Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test whether Ryff(1989)s' psychological well-being model and Keyes(1998)' social well-being model fit our data on Korean adolescents respectively. The relationships among Korean adolescents' psychological well-being, social well-being, and subjective well-being were examined along with gender differences in those three areas. Factor analyses of our data confirmed that Ryff's six-factor model of psychological well-being is indeed applicable to Korean adolescents. On the other hand, Keyes' original five-factor model of social well-being had to modified into a four-factor one to be a good fit to our data on Korean adolescents. The result of regression analysis in subjective well-being showed that self-acceptance as a sub-scale of psychological well-being and social integration as a sub-scale of social well-being were significant predictors of three dimensions of subjective well-being. The result of regression analysis on gender differences in subjective well-being showed that personal growth, a sub-scale of psychological well-being was a significant predictor of satisfaction with life and negative affect in both girls and boys. Social coherence as a sub-scale of social well-being was a significant predictor of negative affect in the boys' group; autonomy, one of the sub-scales of psychological well-being and social actualization, one of the sub-scales of social well-being were significant predictors of satisfaction with life and negative affect in the girls' group.