Contribution of temperament and family functioning on psychological well-being in Spanish emergent adults: A person-centered approach

Abstract

There is a gap in the literature on relationships between temperament, family functioning, and psychological well-being from a eudamonic perspective in emerging adulthood. To shed light on this issue, the aim of our study was to analyze the effect of temperament and family functioning profiles on psychological well-being in a sample of Spanish university students (N=332). Results showed a positive association between the resilient temperament profile and psychological well-being, while the inverse relationship was observed for the non-desirable temperament profile. The reserved profile was not significantly associated with psychological well-being. On the other hand, the healthy family functioning profile (with moderate and high scores in cohesion and moderate scores in flexibility) was linked to higher levels of well-being, unlike the unhealthy functioning profile (with low scores in cohesion and extreme scores in flexibility). Finally, the joint effect of temperament and family functioning points to a buffering or protective effect of family functioning profiles in relation to potentially “dangerous” or “beneficial” temperamental profiles in university students. Practical and clinical implications are discussed.