Summary: | 碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 兒童與家庭學系碩士班 === 97 === The relationship among interpersonal intimacy, self-esteem and well-being for college students
Chiu-Chan Hsieh
Abstract
This study is aimed at understanding the factors relating to college students’ interpersonal intimacy, self-esteem, and Well-being. With emphasis on the following issues: 1.) To understand the gender differences with regards to the college students’ interpersonal intimacy, self-esteem, and Well-being; 2.) To understand the relationships among college students’ interpersonal intimacy, self-esteem, and Well-being; 3.) Would a students’ interpersonal intimacy and self-esteem predict their Well-being? 4.) Besides investigating the relationship between the college students’ interpersonal intimacy and Well-being, an analysis of whether the college students’ interpersonal intimacy is achieved through having self-esteem, which indirectly affects their Well-being.
This study uses a survey questionnaire as a tool in gathering the quantitative data. Participants are the regular college students in the Northern District of Taiwan. Using the purposeful sampling method and the assistance by some subject teachers, a total of 520 questionnaires were distributed with a return rate of 92% (486 questionnaires). After checking for errors and incomplete questionnaires, a total of 395 valid questionnaires were included as the final data set.
The survey questionnaire was separated into four sections, namely: 1. interpersonal intimacy between family members scale; 2.) interpersonal intimacy between peers scale; 3.) Self-esteem scale; 4.) Well-being scale; 5.) Personal background information. Data analysis was achieved using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 12.0. Statistical measures such as reliability, descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlations were accomplished. In addition, path analysis using the structured equation modeling (SEM) was achieved using LIESREL version 8.52 in order to test the assumptions of the study.
Results were as follows:
1. College students’ interpersonal intimacy between family members and peers are both quite good. More so in the factors “the closeness and importance of the relationship” and “support, encouragement, and comfort”, which both scored the highest. In addition, the college students have a high self-esteem and posses a high sense of well-being.
2. There is a significant difference in gender of the college students’ with regards to their inter-personal relationship between family members. Female college students tend to have a better interpersonal intimacy with their family members than male college students. With regards to college students’ interpersonal intimacy between peers, result shows that regarding the factors “respect, considerate, and understanding”, “support, encouragement, and comfort”, “the closeness and importance of the relationship”, and “non-verbal expressions”; wherein the female college students shows significant differences and the male college students doesn’t. While, there seems to be no significant gender differences in the factor “self-disclosure”.
3. There is no significant difference between the college students’ gender and self-esteem.
4. With regards to the gender differences in the well-being factors “positive emotion” and “life satisfaction”, there seems to be significant differences; wherein the female college students shows significant differences and the male college students doesn’t. However, there seems to be no significant gender differences in the factor “negative mood”.
5. There is a positive correlation among the college students “interpersonal intimacy between family members”, “interpersonal intimacy between peers”, “self-esteem”, and “well-being”.
6. College students with high interpersonal intimacy and high self-esteem will tend to have a high sense of well-being.
7. Lastly, SEM result shows that the college students’ “interpersonal intimacy between family members” and “interpersonal intimacy between peers” has a direct influence on their sense of well-being. In addition, self-esteem in-directly influences well-being.
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