Relationships between Parental Involvement, Peer Pressure, and Academic Stress with Subjective Well-being among Indonesian and Malaysian Undergraduates

Abstract

Subjective well-being among undergraduate students referred to their personal evaluation and perception of their own life satisfaction, happiness, and overall well-being. This research aimed to analyze the impact of parental involvement, peer pressure, and academic stress on undergraduate students' subjective well-being in the contexts of Indonesia and Malaysia. The research employed a cross-sectional study design using convenience sampling. Primary data were collected and analyzed using descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, and SEM analysis. Significant differences were found in variables studied, specifically in the dimensions of stress related to students' academic self-perception. Furthermore, significant differences were also found in the variable of subjective well-being. In the Malaysian context, only a significant positive influence was found between maternal involvement and subjective well-being. Meanwhile, in the Indonesian context, academic stress and maternal involvement showed significant positive influences on subjective well-being. Additionally, peer pressure also showed significant positive influences on academic stress and subjective well-being in the Indonesian context. This study highlights the significant impact of parental involvement, peer pressure, and academic stress on undergraduates' subjective well-being. Understanding the factors that affect subjective well-being can help guide efforts to enhance the quality of parental involvement, manage peer pressure, and mitigate academic stress, thereby preventing negative outcomes. Additionally, future studies should consider using larger sample sizes, randomized sampling methods, and longitudinal designs to improve generalizability and ensure more robust findings.