The Psychometric Equivalence of the Personal Wellbeing Index for Normally Functioning and Homeostatically Defeated Australian Adults

Understanding subjective wellbeing (SWB) at the population level has major implications for governments and policy makers concerned with enhancing the life quality of citizens. The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) is a measure of SWB with theoretical and empirical credentials. Homeostasis theory offers an explanation for the nature of SWB data, including the distribution of scores, maintenance and change over time. According to this theory, under normal conditions, the dominant constituent of SWB is Homeostatically Protected Mood (HPMood), which is held within a genetically determined range of values around a set-point. However, in extreme circumstances (e.g., financial hardship, chronic illness), HPMood may dissociate from SWB, as cognitive/emotional reactions to the cause of homeostatic challenge assume control over SWB. This study investigates two groups as people scoring in the positive range for SWB and people who are likely to be experiencing homeostatic defeat/challenge. We test whether the reduced influence of HPMood on SWB due to homeostatic defeat has implications for the validity of SWB measurement. Participants were 45,192 adults (52 % female), with a mean age of 48.88 years (SD = 17.35 years), who participated in the first 23 surveys of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index over the years 2001–2010. Multiple regression analysis, multiple group confirmatory factor analysis, and Rasch modelling techniques were used to evaluate the psychometric performance of the PWI across the two groups. Results show that while the PWI functioned as intended for the normal group, SWB in the challenged group was lower across all PWI domains, more variable, and the domain scores lacked the strength of inter-correlation observed in the normal, comparison group. These changes are consistent with predictions based on homeostasis theory and one major implication of the findings is that SWB measures may not function equivalently across the entire spectrum of possible domain satisfaction scores.     

自尊与主观幸福感关系研究

本研究从自尊结构出发,探讨自尊和主观幸福感之间的关系。研究发现：(1)男性SWB显著高于女性;(2)在高外显自尊个体中,内隐自尊越高。主观幸福感水平越高;在低外显自尊个体中,内隐自尊没有影响个体的主观幸福感。     

Subjective Wellbeing as an Affective-Cognitive Construct

The affective content of Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) was investigated in two separate studies. Study 1 involved a representative sample of 478 participants from across Australia aged between 18 and 72 years. This study tested the circumplex model of affect and then determined the minimum set of affects that explain variance in SWB. The model was supported, with most affects congregated around the valence axis. Overall, 64% of the variance in SWB was explained by six Core Affects, indicating that SWB is a highly affective construct. Study 2 tested the relative strength of Core Affect (content, happy and excited), in three separate models of SWB incorporating cognition (seven discrepancies) and all five factors of personality. Using a sample of 854 participants aged been 18–86 years, structural equation modeling was used to compare an affective-cognitive driven model of SWB, with a personality driven model of SWB and a discrepancy driven model of SWB. The results provide support for an affective-cognitive model which explained 90 percent of the variance in SWB. All models confirm that the relationship between SWB, Core Affect and Discrepancies is far stronger than the relationship between personality and SWB. It is proposed that Core Affect and Discrepancies comprise the essence of SWB. Moreover, Core Affect is the driving force behind individual set-point levels in SWB homeostasis.     

Career decidedness as a predictor of subjective well-being

Forming, pursing, and achieving life tasks constitute important determinants of subjective well-being (SWB). A principal life task for emerging adults involves deciding about career goals. Prior research indicates that depression predicts SWB and may be linked to lower levels of career decidedness. We tested whether or not career decidedness predicts SWB above and beyond the influence of depression and other personality traits. We also examined whether or not career decidedness partially mediates depression's influence on SWB when controlled for personality effects. Undergraduate students (N = 181; 65% female, 52% Asian) responded to measures of career decidedness, SWB, and personality. Results largely confirmed predictions. A partial mediator model indicated a direct relationship between decidedness and SWB not moderated by grade level, and an inverse relationship between the depression facet of neuroticism and both career decidedness and SWB. Findings further support career interventions to increase decidedness during the first year of college.     

Measuring subjective well-being: A comparison of China and the USA

In this article the structure of subjective well-being (SWB), the relationship between household income and SWB and mean differences in components of SWB in China and the USA are investigated. Both China and the USA were characterized in a three-factor model of SWB (life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect). Household income was more strongly positively correlated with the three major components of SWB in China than in the USA. Lower levels of SWB were generally reported by participants in China than in the USA; however, there were mean differences in different regions of China.     

