Bahadır Şahin Kamas

This study examined the mediating roles of self-efficacy and psychological resilience in the effect of hope on career anxiety among vocational high school students. The study was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational design. The study group consisted of 440 students enrolled in various vocational high schools. Data were collected using the Dispositional Hope Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Children Scale, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure, and the Career Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis, regression-based serial multiple mediation analysis, and bootstrap resampling. Correlation findings indicated that hope was significantly and positively associated with self-efficacy and psychological resilience and significantly and negatively associated with career anxiety. The mediation analysis revealed that hope had a significant total effect on career anxiety. However, when self-efficacy and psychological resilience were included in the model, hope’s direct effect on career anxiety was found to be non-significant. In contrast, hope’s total indirect effect on career anxiety remained significant. The findings indicated that the effect of hope on career anxiety was significantly mediated through self-efficacy, psychological resilience, and a serial indirect pathway involving both constructs. In conclusion, hope does not function as a standalone predictor that directly reduces career anxiety; rather, it operates as a higher-order psychological resource that exerts its influence through self-efficacy and psychological resilience. These findings suggest that hope, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience should be addressed together in school-based interventions aimed at reducing career anxiety among vocational high school students.

This review study comparatively examines three fundamental theoretical approaches attachment theory, social exchange theory, and the investment model in explaining the phenomenon of loyalty in close relationships. Loyalty is conceptualized as a multidimensional value encompassing trust, commitment, and continuity, and the psychological and behavioral processes associated with this value are evaluated within the framework of these theories. Attachment theory emphasizes the influence of individuals’ early attachment patterns on adult relationship satisfaction and tendencies toward loyalty. Social exchange theory argues that individuals make rational decisions in relationships based on a reward–costbalance, explaining loyalty through the evaluation of benefits and alternatives. The investment model conceptualizes loyalty as a commitment dynamic shaped by the interaction of relationship satisfaction, the quality of alternatives, and the magnitude of investments made in the relationship. The study also evaluates the effects of digitalization and changing social structures on these theoretical approaches. Findings from recent research indicate the effects of social media use, digital privacy, online jealousy, and dating applications on loyalty. The contributions of all three theories to explaining loyalty are comparatively analyzed, revealing the psychological depth of attachment theory, the rational structure of social exchange theory, and the investment model’s emphasis on relational sustainability. I