Background. Just as life satisfaction can contribute to positive development and decrease the prevalence of adolescents’ at-risk behavior, filial piety that dictates parental authority, child obedience and obligation is equally valued in Asian culture. Reciprocal filial piety, in particular, is characterised by children’s willingness to conserve good relationship with parents as induced by love, gratitude and indebtedness whereas authoritarian filial piety refers to children’s inclination to uphold good rapport with elderlies to conform to the social pressure. Past studies have shown mixed results in the association between filial piety and adolescents’ outcomes among Asian societies. Reciprocal filial piety was linked to positive psychological adjustment while authoritarian filial piety was associated with negative developmental outcomes. Difference between ethnic and sex groups in life satisfaction were observed besides the possibility of variation in endorsement of filial piety values across ethnic and sex groups in a multiethnic collectivist society like Malaysia. Thus, we examined the unique associations between reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety with adolescents’ life satisfaction alongside the interaction effect of ethnic and sex groups on these relationships in Malaysia.

Methods. This study was cross-sectional correlational research in nature. The sample comprised 583 adolescents (M_age=15.07; 47.9% males; 52.1% females; 48.4% Malays, 27.1% Chinese, 24.5% Indians) located in three states of Peninsular Malaysia. The respondents selected using cluster sampling method were required to complete a self-report questionnaire on life satisfaction and filial piety scales. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between filial piety and life satisfaction, while three-way moderation analysis using Hayers’ SPSS Marco PROCESS was used to analyse the interaction of sex and ethnic groups in filial piety (both reciprocal and authoritarian) and life satisfaction.

Results. The results of Pearson correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationship between filial piety (both reciprocal and authoritarian) and life satisfaction. While filial piety values are more normative in Asian societies, reciprocal filial piety that focused on strong emotional ties among family member, interdependence and gratitude feelings was more relevant in supporting adolescents towards better life satisfaction. Meanwhile, results from three-way moderation analysis revealed that the interactions of sex and ethnic groups are insignificant in the associations between (i) reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction (B=-.155, p=.362) and; (ii) authoritarian filial piety and life satisfaction (B=-.109, p=.359). In contrary, there was a significant interaction effect of ethnic groups in the association between reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction (B=-.260, p=.002). The relationship between reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction was significant only for Malays (B=.606, p<.001) and Chinese (B=.374, p<.001) but not Indians (B=.142, p=.224). Results revealed no major difference between males and females in the endorsement of both reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety in the effect on life satisfaction.

Conclusion. Malaysia as a collectivist society tends to endorse both reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety, especially among adolescents. It can be seen that reciprocal filial piety that supports mutual parent-child interaction and gratitude toward parental engagement in upbringing is still relevant within the modern family context. Likewise, traditional family values, social expectation and societal norms in fulfilling familial obligations and child responsibilities in parental old age caring are still valued which in turn may lead to better life satisfaction. Filial piety is vital in promoting better satisfaction and quality of life among Malaysian adolescents. Nonetheless, the relationship between reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction of adolescent tend to interact differently across ethnic groups. Therefore, the qualitative meaning of filial piety and their impact on adolescents’ developmental outcomes need to be made more explicit within Malaysian cultural context.

Added-Values. This study provides a foundation for understanding the life satisfaction in relation to filial piety among adolescents from a multiethnic setting. Findings revealed that different facets of filial piety tend to have distinctive association with life satisfaction. Thus, there is a need to understand the different constructs of traditional family value such as filial piety in promoting positive life satisfaction among adolescents in a changing society like Malaysia.