Life satisfaction, self-concept, and family relations in Chinese adolescents and children

Subjective well-being across the life span may be affected by both age-specific and age-general factors within a cultural context. Thus, this study explored both developmentally invariant and variable predictors of life satisfaction among 115 second-graders and 74 eighth-graders from Hong Kong. In a regression model, general self-concept and ratings of parental warmth and autonomy/detachment predicted life satisfaction equally across the two age groups. However, social self-concept was a strong predictor of life satisfaction among adolescents only, whereas actual academic test scores predicted life satisfaction only among the children. Mean group differences emerged as well, with adolescents scoring significantly lower in life satisfaction and self-concept and higher in emotional detachment than children. Results are explained in relation to both development and culture.