Temporality and delayed models as dynamic characteristics of happiness

Abstract

The subject of the study is the dynamic characteristics of happiness. The theoretical aspects of highlighting the context of temporality in happiness research are highlighted. The importance of time perspective for understanding happiness as a sociocultural phenomenon, as well as subjective well-being, is considered. The characteristics of delayed models of happiness are highlighted, influencing the perception of current life as an approach to a happier future. The empirical basis of the study is the results of a sociological study of Russian residents aged 18-60 years (n=1170) using an online survey conducted in September 2024 in capital cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg), the regional center (Ekaterinburg) and cities of the Sverdlovsk region. The novelty of the study lies in the identification and comparison of subjective assessments of happiness in a time perspective, past – present – future, which made it possible to identify an inclined trajectory of assessment of subjective well-being. The assessment of life satisfaction as a whole is shown to shift to lower levels in comparison with the assessment of current happiness. A contradiction has been revealed between the expectation of a better future and the uncertainty in its implementation. The use of a generational approach made it possible to fix temporality in the context of the influence of age and life experience on the perception of happiness, generational inequality of happiness and the convergence of assessments of chronic and current happiness with increasing age. Prospects for research on the topic are identified related to the insufficiency of quantitative measurement of the dynamic characteristics of happiness and the possibilities of identifying narratives in describing the temporality of the life experience of happiness, including its deferred models.