Subjective Well-Being of Early Adolescents in Hong Kong

Abstract

There is a pressing need to learn more about the subjective well-being of adolescents because it is an important indicator of the quality of life in adolescence. Utilizing a three-wave longitudinal study with 1-year time interval, the subjective well-being of adolescents in the junior secondary school years in Hong Kong was examined. Measures of subjective well-being (life satisfaction and hopelessness) and school adjustment indicators (academic and school competence, perceptions of the new school curriculum, and participation in tutoring activities) were explored in this study. Six major observations were highlighted from the findings. First, factor analysis showed that life satisfaction and hopelessness were two separable dimensions of subjective well-being. Second, life satisfaction was negatively related to hopelessness concurrently and longitudinally. Third, the negative correlation between life satisfaction and hopelessness was stronger for adolescent girls than for adolescent boys. Fourth, while academic and school competence positively predicted life satisfaction, it negatively predicted hopelessness. Fifth, life satisfaction, hopelessness, and academic and school competence influenced students’ perceptions of the new school curriculum, with academic and school competence to be the strongest predictor. Finally, time spent in tutoring was positively related to the hopelessness of the participants.