Economic and Cultural Correlates of Subjective Well-Being in Countries Using Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)

2010 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 949-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esma Gaygisiz
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Unequal Income Distribution

The correlations among indicators of objective well-being, cultural dimensions, and subjective well-being were investigated using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 35 countries. The subjective well-being measures included life satisfaction as well as six positive and six negative indexes of experience. Positive and negative experience scores were subjected to principal component analysis, and two positive experience components (labeled as “positive experiences” and “time management”) and two negative experience components (labeled as “pain, worry, and sadness” and “anger and boredom”) were extracted. Objective well-being included economic indicators, education, and health. The cultural variables included Hofstede's and Schwartz's cultural dimensions, national Big Five personality scores, and national IQs. High life satisfaction was positively related to Gross Domestic Product, life expectancy, education, individualism, affective and intellectual autonomy, egalitarianism, and conscientiousness, whereas low life satisfaction was related to unemployment, unequal income distribution, power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, embeddedness, hierarchy, and neuroticism.

Relationships with Grandparents and Grandchildren’s Well-being after Parental Divorce

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike Jappens ◽  
Jan Van Bavel
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Parental Divorce ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Good Relationship ◽  
Family Crisis ◽  
Depressive Feelings ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Grandparents are often considered as providing important resources in times of family crisis. Little is known, however, about the influence of grandparents on the well-being of grandchildren after parental divorce. This article investigates the association between the quality of relationships with grandparents and grandchildren’s subjective well-being. Using data from the study ‘Divorce in Flanders’, the authors compare 567 grandchildren with divorced and 238 with married parents regarding four indicators of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem, mastery, and depressive feelings) and also examine variation within the group with divorced parents. Results show that the strength of grandchild–grandparent relationships is positively associated with grandchildren’s subjective well-being and that having a very good relationship with a grandparent matters even more for grandchildren whose parents have divorced. Moreover, grandchildren who experience frequent conflicts between divorced parents seem to benefit most from close grandparent relationships.

Incremental Validity of Achievement Goals in Predicting Subjective Well-Being Among University Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Achievement Goals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Approach Goals ◽  
Mastery Approach

This study examined the role that achievement goals may play in predicting subjective well-being, particularly the extra contribution of achievement goals beyond that of personality traits. There were 371 university students from Nanjing, China (mean age = 20.67, SD = 1.30) who participated in the study and reported their achievement goals, the Big Five personality traits, and subjective well-being (including life satisfaction, positive, and negative affect). Results revealed that mastery-approach goals positively and significantly predicted life satisfaction; mastery-approach and performance-approach goals positively, whereas performance-avoidance goals negatively significantly predicted positive affect. When working with the Big Five personality traits, mastery-approach goals and performance-approach goals showed their added contributions to life satisfaction and positive affect, respectively. These results highlight the importance of considering achievement goals when explaining individual differences of subjective well-being as well as the importance of taking subjective well-being into account when understanding the nature of achievement goals.

The effects of personality on job satisfaction and life satisfaction: A meta-analytic investigation accounting for bandwidth–fidelity and commensurability

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piers Steel ◽  
Joseph Schmidt ◽  
Frank Bosco ◽  
Krista Uggerslev
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Workplace Interventions ◽  
Personality Facets ◽  
A Minor

To what extent do employees’ personality traits shape their perceptions of job and life satisfaction? To answer this question, we conducted the largest meta-analysis on the topic to date, summarizing a total of 12,682 correlations among combinations of personality, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. We also sought to refine previous meta-analytic estimates by comparing the effects of personality facets to broad trait domains, while controlling for commensurability of personality measures. The results showed that the Big Five personality traits accounted for about 10% of the variance in job satisfaction, which in turn accounted for 13% of the variance in life satisfaction. Compared with the broad trait domains, personality facets typically accounted for twice as much variance in life satisfaction, with only a minor increase for job satisfaction, which contradicts the typical bandwidth–fidelity heuristic. The results also provided support for a trickle-down or top-down effect, where dispositions affect perceptions of life satisfaction, which then influenced the more specific subdomain of job satisfaction. The results have important implications for researchers and practitioners, suggesting that information is lost when personality facets are overlooked, and that educational and workplace interventions could enhance perceptions of satisfaction for those prone to lower levels of subjective well-being.

scholarly journals Singles in the city: happily ever after?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Riederer ◽  
Nina-Sophie Fritsch ◽  
Lena Seewann
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Financial Situation ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The City

More people than ever are living in cities, and in these cities, more and more people are living alone. Using the example of Vienna, this paper investigates the subjective well-being of single households in the city. Previous research has identified positive and negative aspects of living alone (e.g., increased freedom vs. missing social embeddedness). We compare single households with other household types using data from the Viennese Quality of Life Survey (1995–2018). In our analysis, we consider overall life satisfaction as well as selected dimensions of subjective wellbeing (i.e., housing, financial situation, main activity, family, social contacts, leisure time). Our findings show that the subjective well-being of single households in Vienna is high and quite stable over time. While single households are found to have lower life satisfaction than two-adult households, this result is mainly explained by singles reporting lower satisfaction with family life. Compared to households with children, singles are more satisfied with their financial situation, leisure time and housing, which helps to offset the negative consequences of missing family ties (in particular with regard to single parents).

scholarly journals The Efficacy of a Peer-Led Versus Nurse-Led Self-Management on the Subjective Well-Being of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Azizi ◽  
Najmeh Javan ◽  
Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Mirzaei ◽  
Seyyed Abolfazl Vagharseyyedin
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Positive Experience ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Over Time

Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) can be a buffer against mental health problems. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to experience low levels of subjective well-being. Objectives: The two objectives were (1) to examine whether peer-led and nurse-led self-management training can improve SWB of patients with MS and (2) to compare the effect of these two interventions on SWB of patients with MS. Methods: In this trial, 81 patients were randomly assigned to either nurse-led (n = 41) or peer-led (n = 40) groups. Both groups participated in six weekly-based 1.5‐hr self-management sessions. The cognitive and affective components of SWB were evaluated using the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Scale for Positive and Negative Experience, respectively. Results: Life satisfaction increased in both groups over time (P < 0.001), although it was not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Positive and negative experiences increased in both groups over time (P < 0.05), but the increase in positive experience in the peer-led group was significantly larger than those in the nurse-led group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Peer-led and nurse-led self-management training, are feasible tools to enhance the cognitive component of SWB, i.e., life satisfaction. Considering the affective component of SWB, positive experience in the peer-led group improved better than in the nurse-led group over time. Therefore, if healthcare providers improve the SWB of patients with relapsing-remitting MS, the self-management intervention led by peers is preferred than nurse-led self-management training.

scholarly journals Heritage Engagement and Subjective Well-Being in the European Union

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9623
Author(s):  
Victoria Ateca-Amestoy ◽  
Anna Villarroya ◽  
Andreas J. Wiesand
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Use Values ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

In this paper, we explore the relationship between different ways of getting engaged with cultural heritage and life satisfaction. Using data from a representative sample of the population of the 28 members of the European Union in 2017 collected in the Eurobarometer 88.1 (2017), we explore the relationship between use and non-use values and individual subjective well-being measured as life satisfaction. We present the results derived from the estimation of an ordered probit model where life satisfaction is a function of living near to heritage resources to represent non-use values, different ways of heritage participation (tangible, intangible, digital, and volunteering), and the usual explanatory variables that have been found to be predictors of life satisfaction. Our results indicate that the chances of being more satisfied with ones’ life increase with volunteering activities, with visits to heritage institutions, and with digital engagement. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the multifaceted values of heritage.

scholarly journals An Integrative Approach to Assess Subjective Well-Being. A Case Study on Romanian University Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
George-Laurentiu Serban-Oprescu ◽  
Silvia Dedu ◽  
Anca-Teodora Serban-Oprescu
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Order Effect ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Main Determinants

Subjective well-being (SWB) has presented long-lasting interest for researchers and the recent focus on the economic approach to SWB led to increased awareness of the topic. Despite the significant number of studies, conceptualizing and assessing SWB, along with finding predictors of SWB, need further empirical exploration. Following this rationale, using statistical and econometric methods (correlation analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR)) applied on data collected via a survey on students from Bucharest University of Economic Studies (363 respondents), this study explores and provides insights that support a better understanding of defining and measuring SWB. Additionally, the study offers valuable information on the main determinants of SWB for a particular group, in this case, Romanian business students. According to findings, we argue that: (1) when assessing perception of life satisfaction and happiness, Romanian students tend to make slight distinctions between these two concepts; (2) question order effect is not significant, whereas negative sentiments (such as pessimism) impact self-assessment of happiness, but not of life satisfaction; (3) the main predictors for SWB are satisfaction with current activities, level of optimism/pessimism, health, and safety of the neighborhood. This paper proposes a new approach to modeling SWB by MLR, which features expressing the dependent variable with respect to the principal factors obtained by PCA.

Democratic Institutions and Subjective Well-Being

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Altman ◽  
Patrick Flavin ◽  
Benjamin Radcliff
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Systematic Study ◽  
Real World ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Robust Evidence

We examine how differences in how democracy is institutionalized affect life satisfaction across nations. To our knowledge, this is the first rigorous, systematic study of this subject. Using data for 21 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1981 to 2008, we find robust evidence that citizens report living more satisfying lives in countries with a parliamentary (rather than presidential) executive, a proportional representation electoral system (as opposed to single member districts), and a unitary (rather than federal) governmental structure. Moreover, the findings suggest that the real-world consequences for these types of democratic institutions for human well-being are substantial, rivaling or exceeding other common predictors. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications of the results.

scholarly journals The Dynamics of Online Activities and Its Impact on Well-Being in Urban China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinxuan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Rural Migrants ◽  
Online Activities ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, this study examines the socioeconomic characteristics of Internet users, as well as the relationships between the dynamics of different forms of online activities and the subjective well-being of urbanites and rural migrants in urban China. The study finds that online behaviour may clearly reflect differences in individuals&rsquo; personal traits and socioeconomic positions. Patterns of the association between online activities and subjective well-being tend to differ among rural migrants and urbanites, especially in terms of depression. A difference-in-differences model is employed to estimate the impact of intensified engagement in online activities on depression and life satisfaction from 2010 to 2016. The results show that increased frequency of online entertainment exhibits a comparatively positive effect on depression and life satisfaction. Spending more time on online social networking has a similar impact on rural migrants, but not on urbanites. These findings suggest that the rapid development of urban China&rsquo;s online community has important implications for residents&rsquo; subjective well-being.

Race, Socioeconomic Status, and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Americans

1987 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad McKenzie ◽  
James Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Self Assessed Health ◽  
Intervening Variables

Causal examination of factors influencing life satisfaction among older Americans can provide knowledge important to social policy development. Using rotated factor analysis, this study isolates two dimensions of life satisfaction, labeled happiness and morale, using data from the 1981 Harris survey on aging. Race, SES characteristics, and the two intervening variables of self-assessed health status and problems experienced are tested through path analysis on the two attributes of life satisfaction. Most of the effects of race and SES are mediated by self-assessed health status and problems experienced, and these two intervening variables are the strongest direct predictors of happiness and morale. Of particular significance are results which demonstrate that racial background has a strong influence on problems experienced, and that education is more influential than income on the life satisfaction factors tested in this study.

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