Gender Differences in Happiness and Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents in Hong Kong: Relationships and Self-Concept

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• 作者：Wing Hong Chui ; Mathew Y. H. Wong
• 关键词：Adolescents ; Gender ; Happiness ; Life satisfaction ; Self ; esteem ; Purpose in life
• 刊名：Social Indicators Research
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：February 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：125
• 期：3
• 页码：1035-1051
• 全文大小：423 KB
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• 作者单位：Wing Hong Chui (1)
  Mathew Y. H. Wong (2)
  
  1. Department of Applied Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR
  2. Department of Politics and Public Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
  
• 刊物类别：Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
• 刊物主题：Social Sciences
  Sociology
  Quality of Life Research
  Microeconomics
  Public Health
  Human Geography
  
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1573-0921

文摘

This study uses survey data from adolescents (N = 1,428) in Hong Kong to test the association of gender with happiness and life satisfaction through relationship style and self-concept. While self-esteem and purpose in life are associated with higher happiness and life satisfaction, having more close friends is related to higher happiness, but not necessarily life satisfaction. On the other hand, boys with higher academic achievement are happier, but not more satisfied; the opposite holds true for girls. Our results provide a much-needed investigation of the differential effect of gender on the subjective well-being of adolescents. Contributing to the theoretical debate about the concepts of subjective well-being, we argue that happiness and life satisfaction are empirically and conceptually distinct. Life satisfaction might be characterized by more profound enjoyment and achievement in life than happiness. Keywords Adolescents Gender Happiness Life satisfaction Self-esteem Purpose in life