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Predicting general well-being from self-esteem and affectivity: an exploratory study with Scottish adolescents
Athanasios Karatzias1, Zoë Chouliara, Kevin Power
1Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Napier University, Comely Bank Campus, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. t.karatzias@napier.ac.uk
Summary
This study found that personality factors like self-esteem and affectivity significantly predict General Well-Being (GWB) in Scottish adolescents. Home self-esteem was a key predictor across multiple GWB domains.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Health
- Well-Being Research
Background:
- General Well-Being (GWB) is crucial for adolescent development.
- Personality constructs, including self-esteem and affectivity, are known to influence psychological states.
- Understanding these associations in adolescents is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personality constructs (self-esteem, affectivity) and General Well-Being (GWB) in Scottish adolescents.
- To identify specific self-esteem domains and affectivity types that predict different facets of GWB.
- To examine the predictive power of these factors on overall and domain-specific GWB.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 425 Scottish secondary school pupils.
- Utilized validated scales: P.G.I. General Well-Being Scale, Hare Self-esteem Scale (HSES), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).
- Statistical analysis to determine the variance in GWB explained by personality factors, age, and gender.
Main Results:
- Combined personality factors explained a substantial portion of GWB variance (up to 49.7%).
- Home self-esteem emerged as the strongest predictor for mood/affect and self/others well-being, and overall GWB.
- Negative affectivity was the strongest predictor of anxiety well-being, while school self-esteem predicted physical well-being.
Conclusions:
- Personality factors, particularly self-esteem and affectivity, are significant predictors of General Well-Being in adolescents.
- Specific domains of self-esteem (home, school) and affectivity (negative) have differential impacts on GWB.
- Age and gender did not show significant associations with GWB in this adolescent sample, highlighting the primary role of personality.
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