The Relations Among Relatedness Needs,Subjective Well-Being,and Depression of Korean Elderly

The first part of the study examined what the relatedness needs Korean elderly have in close relationships (spouse, children, friends) are. The most salient needs were “love and care” for spouse and “contact and often meeting” for children and friends. The second part of the study assessed the relations among the difference between expectation and satisfaction of relatedness needs, subjective well-being, and depression of Korean elderly. Regression analyses showed that the difference between expectation and satisfaction of relatedness needs for spouse and children significantly predicted subjective well-being and depression. Finally, gender differences are discussed in terms of the patriarchal culture of Korean society.     

Causal Ordering of Basic Psychological Needs and Well-Being

What is the relationship between well-being and satisfaction of basic psychological needs overtime? The basic psychological needs theory is a subtheory of the self-determination theory that elaborates the concept of psychological needs and its relations to psychological health and well-being. The goals of this research was to establish the causal ordering between basic psychological needs and three psychological well-being indicators (subjective well-being, self-esteem and satisfaction with life), in a longitudinal study. We used a cross-lagged two-wave design. A total of 272 university students completed the questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the semester. Relatedness at time 1 (T₁) had a positive and significant effect on all well-being indicators at time 2 (T₂); competence (T₁) had a positive and significant effect on all indicators except for self-esteem (T₂); finally, autonomy (T₁) did not have a significant effect on any of the well-being indicators (T₂). In conclusion, we confirm the causal ordering of competence and relatedness on well-being, according to the basic psychological needs subtheory. Universities, in general, and teachers, in particular, should promote relations between students and support the need of competence.     

Perceived Social Support and School Well-Being Among Chinese Early and Middle Adolescents: The Mediational Role of Self-Esteem

This study examined the mediational role of self-esteem in accounting for the empirical link between perceived social support (parents, friends, and teachers) and school well-being (school satisfaction, positive affect in school, and negative affect in school). Participants were from China and were 221 early adolescents (Mage = 13.6) and 140 middle adolescents (Mage = 16.4). Among early adolescents, parent and teacher support, but not friend support, related significantly to positive school well-being. Among middle adolescents, friend and teacher support, but not parent support, significantly related to school well-being. For both early and middle adolescents, global self-esteem mediated relations between teacher support and school well-being. For early adolescents, global self-esteem mediated relations between parent support and school well-being; whereas for middle adolescents, global self-esteem mediated relations between friend support and school well-being. The findings supported socialcognitive models of well-being in Chinese context. Implications are discussed in the context of developmental and cultural considerations.     

Social Correlates of Psychological Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students in Mysore City

This study explores the impacts of social factors on psychological well-being mainly, gender, educational levels of parents, family income, occupation of parents, and family relationships. The research methodology I employed was guided by random sampling techniques; I selected two hundred eighty students, between the ages of, 19 and 22, from both genders, and different socioeconomic and religious backgrounds. These students were selected from a total of 8 governmental and private colleges in Mysore. I prepared a structured questionnaire for gathering the demographic information and assessing relevant social factors. To measure psychological well-being, I administered Ryff’s psychological well-being scales (Ryff in J Pers Soc Psychol 57(6):1069–1081, 1989). I used frequencies, distribution, and contingency coefficient to describe the variables such as, age, gender, education, religion, income, occupation and their association with type of colleges The data were statistically tested through a one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Post Hoc Test (Duncan’s Multiple Range Test) and a t test using (SPSS, version 16). The findings of this quantitative study reveal that there were no gender differences in relation to psychological well-being of students. Educational levels of parents, occupation, income, and family relationships impact students’ psychological well-being. This study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, my work explores multiple social factors in tandem, instead of focusing on one social factor. Second, the current study probes into better understanding of the sociological issues that are related to characteristics of psychological well-being, particularly that of young college -age women and men. This research is supported by previous studies related to the psychological well-being.     

