Positive coping as mediator between self-control and life satisfaction: Evidence from two Chinese samples

Previous work has found that self-control is positively associated with life satisfaction. The current study aimed to replicate this relation and extend this line of research by examining the mediating effect of coping in the Chinese context. Five hundred and twenty-five university students (Sample 1) and two hundred ninety-four employees (Sample 2) participated in the study completing self-report measures that assessed self-control, coping, and life satisfaction. Results of both samples provided converging evidence that self-control was positively related to life satisfaction and that this relation was partially mediated by positive coping. In conclusion, using more positive ways to cope partly explains how people high in self-control are more satisfied with life. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.