Subjective Well-Being Around the World: Trends and Predictors Across the Life Span

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Jebb ◽  
Mike Morrison ◽  
Louis Tay ◽  
Ed Diener

Using representative cross-sections from 166 nations (more than 1.7 million respondents), we examined differences in three measures of subjective well-being over the life span. Globally, and in the individual regions of the world, we found only very small differences in life satisfaction and negative affect. By contrast, decreases in positive affect were larger. We then examined four important predictors of subjective well-being and how their associations changed: marriage, employment, prosociality, and life meaning. These predictors were typically associated with higher subjective well-being over the life span in every world region. Marriage showed only very small associations for the three outcomes, whereas employment had larger effects that peaked around age 50 years. Prosociality had practically significant associations only with positive affect, and life meaning had strong, consistent associations with all subjective-well-being measures across regions and ages. These findings enhance our understanding of subjective-well-being patterns and what matters for subjective well-being across the life span.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eka Septarianda ◽  
Mohammad Nursalim Malay ◽  
Khoiriyah Ulfah

ABSTRACT: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORGIVENESS AND SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING AMONG ORPHANAGE ADOLESCENTSThis study aims to determine the relationship between forgiveness and subjective well-being in adolescents who are in the orphanage, through the three components contained in it, i.e. life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect. The subjects of this study were 58 adolescents in the Budi Mulya Muhammadiyah Sukarame orphanage. Data collection method using three scales, those are Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Possitive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The data analysis technique used is the product moment correlation. The results of the analysis of this study explain that there is a positive relationship between forgiveness and subjective well-being through the three components in SWB. The results of this study have implications about the importance of forgiveness in increasing subjective well being in orphanage adolescent.Keywords: Forgiveness, Subjective Well-Being, Orphanage AdolescentPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan forgiveness dengan subjective well-being pada remaja yang berada di panti asuhan, melalui tiga komponen yang terdapat di dalamnya, yaitu life satisfaction, positive affect dan negative affect. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 58 remaja panti asuhan Budi Mulya Muhammadiyah Sukarame. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan tiga skala, yaitu Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) dan Possitive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Data dianalisis dengan korelasi product moment. Hasil penelitian ini menerangkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang positif antara forgiveness dengan subjective well-being melalui tiga komponen dalam SWB. Hasil penelitian ini memberi implikasi tentang pentingnya forgiveness dalam meningkatkan subjective well being pada remaja dipanti asuhan.Kata Kunci: Forgiveness, Subjective Well Being, Remaja Panti Asuhan 


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Martaria Rizky Rinaldi ◽  
Sofia Retnowati