Social Relationships and Children’s Subjective Well-Being

The quality of relationships is now recognised as an important aspect of children??s subjective well-being. This article focuses on both positive and negative quality of relationships. It includes six areas of children??s relationships??family, neighbourhood adults, positive affect friendship, negative affect friendship, experiences of being bullied by other young people, and being treated unfairly by adults and analyses their association with children??s subjective well-being. Data for this study were obtained from a national survey among 4,673 children in secondary schools across England. Children??s relationships with their family, friends (positive affect) and neighbourhood adults appear to increase their well-being, whereas, negative aspects of friendship relations, experiences of being bullied and treated unfairly by adults is proved to decrease young people??s well-being. Relationships with family, positive relations with friends and experience of being bullied appear to have respectively the first, second and third highest effect on children??s subjective well-being. Although the influence was low, children??s relationships with neighbourhood adults, their experiences of being treated unfairly by adults and their negative relations with friends contributed significantly to explaining variations of their subjective well-being. These findings are discussed in the context of previous empirical studies and theories on social relationships and subjective well-being. Suggestions for future research are also put forward.     

The Longitudinal Relationships Between Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction at School and School-Related Subjective Well-Being in Adolescents

Situated within a positive psychology perspective, this study aimed at examining the nature and directionality of longitudinal relationships between basic psychological needs satisfaction at school and adolescents’ school-related subjective well-being. A total of 576 students (40.5 male and 36.8 % students in junior high school) completed measures of adolescent students’ basic psychological needs at school and school-related subjective well-being at two time points, 6 weeks apart. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling showed significant bidirectional longitudinal relationships between autonomy, relatedness, and competence needs satisfaction and school satisfaction. Furthermore, significant bidirectional relationships were observed between competence need satisfaction and positive affect in school. The findings provided important evidence of the roles of adolescents’ different types of needs satisfaction, experienced specifically during school, in adolescents’ school-related subjective well-being. The findings also helped extend the positive psychology perspective to the relatively neglected context of education.     

Social Relations and School Life Satisfaction in South Korea

This study pays special attention to adolescents who are at the critical stage of social, cognitive and emotional development and their satisfaction with school life which is important for their educational experience and adult life. The purpose of this study is to examine how students’ relationships with friends, teachers and parents are associated with their school life satisfaction. We conducted hierarchical linear modeling with nationally representative data on 3,790 high school seniors in the consideration of different school types (general and vocational high schools) reflecting the contextual characteristics of South Korean education system. Our findings show that all those relations are associated with school life satisfaction and that some distinctive dimensions of each relation matter for students’ school life satisfaction. In particular, teacher-student relationship was found to shape students’ satisfaction with school life both at individual and school level. In spite of several limitations, the broad investigation of students’ social relations provided a policy implication for improving adolescents’ satisfaction with their school lives.     

Learning,Interaction and Relationships as Components of Student Well-being: Differences Between Classes from Student and Teacher Perspective

The attitudes of students to their school, teachers and peers were investigated with 1,540 students in grade six from 30 schools and 78 classes. Using structural equation modelling, the students’ perceptions of well-being were investigated at class level using seven items with high reliability. Their well-being was dependent on at least three factors: students’ learning (seven items), student-to-student interaction (six items) and teacher–student relationships as described by students (ten items). Together, these factors explained 72 % of the variability of well-being between classes. The students’ well-being appeared to be significantly different between schools and between classes in the same school. The teachers’ opinions of their classes with the highest class score for well-being were compared with the lowest. The differences in the evaluation of the teachers’ own classes explain a number of critical issues which impact on educational outcomes. Students need to be aware of the combined effects of learning and socialisation.     

The Impacts of Attributional Styles and Dispositional Optimism on Subject Well-Being: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis

The current study examined the impact of attributional styles on subjective well-being, with a primary focus on confirmation of the mediator role of dispositional optimism among a sample of 384 college students. Participants completed a questionnaire packet containing life orientation test-revised, Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale, and Subjective Well-Being Scale. The results revealed that both dispositional optimism and attributional styles were significantly correlated with subjective well-being. Confirmatory factor analysis identified the latent structure of attributional styles in Chinese college students and found out that both positive and negative effort need to exclude from the structure which was different from findings in Western. Structural equation modeling indicated that optimism partially mediated positive attributional styles to subject well-being (SWB) and negative attributional styles to SWB. The final model also revealed significant both paths from positive and negative attributional styles to subjective well-being through optimism. The findings extended prior researches and shed light on how attributional styles influence subjective well-being; this provides valuable evidence on how to promote subjective well-being in positive psychology.     

