Psychological Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction of Undergraduates

This study was designed to assess the psychological factors influencing life satisfaction of undergraduates. The instruments used were Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), Rosenberge Self-esteem Scale (RSS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A total number of 190 participants were purposively selected across various faculties in Ekiti State University. Four hypotheses were tested using Independent t-test to find the effects of perceived stress, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem on life satisfaction. Multiple regression was used to find the joint and individual influences of these variables. The results showed that there is no significant influence of perceived stress on life satisfaction (t (75) = 1.23, p = .22, 95% CI [-1.14, 4.83). There is no significant influence of self-esteem on life satisfaction (t (51) = -1.31, p = .20, 95% CI [-5.28, 1.11), and there is no significant joint influence of perceived stress, emotional intelligence and self-esteem on life satisfaction (F (3,187) = 1.79, p = .15, R2 =.03). Additionally, perceived stress (β = .07, p = .33), emotional intelligence (β = .14, p = 054) and self-esteem (β = .02, p = .83) did not have independent influences on life satisfaction. Implications of the present findings for future research are discussed, as well as potential interventions for improving life satisfaction.