Parenting child with intellectual disability is associated with physical and psychological problems that influence mother’s subjective well-being. The evidence is show that mindfulness based intervention can increase of life satisfaction, elicit positive affect, dan minimize negative affect, so that it can increase subjective well-being. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of “Mindful parenting” program in increasing subjective well-being mother who has child with intellectual disability. This study uses a one-group pretest-posttesttt design using a double pretest. “Mindful Parenting” program was administered to ten mothers of children with intellectual disability. Participant attend 8 sessions of “Mindful parenting” program in four meeting. Analysis using Friedman test showed significance result (Fr(2) = 11.13, p< 0.05). It conclude that there was significant effect of “Mindful parenting” program on promotes subjective well-being of mothers of children with intellectual disability.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 458-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hansika Singhal ◽  
Renu Rastogi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discover the role of psychological capital (PsyCap) as a predictor of subjective well-being (SWB) and career commitment (CC). Further, it aims to analyze the mediating role of SWB in the relationship between PsyCap and CC in the Indian manufacturing sector. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey-based research design employing data from 300 employees in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India was used in the present research. Findings The results demonstrated that PsyCap acted as a predictor for SWB and CC. Additionally, SWB partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and CC. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the present research would have to do with the purposive sample set chosen during the data collection. The sample consisted of middle- and upper-middle-class Indian employees working in the NCR having knowledge of English language and computer skills. Perhaps, future research works should take into account a wider sample in terms of the regions across India and not only the NCR. Although the findings showed that SWB reduced the relationship between PsyCap and CC, still that relationship was significant statistically. Further research studies might also explore various moderators while simultaneously studying SWB. In the research, SWB acted as a significant mediator of the relation between PsyCap and CC, yet at the same time, it may be the scenario that employees who are committed toward their career would be more inclined to espouse a greater sense of SWB (i.e. mediator is caused by the outcome). Hence, the authors duly recognize the need to test this substitute model. Since, SWB places chief emphasis on respondent’s own experiences and perspectives; it does not denote a consummate understanding of their mental health as people may have psychological disorders even if they experience happiness. Hence, the use of other measures in addition to SWB in comprehending a person’s psychological health is desirable (Diener et al., 1997). Practical implications This study suggests that in order for organizations to have a workforce committed to their career and hence, their profession, the supervisors will need to train the employees having a higher incidence of PsyCap to increase their SWB. Consequently, the supervisors will, in turn, need to recruit employees already having the four dimensions of PsyCap, i.e. hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism at the workplace in order for them to have a higher life satisfaction, positive affect, reduced negative affect (three components of SWB) and increased CC. Social implications Employees who develop within themselves a state of being hopeful, efficacious, resilient and optimistic will also be strongly oriented toward having greater life satisfaction, positive affect and lower levels of negative affect. This, in part, would help them achieve the required commitment toward their career and hence, help them in sticking with their jobs. Originality/value The present study advances the existing work on positive organizational behavior by exhibiting the noteworthy role of PsyCap in predicting SWB and CC. Further, it helps in demonstrating the inevitable role of SWB in partially mediating the relationship between PsyCap and CC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Henning ◽  
Dikla Segel-Karaps ◽  
Andreas Stenling ◽  
Oliver Huxhold

Given substantial cohort differences in psychosocial functioning, for example perceived control, and ongoing pension reforms, the context of retirement has changed over the last decades. However, there is limited research on the consequences of such developments on historical differences in subjective well-being in the retirement transition. In the present study, we investigated historical differences in change in life satisfaction and positive affect across the retirement transition. We included perceived control as a potential mechanism behind these differences. Analyses were based on sub-samples of retirees among three nationally-representative samples of the German Ageing Survey (1996; 2002; 2008) and their respective follow-ups 6 years later. Results showed historical improvements in pre-retirement positive affect (i.e., later samples had higher pre-retirement levels), however, earlier samples showed a larger increase in positive affect across the retirement transition compared to later samples. No historical differences were found in life satisfaction. Perceived control showed no historical improvement and did not seem to contribute to historical differences in subjective well-being. Nevertheless, we found that the role of perceived control for positive affect seemingly increased over historical time. The results showed that the historical context seems to play a role in the experience of retirement, and that it is helpful to distinguish between cognitive-evaluative (e.g., life satisfaction) and affective components (e.g., positive affect) of well-being.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kostadin Kushlev ◽  
Nina Radosic ◽  
Edward Francis Diener ◽  
Ed Diener

Subjective well-being (SWB) is positively related to helping others, but so far research has not explored the association of individual aspects of well-being with prosocial behavior across the world. We used a representative sample (N = 1,433,078) from the Gallup World Poll (GWP) to explore the relationship between each aspect of well-being and prosocial behavior. We explored these associations between and within 161 countries. We found that different aspects of SWB are not equally associated with prosocial behavior: While life satisfaction and positive affect consistently predicted being more prosocial, negative affect did not consistently predict being less prosocial. Our findings underline the importance of studying the effects of the different components of SWB separately, indicating that, across the globe, it is satisfaction and positive emotions—not the lack of negative emotions—that are associated with being prosocial.


