Suppression of Positive and Negative Emotions and Loneliness among Emerging Adults: A Moderated-Mediation Model of Romantic Relationship Satisfaction and Gender
Journal of Psychology, vol.159, no.8, pp.705-728, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 159 Issue: 8
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.1080/00223980.2025.2466100
- Journal Name: Journal of Psychology
- Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, ABI/INFORM, Art Source, ATLA Religion Database, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Gender Studies Database, Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Political Science Complete, Psycinfo, Religion and Philosophy Collection, SportDiscus
- Page Numbers: pp.705-728
- Keywords: emerging adults, gender, loneliness, romantic relationship satisfaction, Suppression
- Uşak University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Loneliness is prevalent in emerging adults, and there is a great need to understand its antecedents to combat loneliness. This study aimed to examine whether romantic relationship satisfaction mediated the relationship between the suppression of positive and negative emotions and loneliness and whether gender moderated the relationship between the suppression of positive and negative emotions and romantic relationship satisfaction in Turkish emerging adults. The study sample consisted of 452 (248 females and 204 males) emerging adults involved in a romantic relationship and attending university, 18–25 years old. The participants completed the measures of the suppression sub-dimension of emotion regulation, romantic relationship satisfaction, and loneliness, as well as a demographic survey. Firstly, the findings demonstrated that romantic relationship satisfaction mediated the relationship between the suppression of both positive and negative emotions and loneliness, regardless of gender. Secondly, the findings reported that gender moderated the mediating role of romantic relationship satisfaction in the relationship between suppression of negative emotions and loneliness. More specifically, suppression of negative emotions significantly put female emerging adults at increased risk of poor romantic relationship satisfaction and, consequently, loneliness in comparison with males.