Asian Journal of Home Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Self-Esteem and Social Support as Predictors of Happiness Among Adolescents Living in Socio-Economic Hardship


Affiliations
1 Department of Human Development, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab), India
2 Department of Human Development, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab), India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The present study was investigated to assess the level of happiness among rural adolescents experiencing persistent socio-economic hardship and to examine the contribution of attributes like self-esteem and perceived social support on happiness of rural poor adolescents. The sample included 360 adolescents (15-18 years of age) belonging to intact two parent families and living in conditions of socio-economic hardship. The results revealed that despite of living in conditions of socio-economic hardship, majority of rural adolescents perceived high degree of happiness. Female adolescents perceived significantly more happiness in their life as compared to their male counterparts. Males manifested significantly greater self-esteem than females. Correlation analysis revealed that self-esteem and social support were significantly positively correlated with happiness. Regression analysis revealed that social support emerged as the strongest protective factor.

Keywords

Happiness, Self-Esteem, Social Support, Stressful Life Events.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Argyle, M. and Lu, L. (1990). Happiness of extraverts. Personal. & Indiv. Differ., 11 (10) : 1011-1017.

  • Barrera, M. (1986). Distinctions between social support concepts, measures and models. American J. Comm. Psychol., 14 (4) : 413-445.

  • Berkowitz, L. (1989). Frustration-aggression hypothesis: Examination and reformulation. Psychol. Bull., 106 (1) : 59-73.

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P.E. and Rodgers, W.L. (1976). The quality of American life: Perceptions, evaluations and satisfactions. New Russell Sage Foundations, NEW YORK, U.S.A.

  • Case, R.B., Moss, A.J., Case, N., McDermott, M. and Eberly, S. (1992). Living alone after myocardial infraction: Impact on prognosis. J. Am. Med. Assoc., 267 (4) : 515-519.

  • Cohen, S. and Wills, T.A. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. Psychol. Bull., 98 : 310-357.

  • Colon, E.A., Calliles, A.L., Popkin, M.K. and McGlave, P.B. (1991). Depressed mood and other variables related to bone marrow transplantation survival in acute leukemia. Psychosomatics, 32 (4) : 420-425.

  • Conger, R.D., Conger, K.J., Elder, G.H., Lorenz, F.O., Simons, R.L. and Whitbeck, L.B. (1992). A family process model of economic hardship and adjustment of early adolescent boys. Child Develop., 63 (3) : 526-541.

  • Conger, R.D., Lorenz, F.O. , Elder, G.H., Melby, J.N., Simons, R.L. and Conger, K.J. (1991). A process model of family economic pressure and early adolescent alcohol use. J. Early Adolesc., 11 (4) : 430-449.

  • Coopersmith, S. (1986). Self-esteem inventories. Consulting Psychologists Press, CALIFORNIA.

  • Costa, P. and McCrae, R. (1980). Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being: Happy and unhappy people. J. Personal. & Soc. Psychol., 38 (4) : 668-678.

  • Costa, P. and McCrae, R.R. (1984). Personality as a life long determinant of wellbeing. In: C. Matatesta and C. Izard (Eds.). Affective processes in adult development and aging. (pp. 141-156). Sage, Beverly Hills, CALIFORNIA.

  • DeNeve, K.M. and Cooper, H. (1998). The happy personality: a meta analysis of 137 personality traits and subjective well-being. Psychol. Bull., 124 (2) : 179-229.

  • Diener, E. and Diener, M. (1995). Cross-cultural correlates of life satisfaction and self-esteem. J. Personal. & Soc. Psychol., 68 (4) : 653-663.

  • Dohrenwend, B., Elliot, G.R. and Eisclofer, C. (1982). Report on stress and life events. In : Stress and human, health: Analysis and implications of research. Springer-Verlag, NEWYORK, U.S.A.

  • Dumont, M. and Provost, M.A. (1999). Resilience in adolescents: Protective role of social support, coping strategies, self-esteem and social activities on experiences of stress and depression. J. Youth Adolesc., 28 (3) : 343-363.

  • Francis, L.J., Lewis, J.M., Philipchalk, R., Brown, L.B. and Lester, D. (1998). The inter consistency reliability and construct validity of the Francis scale of altitude towards Christianity (adult) among undergraduate students in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Canada. Personal. & Indiv. Diff., 19 : 949-953.

  • Gurin, G., Veroff, J. and Feld, S. (1950). Americans view: Their mental health. McGraw Hill, NEW YORK, U.S.A.

  • Heller, K. (1979). The effects of social support: Prevention and treatment implications. In: Goldstein A.P. and Kanfer, F.I. (eds.) Maximizing treatment gains: Transfer enhancement in psychotherapy. Academic Press, NEW YORK, U.S.A.

