Association between Perceived Social Support and Subjective Well-Being among Japanese, Chinese, and Korean College Students

Subjective well-being (SWB) consists of life satisfaction, the presence of positive affect (PA), and the absence of negative affect (NA). This study examines the associations between perceived social support and SWB among Japanese, Chinese, and Korean college students. We hypothesized that perceived social support will be associated with life satisfaction directly and indirectly through PA and NA among the three groups. A total of 1332 (466 Japanese, 449 Chinese, 417 Korean) college students completed surveys measuring life satisfaction, PA, NA, and perceived social support from family, friends, and a significant other. Results of the path analysis showed that family support reduced NA and significant others support improved PA, and that both of types of support were associated with life satisfaction among the three groups. It was suggested that perceived social support contributes to improve SWB among Japanese, Chinese, and Korean college students.