A STUDY OF CAUSAL MODELS THAT INFLUENCE WELL-BEING OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BANGKOK

Abstract

This quantitative research had two main objectives: 1) to examine the consistency of a hypothetical causal model influencing the well-being of high school students in Bangkok with empirical data, and 2) to study the direct and indirect causal factors influencing their well-being. The study's sample consisted of 600 high school students, selected through multi-stage random sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire designed to measure the well-being of high school students in Bangkok. The data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

The key findings were as follows: The model's fit with the empirical data was found to be good. The absolute fit indices showed χ² = 29.44, χ²/df=1.96,            P-value =.01, GFI=.99, AGFI=.96, RMSEA=.04, and SRMR=.02. The comparative fit indices also indicated a good fit, with CFI = 1.00 and NFI = 1.00, suggesting that the model was a good fit compared to the independent model. The causal model explained 85.00% of the variance in well-being. The causal variables with the greatest total influence on well-being were self-identity, environment, and interpersonal relationships, with influence coefficients of .89, .70, and .61, respectively. The variables with the greatest direct influence on well-being were self-identity, environment, and interpersonal relationships, with influence coefficients of 1.28, -0.11, and -0.34, respectively. The variables with indirect influence on well-being were interpersonal relationships (influence coefficient = 0.95), mediated through the environment variable, and the environment variable (influence coefficient=.82), mediated through the self-identity variable.