Personal or environmental causes of happiness: a longitudinal analysis

The author analyzed an integrative model of happiness, which incorporated personal factors (demographics, extraversion, neuroticism, and locus of control) and environmental factors (life events and social support), using a longitudinal data set. A secondary purpose was to clarify the relationship between overall happiness and life satisfaction. Using systematic random sampling, 581 residents of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, completed structured questionnaires at Time 1; among them, 105 returned valid questionnaires 2.5 years later, at Time 2. Longitudinal analysis indicated moderate stability of the subjective well-being (SWB) measures. More importantly, when both the baseline SWB levels and personality traits were statistically controlled, social support still predicted overall happiness, and positive life events predicted life satisfaction. Furthermore, there was a consistently strong bidirectional relationship between overall happiness and life satisfaction.