The influence of self-concept and relationship on life satisfaction of adolescents
was examined in 1099 Hong Kong Chinese junior high school children. Based on past
research, it was hypothesised that self-concept and relationship are not independent
of each other, and that they both have direct contribution toward the perception of
life satisfaction in adolescents. Data were analysed using the structural equation
modelling (SEM) technique. To test our hypotheses, we first proposed a structural
model with self-concept and relationship as latent constructs and predictors of life
satisfaction. The data collected were then fitted to the model by SEM. The results
generally showed that the data fit the model well and that our hypotheses were
confirmed. Specifically, it was demonstrated that the relationship construct exerts
a greater influence on life satisfaction than the self-concept construct. For the
relationship construct, parent-child relationship is much more important than
school-child relationship. The resultant structural model therefore provides a
concise summary of the existing data on life satisfaction of adolescents but its
general application requires replication and validation in other cultural contexts.
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