Open Access

ARTICLE

Assessing Flourishing in a Collectivist Context: Psychometric Evaluation of the Flourishing Scale in Chinese Middle School Students

Baijun Chen^1,#, Song Gui^1,2,#, Yujing Xie³, Lijun Ma^3,*, Can Jiao^1,4,*
1 The Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases of the Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
2 School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
3 School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
4 School of Government, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
* Corresponding Author: Lijun Ma. Email: ; Can Jiao. Email:
# These authors are co-first authors of the article

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.077048

Received 01 December 2025; Accepted 11 February 2026; Published online 05 March 2026

Abstract

Objectives: Flourishing, a central concept in positive psychology, encompasses multifaceted dimensions such as meaning, positive relationships, and engagement. Despite growing research interest, empirical studies focusing specifically on the flourishing of middle school students remain scarce. Given the critical need to promote flourishing among Chinese middle school students, the study aimed to adapt Diener’s Flourishing Scale for Chinese middle school students, examine its psychometric properties, and establish its measurement invariance across gender and time within this population. Methods: Participants were recruited from secondary schools in two Chinese provinces. The Chinese versions of the Flourishing Scale (CFS), along with the Index of Well-being (IWB) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), were employed. Data collection occurred in three phases, the first two for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively, and the last one for testing longitudinal measurement invariance and gender measurement invariance. Results: The CFS demonstrated excellent discrimination and consistency with Diener’s original model. Significant positive correlations emerged between the CFS scores and well-being (r = 0.75, p < 0.01) as well as life satisfaction (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). Cronbach’s α was 0.948, and the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) for test-retest reliability was 0.85 (p < 0.01). The CFS demonstrated strict measurement invariance across both gender and time. Conclusion: The CFS demonstrates robust psychometric properties—including structural validity, reliability, and measurement invariance—for its application among Chinese middle school students.

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Keywords

Flourishing scale; Chinese middle school students; psychometric properties; positive psychology

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