The Study of Social-Cognitive Predictors of Life Satisfaction in University Students

The purpose of this study was examining the accuracy of predictability of cognitive-social variables of life satisfaction in university students. In this analytical-descriptive study، 460 students (243 female and 217 male) of bachelor’s and master’s degree in Uromia University were selected through multistage sampling method and participated in the study. In this study، the variables environmental protections and resources، positive emotion، self-efficacy expectations، outcome expectations، goal progress، and educational satisfaction were predictor variable; and life satisfaction was criterion variable for which the related tests were administered. Data were analyzed by structural equations modeling through LISREL software. The results showed an appropriate fit to the theoretical cognitive-social model and the desirable variables of this model were appropriate predictors for life satisfaction in the study samples. Among predictors، environmental protections and resources were the most powerful ones with highest path coefficient toward life satisfaction. The results supported the theoretical structure of cognitive-social model of life satisfaction and the accuracy of its predictors. All casual pathways toward life satisfaction were positive and significant and cognitive-social variables could explain and predict life satisfaction in university students.