大学生生活满意度与主观幸福感关系的文化效应检验

采用《国际大学调查》对48个国家和地区的10018名大学生进行施测,文章考察了生活满意度和主观幸福感的关系,并分析了文化因素在其中的影响。结果发现:(1)不同国家大学生的主观幸福感、一般和具体领域生活满意度水平均存在差异;(2)大学生具体领域生活满意度与主观幸福感和一般生活满意度在个体水平上的相关比在国家水平上的相关低;(3)在个体和国家水平上,大学生主观幸福感的影响因素不同。结论:文化因素影响了大学生生活满意度与主观幸福感的关系。     

Debt and Subjective Well-being: The Other Side of the Income-Happiness Coin

To spur research on the topic of debt and its consequences, we conducted a systematic review to integrate the different conceptualizations of debt and to develop a conceptual model explaining mechanisms through which debt influences subjective well-being (SWB). Our conceptual model weaves two common themes from the prior literature: (a) a bottom-up spillover perspective where debt affects SWB via the financial domain (and possibly other life domains that are negatively affected through spillover); and (b) a resource perspective wherein debt is a strain on financial resources which, in turn, lowers SWB. Further, we review past empirical studies assessing the linkage between debt and SWB. A majority of associations (90 %), from 20 studies, revealed at least one significant negative effect between debt and SWB. Further, a random effects meta-analysis of seven studies showed a small relationship between debt and SWB (r = ?.07), although there also appear to be critical moderators such as levels of debt, source of debt, and overall financial resources. To test our conceptual model, we conduct a moderated mediation analysis of a large scale representative sample of college graduates with Internet access in the United States (N = 2781) to examine the effects of student loans on SWB. Debt and income accounted for 40 and 60 % of the predicted variance of life satisfaction, respectively. In addition, the bottom-up perspective and resource perspectives were supported. One critical limitation is that there are not many studies on debt and SWB. Future areas for research are discussed.     

Predictors of subjective well-being among college youth in Lebanon

The authors investigated the prevalence and predictors of subjective well-being (SWB) in a particular Middle Eastern culture: that of Lebanon. The authors examined personality constructs of self-esteem, optimism, and positive affect in relation to SWB. The authors surveyed a sample of 689 individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 by using four instruments with established cross-cultural validity: (a) the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; E. Diener, R. Emmons, R. J. Larsen, & S. Griffin, 1985), (b) the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; D. Watson, L. A. Clark, & A. Tellegen, 1988), (c) the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; M. Rosenberg, 1965), and (d) the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; M. F. Scheier, C. S. Carver, & M. W. Bridges, 1994). The results indicated that college youth's SWB was positively correlated with self-esteem, optimism, and positive affect. Examining the demographic variable of gender, the authors found that men had higher scores on positive affect than did women. A trend emerged that suggested that language dominance and socioeconomic status were associated with SWB levels. The results suggest that internal personality constructs are more predictive of satisfaction with life than are demographic variables.     

基于自我决定视角的动机结构与主观幸福感的关系*

从自我决定的视角,探讨了内隐和外显成就动机的不一致性对主观幸福感产生影响的可能机制。分别以成就动机量表和内隐联想测验作为成就动机的外显和内隐测量方式,同时采用自我决定量表和总体幸福感指数量表对303名大学生进行了施测。结果表明:（1）大学生内隐成就动机和外显成就动机没有显著相关;（2）外显成就动机与主观幸福感呈显著正相关,内隐成就动机调节了外显成就动机与主观幸福感的关系;（3）不一致性成就动机结构对主观幸福感有显著的负向预测,自我决定在不一致性成就动机结构对主观幸福感的预测效应中起着部分中介作用。     

Subjective well-being and gender-typed attributes in adolescents: The relevance of emotional intelligence

Background: The link between subjective well-being (SWB), gender and emotional intelligence (EI) has been studied; however, it is not clear what kind of relationship has been established between these variables. The objective of this study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of EI in the relationship between gender-typed attributes and SWB. Method: The participants were 365 Spanish schoolchildren with a mean age of 13.9. The instruments used were the Spanish version of GRI-JUG (GRI-JUG-SP15) for gender-typed attributes, TMMS-24 for EI, PANASN for positive and negative affects, and SWLS for satisfaction with life. A mediational analysis was carried out using EI (attention, repair and clarity) as mediator in order to find out the effects on well-being. Results: The findings yielded that EI significantly mediated the relationship between gender-typed attributes and SWB. Particularly, clarity and repair are positively associated with SWB, whereas attention is negatively associated with SWB. Also, clarity and repair can be considered more important than attention in promoting SWB, according to the models of mediation and their effect size. Moreover, clarity and repair were mediators in feminine and masculine attributes while attention only was mediator for positive feminine attributes. Conclusion: For adolescents who claim to have positive feminine attributes, an aspect that would improve SWB is through the increase of clarity and repair and the decrease in attention. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which the pattern of results generalises in other contexts, and to explore the relevance of negative emotions in the development of affective-related issues.     

