect sizes are small-to-moderate, indicating meaningful but not overwhelming impacts.

Abstract

Understanding the factors that promote positive affect and achievement in gifted students is essential for supporting their holistic development and success. This study aimed to explore the relationship among meaning in life (presence and search), character strengths (creativity, perseverance, social intelligence), social connectedness, positive/negative affect, and perceived academic achievement among gifted students in Hong Kong, China. A total of 348 gifted students participated in this study, comprising 196 males and 152 females, aged 10 to 18 years. The students completed a cross-sectional online survey in August and September 2024. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with bootstrapping to estimate indirect effects. The results indicated significant indirect effects of meaning in life (presence and search) and character strengths (creativity, perseverance, social intelligence) on positive affect (β = 0.15 to 0.32, p < 0.05) and negative affect (β = −0.15 to −0.26, p < 0.05) via social connectedness, with small-to-moderate effect sizes. Additionally, significant indirect effects were observed for meaning in life and character strengths on perceived academic achievement via social connectedness (β = 0.13 to 0.20, p < 0.05), with small-to-moderate effect sizes. This research highlights the significant role of character strengths, meaning in life, and social connectedness in enhancing positive affect and perceived academic achievement, and reducing negative affect among gifted students.