ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Empirical studies recognised parenting styles and peer relations as correlates of adolescents' life satisfaction. However, most past studies only examined one of the correlates of adolescents' life satisfaction simultaneously. The present study aimed to examine the relationships of parenting styles, peer relations and general self-concept to adolescents' life satisfaction in the Klang Valley. Using a multi-stage cluster sampling, 153 respondents aged between 14 to 17 years old were involved in the study. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of four instruments (Parental Authority Questionnaire, Positive Relations with Other Scale, general items from Self-Description Questionnaire II, and Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction) was used for data collection. Results of the study showed that adolescents were moderately satisfied with their lives. Results of Pearson Correlations revealed that authoritative parenting, peer relations, and general self-concept were positively related to life satisfaction. The results of hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that peer relations, general self-concept, and authoritative parenting could predict 46.7% of the variability in life satisfaction. Overall, the study contributes to the fundamental understanding of Malaysian adolescents' development, specifically life satisfaction. Findings from this study may provide helpful information regarding adolescents’ life satisfaction to educators, policymakers, parents and caregivers, counsellors and professionals who work closely with adolescents.
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