Is Disciplinary Culture a Moderator Between Materialism and Subjective Well-being? A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

To clarify the influence of disciplinary culture on the materialism–subjective well-being (SWB) relationship, as well as the relationship between changes in materialism and changes in SWB, the current longitudinal study tracked the levels of materialism and SWB among first-year undergraduates for 12 months. A total of 218 participants from a congruent disciplinary culture (i.e., business school) and 210 participants from an incongruent disciplinary culture (i.e., engineering school) provided ratings on the Material Values Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule in three waves. The following results were obtained: (1) the interaction effect of disciplinary culture and time was significant. In Wave 3, the level of materialism in business school was significantly higher than that in engineering school, but this difference was not found in Waves 1 and 2; (2) the negative relationship between materialism and SWB remained stable over time and was not moderated by disciplinary culture. Moreover, disciplinary culture did not moderate the relationship between changes in materialism and changes in SWB. The above findings indicate that disciplinary culture influences the development of materialism but not the materialism–SWB relationship in the long term.     

A Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations on Subjective Well-Being: The Experience of Overnight Visitors to a National Park

According to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Deci and Ryan 1985), intrinsic and extrinsic motivations can be differentiated with levels along a continuum representing distinct self-regulatory styles for behavior. Behavioral regulations consider different degrees to which they represent autonomous or self-determined functioning and specifically intrinsic motivations are characterized by the highest level of self-determination. Past research into the SDT has highlighted correlations between reasons with high levels of autonomy or self-determination for engaging in a particular behavior and enhanced Subjective Well-Being (SWB), as well as positive behavioral outcomes. Little is known about the relationship between visitors’ reasons for visiting a national park, associated self-regulatory styles and their self-appraisals of SWB. Therefore, the present research investigates the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for visiting the Kruger National Park (KNP), associated self-regulatory styles and self-evaluations of SWB among 389 overnight visitors. A structural equation model (SEM) is proposed to examine both the cognitive (life satisfaction) and affective (positive and negative feelings) components of SWB in association to motivations with different degrees of self-determination. Reflecting previous research, the results show that overnight visitors who are more intrinsically motivated have higher life satisfaction levels, higher positive feelings and lower negative feelings. In contrast, overnight visitors who are less intrinsically motivated have lower life satisfaction levels, lower positive feelings and higher negative feeling. The practical implications of these findings are highlighted.     

The multiple determination of well-being: Independent effects of positive traits,needs, goals,selves, social supports,and cultural contexts

Although most researchers acknowledge that subjective well-being (SWB) is multiply determined, little research and theory simultaneously considers the effects of many types of determinants, located at many different levels of analysis. Guided by a six-level model of “optimal human being” (Sheldon, 2004, ‚Optimal Human Being: An Integrated Multi-level Perspective’ (Erlbaum, Mahwah, N.J.)), we tested the hypothesis that psychological need-satisfaction, a positive Big Five trait profile, good personal goal-progress, high self-esteem, positive social support, and a happiness-conducing cultural membership would each uniquely predict SWB. These hypotheses were confirmed, supporting the hierarchical perspective and irreducibility assumption that under-girded the research. Implications for SWB theory and interventions, and for the task of integrating the many different types of personality constructs that exist, are discussed.     

Happiness and Suffering in the Life Story: An Inquiry into Conflicting Expectations Concerning the Association of Perceived Past with Present Subjective Well-Being in Old Age

The study examined whether positive or negative aspects of the life story were predominantly associated with present subjective well-being (SWB). Two samples (N?=?815 and 213; mean ages 75 and 73) rated past emotions (happiness and suffering) in positive and negative anchor periods (e.g., ??the happiest period,?? ??the most miserable period??) of their life stories. The indices of present SWB were present happiness, present suffering, and life satisfaction. Results indicated that when the past emotions were net of each other, past happiness was related to the positive indices, but not to the negative index, of present SWB whereas past suffering was related to the negative index, and only partially to the positive indices, of present SWB. Congruent emotions (happiness in positive periods, suffering in negative periods) were stronger than incongruent emotions (happiness in negative periods, suffering in positive periods), yet each had unique associations with present SWB. Finally, past happiness weakened the inverse relationship between past suffering and present SWB, yet it strengthened this relationship when past emotions were both incongruent (i.e., when happiness in negative periods was analyzed in conjunction with suffering in positive periods). In conclusion, rather than presenting predominance over each other, positive and negative ingredients in the life story maintain complementary and interactive associations with present SWB. In this context, the study points to the SWB-related implications of the interplay between paramount life experiences in the individual??s anchor periods and the emotions that the individual attributes to these periods.     

