Date of Award

2015

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

Specialization

School Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Lisa L. Weyandt

Abstract

The primary goal of the present study was to investigate overall and domain-based life satisfaction of expatriate students attending international schools compared to students who attend international schools in their home country. The present study included 114 students from eleven international schools located across nine European countries. Participants completed measures concerning demographic information and the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). Statistical analyses revealed levels of life satisfaction to be in the positive range for all students. Results indicated that domain-based and overall life satisfaction, as measured by the MSLSS, was similar for males and females. No significant differences were found between expatriate students and local students in overall life satisfaction. Family was the only MSLSS domain in which expatriate youth reported to be less satisfied compared to their local peers. The relationship between expatriate youth‟s international relocation experiences and current life satisfaction was also explored. Expatriate students‟ number of relocations was negatively related to both age of first relocation and years in the host country, and positively related to years away from their home country. Findings revealed that years away from home country was negatively related to age of first relocation. Overall life satisfaction, however, as measured by the MSLSS, was not significantly related to any of the predictor variables. Future directions for research are discussed in light of the study‟s limitations and implications.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.