  • Huston, A.C., Mcloyd, V.C. and Coll, C.C. (1994). Children and poverty: issues in contemporary research. Child Develop., 65 (2) : 275-282.

  • Kulshrestha, S.P. (1981). Socio-economic status scale (Rural version). National Psychological Corporation, AGRA (U.P.) INDIA.

  • Lazarus, R.S. and Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. Translated and published in Spain and Japan. Springer, NEW YORK, U.S.A.

  • Lever, J.P. (2004). Poverty and subjective well-being in Mexico. Soc. Indic. Res., 68 (1) : 1-33.

  • Lewinsohn, P.M., Redner, J.E. and Seeley, J.R. (1991). The relationship between life satisfaction and psychological variables: New perspectives. In: Strack F, Argyle M and Schwarz, N. (eds.) Subjective well-being: An interdisciplinary perspective, pp. 141-169. Oxford Press, ENGLAND.

  • Lyubomirsky, S., King, L.A. and Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychol. Bull., 131 (6) : 803-855.

  • Mathews, S.H. (1986). Friendships through the life course. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills.

  • National Academy of Sciences (1984). Bereavement: Reactions, consequences and care. National Academy Press, WASHINGTON, D.C.

  • North, R.J., Holahan, C.J., Moos, R.H. and Ronkite, R.C. (2008). Family predictors of happiness: a 10-year perspective. J. Family Psychol., 22(3) : 475-483.

  • Pavot, W., Diener, E., Colvin, R. and Sandvik, E. (1991). Further validation of the satisfaction with life scale: Evidence from the cross method convergence of self-report well-being measures. J. Personality Assess., 57 (1) : 149-161.

  • Prasad, S. (2008). Learned behaviours and happiness: Indian perspective. Souvenir National seminar on learned behaviour and happiness in Life: Indian perspective. pp. 7-15. Ewing Christian College, ALLAHABAD (U.P.) INDIA.

  • Reis, H.R. and Franks, P. (1994). The role of intimacy and social support in health outcomes: two processes or one? Personal Relationships, 1 (2) : 185-197.

  • Simons, R.L., Johnson, C. and Lorenz, F.O. (1996). Family structure differences in stress and behavioural predispositions. In: Simons, R.L. (ed.) Understanding differences between divorced and intact families: Stress, interaction and child outcomes, pp. 45-77. Sage Publications, NEW DELHI (INDIA).

  • Thoits, P.A. (1986). Social support as coping assistance. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 54 (4) : 416-423.

  • Thompson, W.W., Bolger, K.E., Patterson,C.J. and Kupersmidt, J.B. (1995). Psychological adjustment among children's experiencing persistent and intermittent family economic hardship.Child Develop., 66 (4) : 1107-1129.

  • Veenhoven, R. (1994). Is happiness a trait? Tests of the theory that a better society does not make people any happier. Soc. Indic. Res., 32 : 101-160.

  • Wade, T.D. and Kendler, K.S. (2000). The relationship between social support and major depression: Cross-sectional, longitudinal and genetic perspectives. J. Nervous Mental Dis., 188 (5) : 251-258.

  • Wesserman, A.E. and Ricks, D.F. (1966). Mood and personality. Holty, Rinehart and Winston, NEW YORK, U.S.A.

  • Williams, P.G., Wieke, D.J. and Smith, T.W. (1992). Coping processes as mediators of the relationship between hardiness and health. J. Behav. Med., 15 (3) : 237-255.

  • Wilson, W.R. (1967). Correlates of avowed happiness. J. Clinical Psychol., 23 : 295-305. World Data Base of Happiness (1999). Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS.

  • Argyle, M. (2001). The happiness test: How happy are you? The Oxford Happiness Inventory. http://www. coachingtohappiness.com/ happiness_test.html


Abstract Views: 515

PDF Views: 2




  • Self-Esteem and Social Support as Predictors of Happiness Among Adolescents Living in Socio-Economic Hardship

Abstract Views: 515  |  PDF Views: 2

Authors

Neha Sharma
Department of Human Development, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab), India
Jatinder Kaur Gulati
Department of Human Development, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab), India

Abstract


The present study was investigated to assess the level of happiness among rural adolescents experiencing persistent socio-economic hardship and to examine the contribution of attributes like self-esteem and perceived social support on happiness of rural poor adolescents. The sample included 360 adolescents (15-18 years of age) belonging to intact two parent families and living in conditions of socio-economic hardship. The results revealed that despite of living in conditions of socio-economic hardship, majority of rural adolescents perceived high degree of happiness. Female adolescents perceived significantly more happiness in their life as compared to their male counterparts. Males manifested significantly greater self-esteem than females. Correlation analysis revealed that self-esteem and social support were significantly positively correlated with happiness. Regression analysis revealed that social support emerged as the strongest protective factor.

Keywords


Happiness, Self-Esteem, Social Support, Stressful Life Events.

References