IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v21y2020i6d10.1007_s10902-019-00171-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Multi-Informant Study of Strengths, Positive Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being from Childhood to Adolescence

Author

Listed:
  • Kathlyn M. Cherry

    (University of Guelph)

  • Brae Anne McArthur

    (Temple University)

  • Margaret N. Lumley

    (University of Guelph)

Abstract

The parent–child relationship is important for promoting strengths and well-being for youth. Despite this, empirical research examining how parents influence youths’ strengths and well-being has lagged. The current study extends this limited research by examining whether parental perceptions of youths’ strengths as rated by the parent are indirectly related to youths’ well-being by way of youths’ self-reported strengths. Additionally, the study explored associations of youths’ positive self-schemas (reflecting a different positive construct of youths’ self) with these constructs. To date, research on youths’ strengths, self-schemas, and well-being has operated within disparate fields of inquiry, and there has yet to be an empirical investigation examining if specific strengths and self-schemas are related, and their unique associations with youths’ well-being. Participants were 281 youth (57% female; M = 13.36 years, SD = 2.18; 68.6% Caucasian) and their parent. Findings support that parental views of youths’ strengths are indirectly related to youths’ happiness and life satisfaction via youths’ own self-perceived strengths. Relations also emerged between parental perceptions of strengths, youths’ self-reported strengths and self-schemas, and youths’ well-being. Further, specific strength and self-schema themes had unique relations with youths’ happiness and life satisfaction. This study provides empirical support for the relations between youths’ strengths, self-schemas, and well-being, which may advance theoretical models of positive youth development.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathlyn M. Cherry & Brae Anne McArthur & Margaret N. Lumley, 2020. "A Multi-Informant Study of Strengths, Positive Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being from Childhood to Adolescence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2169-2191, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:21:y:2020:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-019-00171-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-019-00171-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-019-00171-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-019-00171-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hayley K. Jach & Jessie Sun & Daniel Loton & Tan-Chyuan Chin & Lea E. Waters, 2018. "Strengths and Subjective Wellbeing in Adolescence: Strength-Based Parenting and the Moderating Effect of Mindset," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 567-586, February.
    2. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Heidi Lepper, 1999. "A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 137-155, February.
    3. Carmel Proctor & P. Linley & John Maltby, 2009. "Youth Life Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(5), pages 583-630, October.
    4. R. M. Tomlinson & L. Keyfitz & J. S. Rawana & M. N. Lumley, 2017. "Unique Contributions of Positive Schemas for Understanding Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1255-1274, October.
    5. Carmel Proctor & John Maltby & P. Linley, 2011. "Strengths Use as a Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 153-169, March.
    6. Julie Seligson & E. Huebner & Robert Valois, 2003. "Preliminary Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 121-145, February.
    7. Shannon Suldo & Jessica Savage & Sterett Mercer, 2014. "Increasing Middle School Students’ Life Satisfaction: Efficacy of a Positive Psychology Group Intervention," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 19-42, February.
    8. Lea E. Waters & Daniel Loton & Hayley K. Jach, 2019. "Does Strength-Based Parenting Predict Academic Achievement? The Mediating Effects of Perseverance and Engagement," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1121-1140, April.
    9. Nansook Park & Christopher Peterson, 2006. "Character Strengths and Happiness among Young Children: Content Analysis of Parental Descriptions," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 323-341, September.
    10. Belén López-Pérez & Janice Sánchez & Michaela Gummerum, 2016. "Children’s and Adolescents’ Conceptions of Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2431-2455, December.
    11. Shannon Suldo & E. Huebner, 2004. "The Role of Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Authoritative Parenting Dimensions and Adolescent Problem Behavior," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 165-195, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. R. M. Tomlinson & L. Keyfitz & J. S. Rawana & M. N. Lumley, 2017. "Unique Contributions of Positive Schemas for Understanding Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1255-1274, October.
    2. Irina V. Leto & Evgeniya N. Petrenko & Helena R. Slobodskaya, 2019. "Life Satisfaction in Russian Primary Schoolchildren: Links with Personality and Family Environment," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 1893-1912, August.
    3. Berta Schnettler & Marianela Denegri & Horacio Miranda & José Sepúlveda & Ligia Orellana & Galo Paiva & Klaus Grunert, 2015. "Family Support and Subjective Well-Being: An Exploratory Study of University Students in Southern Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 833-864, July.
    4. Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara, 2012. "Global and School-Related Happiness in Finnish Children," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 601-619, August.
    5. Daniel Shek & Ting Liu, 2014. "Life Satisfaction in Junior Secondary School Students in Hong Kong: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 777-794, July.
    6. Carmel Proctor & P. Linley & John Maltby, 2009. "Youth Life Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(5), pages 583-630, October.
    7. Robert F. Valois & Jelani C. Kerr & Michael P. Carey & Larry K. Brown & Daniel Romer & Ralph J. DiClemente & Peter A. Vanable, 2020. "Neighborhood Stress and Life Satisfaction: Is there a Relationship for African American Adolescents?," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 273-296, March.
    8. 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.
    9. Zi Jia Ng & Eugene Scott Huebner & Alberto Maydeu-Olivares & Kimberly Joy Hills, 2018. "Confirmatory Factor Analytic Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) in a Longitudinal Sample of Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(4), pages 1237-1247, August.
    10. Jorge J. Varela & Javier Guzmán & Jaime Alfaro & Fernando Reyes, 2019. "Bullying, Cyberbullying, Student Life Satisfaction and the Community of Chilean Adolescents," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(3), pages 705-720, July.
    11. Shiri Lavy, 2020. "A Review of Character Strengths Interventions in Twenty-First-Century Schools: their Importance and How they can be Fostered," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(2), pages 573-596, April.
    12. Valérie Benoit & Piera Gabola, 2021. "Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on the Well-Being of Young Children: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.
    13. Seon, Youngwoon & Smith-Adcock, Sondra, 2023. "Adolescents’ meaning in life as a resilience factor between bullying victimization and life satisfaction," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    14. Luisa Losada-Puente & Alexandra M. Araújo & Jesús Miguel Muñoz-Cantero, 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Assessment of Quality of Life in Adolescents," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 1039-1057, February.
    15. Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas & Sara Malo & Ferran Viñas & Tamar Dinisman, 2017. "Changes with Age in Subjective Well-Being Through the Adolescent Years: Differences by Gender," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 63-88, February.
    16. Badri Bajaj & Ragini Gupta & Santoshi Sengupta, 2019. "Emotional Stability and Self-Esteem as Mediators Between Mindfulness and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(7), pages 2211-2226, October.
    17. Lea E. Waters & Daniel Loton & Hayley K. Jach, 2019. "Does Strength-Based Parenting Predict Academic Achievement? The Mediating Effects of Perseverance and Engagement," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1121-1140, April.
    18. María J. Blanca & Marta Ferragut & Margarita Ortiz-Tallo & Rebecca Bendayan, 2018. "Life Satisfaction and Character Strengths in Spanish Early Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1247-1260, June.
    19. Carlsson, Fredrik & Lampi, Elina & Li, Wanxin & Martinsson, Peter, 2011. "Subjective well-being among preadolescents - Evidence from urban China," Working Papers in Economics 500, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    20. Mark Holder & Andrea Klassen, 2010. "Temperament and Happiness in Children," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 419-439, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:21:y:2020:i:6:d:10.1007_s10902-019-00171-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.