Research On Relationship Between Different Types Of Social Support And Subjective Well-being Of Urban Resident In China

Subjective well-being(SWB), as a individual's innermost experience, is bound to be influenced by many internal and external factors. With the development of theory of social psychological impact, it has become a matter of great concern for researchers to explore the relationship between social psychological factors and SWB, including the relationship between social support and SWB. Most theoretical and practical studies have revealed that SWB is significantly affected by social support, which more social support people acquire, more SWB people experience. Compared with social support from different sources, reseachers should attach importance to the relationship between different types of social support and SWB. But it still lacks enough researches in our nation.In the present thesis, a comprehensive literature review was made with regard to the relationship between social support and SWB. Further analysis was focused on the limitations existing in the prior research. On the basis of this, two related studies were conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors(ISSB) when applicated in mainland China and analyze the relationship between social support and SWB, which may be help to improve urban residents'subjective well-being by discussing the results.In study 1, reliability and validity of ISSB were examined. In study 2, 3068 urban residents were investigated in terms of social support's mediation and relationship with SWB via questionnaire.The main findings in the above two studies are as follows:1. Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors(ISSB) has high reliability and validity in mainland China.2. Social support of female are significantly higher than that of male; older the people is, less social support they acquire; higher people's educational level is and more income people have, more social support people acquire. 3. SWB has significant gender differences in some subscales. Also, there are other demographic differences: older the people is , higher people's educational level is and more income people have, more subjective well-being people experience.4. Social support is positively correlated with subjective well-being. Different types of social support influence subjective well-being in different degree, emotional support is the best predictor for SWB, then the informational support, tangible support is last.5. Path analysis reveals that as a media variable, social support mediates the relationship of demographic variables and SWB. SWB is directly affected by age, educational level, income. Also, age and income indirectly influence SWB via social support. Sex variable influences SWB through social support completely.