Psychological Adaptation Mechanisms in Combat : Sequential Mediation and the Conceptual Model of Korean Military Mental Toughness = 전장 심리와 적응 기제 연구: 전투 경험의 순차적 매개와 한국군 정신적 강인함 개념 모델

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Psychological Adaptation Mechanisms in Combat: Sequential Mediation and the Conceptual Model of Korean Military Mental Toughness This research aimed to comprehensively explore the psychological impact of combat experience on service members, moving beyond a singular pathological perspective to an approach centered on destructive mechanisms and recovery mechanisms. Utilizing a sequential mixed-methods approach, Study 1 quantitatively analyzed the impact of combat exposure on psychological well-being through the moral-existential dimension, while Study 2 qualitatively defined the Korean conceptual structure of Mental Toughness (MT)—an essential construct in combat environments. Study 1 analyzed data from 1,495 U.S. veterans, empirically establishing a critical negative sequential mediating pathway: Combat Exposure – Moral Injury – Erosion of Purpose – Decreased Well-being. This finding demonstrates that the destructive nature of combat experience is deeply linked to the collapse of the existential meaning system. Concurrently, the study discovered a suppression effect, where the direct effect of combat exposure on well-being became positive when the negative pathway was controlled, statistically proving that combat experience harbors a potential for psychological growth (Post-Traumatic Growth/PTG). Study 2 conducted concept mapping research on Korean service members with actual combat experience, defining the structure of MT into two dimensions and four clusters: 'Psychological Flexibility and Self-regulation,' 'Group Cohesion and Leadership,' 'Individual Traits and Sense of Purpose,' and 'Internalization of Socio-cultural Awareness.' Crucially, the 'Psychological Flexibility and Self-regulation' cluster was rated with the highest importance, serving as the substance of the recovery mechanism hinted at by the suppression effect. This suggests that the ability to perceive and self-regulate one's psychological state is the most vital mental asset in a combat environment. Furthermore, the importance of the 'Internalization of Socio-cultural Awareness' cluster indicates that the unique collective and socio-cultural context of the Korean military is an essential component of service members' mental toughness. These integrated findings strongly suggest that the paradigm for psychological intervention for veterans must shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention and psychological competency enhancement. Specifically, this requires the introduction of specialized programs designed to address moral injury and the loss of meaning, the development of a comprehensive psychological competency enhancement program that identifies individual characteristics and strengthens psychological assets, and, as a first step, the creation of a reliable scale for mental toughness. This research serves as an academic primer for establishing this new intangible combat power.  Keywords: Combat Experience, Moral Injury, Purpose, Mental Toughness, Suppression Effect, Post-Traumatic Growth, Military Psychology, Concept Mapping.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH· ⅴ
• 1. INTRODUCTION 1
• 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 7
• 2.1. The Psychological Impact of Combat Exposure and
• Limitations of the Traditional Model
• 7
• 2.2. The Destructive Pathway: Moral Injury and Purpose 9
• 2.3. The Resilience Mechanism: Mental Toughness 11
• A. Study 1 Sequential Mediation Model of Combat Exposure on Well-being
• A.3.RESEARCH METHOD 14
• A.4. RESEARCH RESULT 19
• B. Study 2 A Concept Mapping of Mental Toughness in the Battle
• B.3. RESEARCH METHOD 28
• B.4 RESEARCH RESULT 34
• 5. GENERAL DISCUSSION 43
• 6. CONCLUSION 51
• REFERENCES 54
• APPENDICES 63
• ABSTRACT IN KOREAN 66