Are Cognitive,Affective, and Eudaimonic Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being Differently Related to Consumption? Evidence from Japan

In this study, we investigate the relationship between consumption and subjective well-being (SWB). There is clear evidence in the literature that the income–SWB relationship depends on the SWB measure, but the reasons are not fully clear yet; however, the main reason may be related to consumption because most income is used for that. This study is the first to examine directly whether the consumption–SWB relationship differs between affective, cognitive, and eudaimonic SWB measures. We adopt the following four SWB indices: life satisfaction, the Cantril ladder, affect balance, and eudaimonia. In addition, on the consumption side, we consider both material and relational consumption. Nonparametric analysis of our uniquely collected survey results in Japan suggests that total consumption contributes to cognitive measures of SWB and eudaimonia, while there is a certain threshold for affective measures. However, once material versus relational consumption is considered in total consumption, we find that relational consumption contributes to any SWB measure without clear upper bounds, while material consumption contributes to all SWB measures only to certain thresholds. Our results also show that the marginal effects of total consumption, material consumption, and relational consumption on cognitive measures of SWB and eudaimonia are greater than on affective measures. In addition, our results show that the marginal effects of relational consumption tend to be greater than those of material consumption for all SWB indices. Based on the findings, we expect relational consumption to be key for improving well-being.

     

Extraversion and happiness

The relationship between extraversion and happiness or subjective well-being (SWB) is one of the most consistently replicated and robust findings in the SWB literature. The present study was conducted in order to examine three key aspects of the relationship: (1) Whether it is primarily substantive in nature, or a product of self-report response artifacts, such as social desirability; (2) What the underlying systems or mechanisms involved in the relationship are; and (3) Whether Eysenck's two dimensions of extraversion and neuroticism combine additively or interactively in their influence upon an individual's level of SWB. The results are supportive of the substantive nature of the relationship, and suggest that both situational and personality factors combine to produce the positive correlation between extraversion and SWB. In terms of the interaction of extraversion and neuroticism, the results are mixed in supporting both an additive and interactive relationship.     

Moving beyond the pleasure principle: Within and between-occasion effects of employee eudaimonia within a school organizational climate context

Eudaimonic notions of well-being have increasingly figured in the well-being literature. The impact of such constructs in the organizational psychology literature has been more limited. Within an Organizational Health Research Framework (OHRF), we present findings that demonstrate the importance of eudaimonic, or psychological well-being (PWB), constructs which have been purported to be more temporally stable than affective dimensions of subjective well-being (SWB). Several hypotheses were tested on three school teacher samples from around the globe. Of particular emphasis, both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated that the predictive model demonstrated that individual PWB is the strongest predictor of employees' positive affect while positive organizational climate was the strongest predictor of school morale and distress. In conclusion, we found support for the role of eudaimonic constructs within the OHRF, identifying independent effects for individual and organizational characteristics on employee well-being, and with differential effects on positive and negative domains of SWB.     

The Longitudinal Relationship Between School Belonging and Subjective Well-Being in School Among Elementary School Students

Situated within a positive psychology perspective, the present study explored the relationship between school belonging and subjective well-being (SWB) in school among elementary school students. In order to ensure the applicability of the Brief Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being in School Scale (BASWBSS) to elementary school students, firstly, we provided evidence for its validity using two samples (total n?=?1333) of elementary school students. Secondly, we used cross-lagged structural equation modeling techniques to evaluate the nature and directionality of relationships between school belonging and SWB in school. To test these relationships, 890 students (58.54 % male) completed a measure of school belonging and SWB in school at two time points, 6 weeks apart. The results showed that (1) BASWBSS has good applicability among elementary school students and (2) significant bidirectional relationships were found between school belonging and SWB in school. Overall, the present study provided important evidence of applicability of the BASWBSS with elementary school students and the role of school belonging in elementary school age children’s SWB in school.