Work Matters: Work Personal Projects and the Idiosyncratic Linkages Between Traits,Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-being

A holistic understanding of relationships between personality and well-being requires knowing the linkages between several levels of personality analysis and different wellbeing varieties, namely hedonic and eudaimonic measures. We explore the moderator effect of work personal projects, a personality variable linked to personal action, on the relations between proactive conscientiousness facets, personality traits, and subjective and psychological well-being. In two cross-sectional studies, a battery of self-report questionnaires was used to assess personality traits, personal projects, subjective and psychological well-being in 398 teachers of primary and high schools. Findings show that work personal projects moderate the relations between competence and deliberation, but not achievement striving, and the three psychological well-being dimensions. However, work personal projects do not have a moderator influence on the relationship between these traits and subjective well-being components. Therefore, work personal projects seem to provide specific and distinct linkages on the relationships between personality trait and these two kinds of well-being. Additionally, findings support the importance of work in adult lives, considered by diverse authors.     

Determinants of Subjective Well-Being in Adolescent Children of Recipients of the Oportunidades Human Development Program in Mexico

This study was conducted with adolescent children from a probabilistic sample with national representation from both rural and urban areas, in Mexican households eligible for services from the federal social program known as Oportunidades and characterized by conditions of extreme poverty. Participating were 1,093 youth of whom 61 % live in urban localities and 56 % are males, with an average age of 14.92 (±1.29) years and an average number of completed years of schooling of 8.33 (±1.71). The results indicated that the subjective well-being of these adolescents was dependent on a positive self-concept (self-esteem and strength), positive interactions with their parents (respectful, understanding and close) and with their friends (supportive), with importance placed on their studies, and the absence of emotional upset (stress or depression). Among the population studied, males and those younger, as well as those who only study, reported greater subjective well-being.     

School Attachment Among Taiwanese Adolescents: The Roles of Individual Characteristics,Peer Relationships,and Teacher Well-Being

This study examines the effects of individual characteristics (school grade and gender), peer relationships (peer support and peer victimization), and the subjective well-being of teachers (depression and job satisfaction) on students’ attachment to school. Twenty-four classes in grades 7 through 9 at two middle schools in Taipei were selected as the sample, and survey data were obtained from students and homeroom teachers. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to conduct a two-level analysis on 720 students and 24 teachers with valid data on all research variables. A series of models were constructed and tested stepwise. The results indicated that students’ average school attachment scores varied significantly among classes. A higher school grade was associated with reduced attachment while no gender difference was found. Peer support had a positive influence and peer victimization had a negative effect on school attachment. Finally, job satisfaction of the homeroom teachers positively contributed to students’ attachment to school, but teachers’ depression had no significant effect. Implications for creating a positive classroom environment were discussed.     

Self-Esteem as Mediator and Moderator of the Relationship Between Social Support and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese University Students

This study examined both the mediating and moderating effects of global self-esteem on the relationship between social support and subjective well-being among Chinese university students. Three hundred and ninety-one university students (260 males and 131 females) from two different Chinese universities completed the social support scale, the self-esteem scale and the subjective well-being scale. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that global self-esteem partially mediated the influence of social support on life satisfaction and positive affect, whereas it fully mediated the influence of social support on negative affect. Moreover, global self-esteem moderated the relationship between social support and life satisfaction, and positive affect, but not negative affect. When students reported a high level of global self-esteem, those with high social support reported higher scores in life satisfaction and positive affect than those with low social support. However, there were no differences in life satisfaction or positive affect between groups with high and low social support when global self-esteem was low. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.     

Subjective Well-Being Structure: Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a Teachers’ Portuguese Sample

Authors consider that subjective well-being is a theoretical construct that includes three components: life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect. Despite the numerous studies already conducted, divergences remain concerning how to conceptualize these components within a global structure of subjective well-being. This study aims to examine the dimensionality of the subjective well-being construct. A set of self-report questionnaires was used to assess life satisfaction, positive and negative affect in 397 teachers of primary and high schools. A model of a tripartite structure was tested using a confirmatory factor analysis. The results corroborate the premise that subjective well-being is a multidimensional construct that incorporates three components: life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect. Our findings reinforce the viewpoint that these three components are moderately correlated and relatively independent and also strengthen the need for a complete SWB assessment that includes adequate measures of all three components.     

