Personality traits and subjective well-being among Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model of interpersonal relationships and empathy

/df = 3.32; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.07), with satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity and adequate composite reliability. Mediation was tested using structural equation modeling in AMOS 29.0, and moderated mediation was examined using PROCESS Model 7. Results indicated that: (1) Neuroticism was negatively associated with SWB, while extraversion and conscientiousness were positively associated; openness and agreeableness showed no significant direct effects; (2) Interpersonal relationships mediated the associations of neuroticism, extraversion, and openness with SWB, but not those of agreeableness or conscientiousness. Openness exhibited indirect-only mediation, with a negative indirect effect despite no significant direct effect on SWB; (3) Empathy selectively moderated the association between extraversion and interpersonal relationships, a pattern confirmed after controlling for shared variance among the Big Five dimensions. These findings suggest that personality traits are associated with adolescent SWB via culturally salient interpersonal pathways, and that empathy may function as a selective, modest moderator for adolescents with less socially facilitative personality profiles.