THE STUDY OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIAL COMPETENCE, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT, WITH MENTAL TOUGHNESS AMONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS UNDER THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN SECURITY
Keywords:
Social competence, social support, mental toughness, government officials, Ministry of Social Development and Human SecurityAbstract
The purposes of this research were (1) examine the levels of social competence, social support, and mental toughness among government officials under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS); (2) compare mental toughness across personal factors; and (3) investigate the relationships between social competence, social support, and mental toughness. The sample consisted of 170 government officials selected by purposive sampling. Research instruments included the Social Competence Scale (α = .957), the Social Support Scale (α = .907), and the Mental Toughness Scale (α = .974). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), t-test, one-way analysis of variance (One-way ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results revealed that most participants were in early to mid-adulthood, single, and held a bachelor’s degree. Comparison of mental toughness by personal factors indicated statistically significant differences in education level and health status at the .01 and .05 levels, respectively. Participants with a master’s degree and no chronic illness exhibited higher mental toughness. Moreover, social competence showed a strong positive correlation with mental toughness (r = .803, p < .01), while social support demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with mental toughness (r = .408, p < .01). These findings suggest that social competence and social support play crucial roles in enhancing mental toughness among government officials within the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. Keywords: social competence, social support, mental toughness, government officials, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security
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