Gratitude and Adolescent Athletes’ Well-Being: The Multiple Mediating Roles of Perceived Social Support from Coaches and Teammates

Since the positive psychology was emerged from 2000s, these positive constructs contribute to athlete’s well-being received much attention in sport. However, gratitude is a topic rarely discussed in the sport psychology. Thus, the current study aims at investigated the relationship between gratitude and athlete well-being. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlie the relationship was also explored. We proposed that the perceived social support from coach and teammate would be mediators. Participants were 291 adolescent athletes. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesis. Results indicated that gratitude is a positive related to athlete’s well-being. Besides, multiple-mediators analysis indicated that both perceived coach and teammate social support partially mediated the relationship between gratitude and athlete’s well-being. This study contributes to the gratitude and well-being literature by unpacking the essential psychological process behind the relationship. Implication and application were discussed in term of gratitude theory and social support.     

The Effect of Income on General Life Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction

Increasing evidence from the empirical economic and psychological literature suggests that positive and negative well-being are more than opposite ends of the same phenomenon. Two separate measures of the dependent variable may therefore be needed when analyzing the determinants of subjective well-being. We investigate asymmetries in the effect of income on subjective well-being with a single-item measure of general life satisfaction. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel 1984–2004, and a flexible multiple-index ordered probit panel data model with varying thresholds, we find that income has only a minor effect on high satisfaction but significantly reduces dissatisfaction.     

The Mediator Roles of Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem between the Affective Components of Psychological Well-Being and the Cognitive Symptoms of Problematic Internet Use

The factors associated with cognitions about problematic Internet use have been empirically tested in various studies. The aim of the present study was to examine the mediator roles of both life satisfaction and self-esteem between affective components of subjective well-being and cognitions about problematic Internet use. For this purpose, the model that was conceptualized by Davis (Comput Human Behav 17:187–195, 2001), Caplan (Comput Human Behav 18:553–575 2002), and Lent et al. (J Vocat Behav 74:190–198 2009) was modified and used as the theoretical framework for this study. The impacts of life satisfaction and self-esteem on the association between affective components of psychological well-being (positive and negative) and cognitions about problematic Internet use were tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM) in a sample of 480 Turkish university students. The results reveal that by playing a mediator role, self-esteem impacted positive/negative affect and life satisfaction and, hence, indirectly influenced cognitions about problematic Internet use. Examining the roles of self-esteem and subjective well-being will provide a new starting point for further studies.     

Sisters in Later Life: Changes in Contact and Availability

SUMMARY

The strongest of sibling bonds is the relationship between sisters. However, researchers know little about how these relationships change over lime. This study presents a longitudinal examination of structural and contact features of older, rural women's (N = 82) sibling networks. Also, sibling network variables were correlated with measures of subjective well-being. Significant loss of siblings occurred over 12 years. After controlling for proximity, frequency of contact between siblings did not change. Although sisters predominated in sibling networks, proximate brothers were slightly more prevalent and had more frequent contact with the respondents. Associations between sibling variables and subjective well-being were not found. Siblings remain active in the kin networks of women into late old age.     

The relation of social support, connectedness, and collective self-esteem to the psychological well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth

The present study extended the research on the mental health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth by testing the relationship of social support, social connectedness, and collective self-esteem to psychological well-being in a sample of 218 LGB youth. Perceived social support significantly predicted psychological well-being subscales; social connectedness and collective self-esteem contributed significantly to the psychological well-being of the LGB participants when controlling for perceived social support. Age moderated the relations between several of the social and psychological well-being variables. Results of the study suggest that helping professionals working with LGB youth consider assessment of the youth's sense of connectedness to those around him/her and esteem related to LGB group membership in addition to assessing general social support.     

Shyness and Subjective Well-being: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Social Support

This study examined the role of emotional intelligence (EI) and social support on the relationship between shyness and subjective well-being (SWB) in Chinese college students. The participants were 496 students, with an age range of 18–24, who were attending two different Chinese colleges. Data were collected by using the paper and pencil assessments including Cheek and Buss shyness scale, Wong and Law emotional intelligence scale, multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support, positive affect and negative affect scale and satisfaction with life scale. Path analysis showed that EI and social support partially mediated the relationship between shyness and SWB. The final model also revealed a significant path from shyness through EI and social support to SWB. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis found that the paths did not differ across sexes, but significantly differed between urban and rural areas. The results are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.