2019 ◽  
pp. 135910531987395
Author(s):  
Nutifafa Eugene Yaw Dey ◽  
Benjamin Amponsah ◽  
Charles Brenya Wiafe-Akenteng

The study explored the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between spirituality and subjective well-being of 107 Ghanaian biological parents raising children with special needs. Results from mediational analyses revealed that spirituality indirectly influenced life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect through resilience. Specifically, greater levels of spirituality predicted greater resilience, which successively led to greater life satisfaction, greater positive affect and reduced negative affect. These findings emphasize the necessity of targeting parents’ well-being through resilience to help them deal with the burden of providing care for their children with special needs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Rogelio Puente-Díaz ◽  
Judith Cavazos-Arroyo

The present investigation examined the influence of materialism and gratitude on subjective well-being under two different conceptualizations of this construct: subjective well-being as a construct with three independent components and subjective well-being as a second other factor with three first order factors. 386 participants from Mexico completed a battery of questionnaires measuring gratitude, materialism, positive and negative affect and life satisfaction. Results showed a negative influence of materialism on positive affect, life satisfaction and overall sense of subjective well-being and a positive influence on negative affect. Gratitude had a positive influence on positive affect, life satisfaction and overall sense of subjective well-being. Results also showed that gratitude did not influence negative affect directly, but indirectly through its influence on overall sense of subjective well-being. The implications of our findings were discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siu-ming To ◽  
Wai-leung Sung

In this study, we aimed to examine whether and how presence of meaning and sources of meaning interact and contribute to the subjective well-being of emerging adults. Results from a cross-sectional survey of 251 Chinese community college students in Hong Kong revealed that presence of meaning was positively associated with life satisfaction and positive affect. The findings also showed that ascriptions to self-preoccupating and individualistic sources of meaning were associated with positive affect, while ascriptions to individualistic and self-transcendent sources of meaning were associated with life satisfaction. Furthermore, ascription to the individualistic source of meaning amplified the strength of a positive relationship between presence of meaning and life satisfaction. These findings can provide a knowledge base for initiating further research on how different components of meaning in life cooperate to affect emerging adults’ subjective well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sakari Lemola ◽  
Anna Gkiouleka ◽  
Brieze Read ◽  
Anu Realo ◽  
Lukasz Walasek ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This study examined the impact of a ‘rewards-for-exercise’ mobile application on physical activity, subjective well-being and sleep quality among 148 employees in a UK university with low to moderate physical activity levels. Methods A three-month open-label single-arm trial with a one-year follow-up after the end of the trial. Participants used the Sweatcoin application which converted their outdoor steps into a virtual currency used for the purchase of products available at the university campus’ outlets, using an in-app marketplace. The primary outcome measure was self-reported physical activity. Secondary measures included device-measured physical activity, subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect), and self-reported sleep quality. Results The findings show an increase in self-reported physical activity (d = 0.34), life satisfaction (d = 0.31), positive affect (d = 0.29), and sleep quality (d = 0.22) during the three-month trial period. Conclusion The study suggests that mobile incentives-for-exercise applications might increase physical activity levels, positive affect, and sleep quality, at least in the short term. The observed changes were not sustained 12 months after the end of the trial.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Hansen ◽  
Britt Slagsvold

This study re-examines the much-discussed paradox that although aging is associated with declines in many life domains, overall subjective well-being does not appear to decline sharply with age. We use data from two waves of the Norwegian NorLAG study (age 40-85, n=3,750) and examine age differences in change in well-being outcomes (life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and depression) and factors that may account for age variations in such change. Outcomes show stability well into older age, but negative changes in advanced age, cross-sectionally or longitudinally. Life satisfaction and negative affect are adversely related to older age longitudinally, whereas positive affect and depression are adversely related to older age in the cross-section. Results are similar for men and women. Loss of health and partner are the main causes of declining well-being in older age. Findings suggest qualifications to the “well-being paradox”, e.g.: only some dimensions of SWB remain stable, while others decline; across dimensions SWB change is more negative in old-old than in young-old age.


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