Abstract / Summary
Abstract Adolescent social participation may create opportunities for contribution, connection, and positive relationships, yet participation alone may not be sufficient to promote well-being. This study examined how Social Participation and Contribution were associated with Connection, Friend Support, Teacher Relationships, well-being, and life satisfaction among 835 Portuguese adolescents attending the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. Social Participation was assessed through involvement in two types of organized activities. Contribution increased across levels of participation and was highest among adolescents involved in both types of activities. Social Participation showed a modest positive association with well-being and a negative association with Friend Support; in multivariate analyses, it was also positively associated with Teacher Relationships. Contribution was positively associated with Connection, Friend Support, and life satisfaction at the bivariate level, although its unique association with well-being became negative when the other social and relational variables were considered simultaneously. Connection emerged as the most consistent positive correlate across relational and well-being outcomes, while Teacher Relationships showed the strongest positive association with well-being. Overall, the findings highlight participation, contribution, and connection as related but distinct dimensions of adolescents’ social experience and suggest that the potential benefits of participation may be better understood by considering the broader relational contexts in which adolescents participate and contribute.