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Well-Being Contagion in the Family: Transmission of Happiness and Distress Between Parents and Children

Author

Listed:
  • Peilian Chi

    (University of Macau)

  • Hongfei Du

    (Guangzhou University
    Guangzhou University)

  • Ronnel B. King

    (The Education University of Hong Kong)

  • Nan Zhou

    (Beijing Normal University)

  • Hongjian Cao

    (Beijing Normal University)

  • Xiuyun Lin

    (Beijing Normal University)

Abstract

Psychological well-being is contagious within families. However, two key issues remain unresolved: a) which type of well-being is transmitted and b) who transmits to whom The present study aims to answer these two questions by drawing on a longitudinal and nationally representative sample to examine a) whether both positive and negative aspects of well-being can be transmitted and b) whether both parents and children transmit well-being to each other. Analyses were conducted using the China Family Panel Studies data in 2010 (2971 adolescents and their parents) and 2014. Cross-lagged analysis showed that the positive aspect of well-being (i.e., subjective well-being, SWB) was almost fully transmitted among all family members. In contrast, the negative aspect of well-being (i.e., psychological distress, PD) was transmitted only from fathers to mothers and from fathers to adolescent children. A gender-specific effect emerged such that sons rather than daughters predicted fathers’ SWB. Well-being contagion in families was more robust for the positive aspect of well-being. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Peilian Chi & Hongfei Du & Ronnel B. King & Nan Zhou & Hongjian Cao & Xiuyun Lin, 2019. "Well-Being Contagion in the Family: Transmission of Happiness and Distress Between Parents and Children," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(6), pages 2189-2202, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:12:y:2019:i:6:d:10.1007_s12187-019-09636-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-019-09636-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hongfei Du & Ronnel B King & Peilian Chi, 2017. "Self-esteem and subjective well-being revisited: The roles of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Nattavudh Powdthavee & Anna Vignoles, 2008. "Mental Health of Parents and Life Satisfaction of Children: A Within-Family Analysis of Intergenerational Transmission of Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 397-422, September.
    3. Carlsson, Fredrik & Lampi, Elina & Li, Wanxin & Martinsson, Peter, 2014. "Subjective well-being among preadolescents and their parents – Evidence of intergenerational transmission of well-being from urban China," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 11-18.
    4. Bruce Headey & Ruud Muffels & Gert Wagner, 2014. "Parents Transmit Happiness Along with Associated Values and Behaviors to Their Children: A Lifelong Happiness Dividend?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 909-933, May.
    5. Richard Lucas & M. Brent Donnellan, 2012. "Estimating the Reliability of Single-Item Life Satisfaction Measures: Results from Four National Panel Studies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 323-331, February.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Lateef, Rusan & Alaggia, Ramona & Collin-Vézina, Delphine, 2021. "A scoping review on psychosocial consequences of pandemics on parents and children: Planning for today and the future," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    3. Guofang Liu & Qingxuan Meng & Qian Su, 2024. "Risk or Opportunity? How is Children’s Subjective Well-Being Affected by Their Parents During Public Health Emergencies," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 81-97, February.
    4. Nathaniel W. Anderson & Anna J. Markowitz & Daniel Eisenberg & Neal Halfon & Kristin Anderson Moore & Frederick J. Zimmerman, 2022. "The Child and Adolescent Thriving Index 1.0: Developing a Measure of the Outcome Indicators of Well-Being for Population Health Assessment," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(6), pages 2015-2042, December.
    5. Danusha Jayawardana & Nadezhda V. Baryshnikova & Terence C. Cheng, 2023. "The long shadow of child labour on adolescent mental health: a quantile approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 77-97, January.

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