Cultural issues in measuring flourishing of adolescents

The positive psychology movement has led to an increasing number of individuals, organizations and countries to recognize the importance of supporting and promoting the state of wellbeing in adolescents. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to have a valid and reliable measurement of wellbeing. Several instruments have been developed for this purpose, each differing on the number and type of domains. However, many of these instruments were developed in western societies and therefore, highly dependent on the needs and priorities of these cultures. These instruments may or may not be relevant in the Asian context. Using Hofstede’ proposed cultural dimensions, which include Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity, Long/Short Term Orientation and Indulgence/Restraint, this chapter will examine the various types of instruments that were designed to measure wellbeing in adolescents and their validity in Asian societies. The review suggests that more evidence-based evaluations of measurement tools are required to ensure that the instruments are well-suited for the different socio-cultural contexts.