The following study aimed to investigate Alfred Adler’s concept of social interest and its possible role as a buffer of stress on psychological well-being in undergraduate students. It was predicted that social interest would buffer the effects of stress on psychological well-being; specifically, those who show high levels of social interest would tend to experience a minimal decrease in their levels of psychological well-being when faced with highly stressful situations. One hundred and twenty-six first year psychology students completed questionnaires assessing social interest, social desirability, stress, and psychological well-being. As expected, a significant positive correlation was found between psychological well-being and social interest. Against expectations, a negative significant correlation between stress and social interest was found. In addition, results indicated that social interest did not buffer the effects of stress on psychological well-being. Limitations of the present study are discussed, as well as implications for future research.
