Dimensions Of Subjective Well-being Research Articles

International and internal migration and the subjective wellbeing of wives left behind in Ghana

AbstractHusbands' labour migration has ramifications for significant family members, particularly wives left behind. However, limited studies have been conducted to examine the impacts of husbands' migration on women left behind married to international and internal migrants. Drawing on a purposive sampling survey of 298 Ghanaian women (international = 129 and internal = 169) in the Volta Region, we assessed their subjective wellbeing using three dimensions: self‐reported health, self‐reported satisfaction with life, and self‐reported happiness. The results from t‐tests show that on average, international women left behind have higher perceived health (3.72), perceived happiness (3.82) and satisfaction with life (3.19). Results from the multivariable binary logistic regression analyses reveal that while no variables predict self‐reported health for international women left behind, high frequency of communication is statistically associated with internal women left behind self‐assessed health. International women left behind who lived in nuclear households and internal women left behind who reported high wealth quintiles were both statistically associated with satisfaction with life, respectively. While demographic factors (age and duration of marriage) were significant predictors of happiness for international women left behind, neighbourhood type and frequency of communication predicted happiness for internal women left behind. The differences in variables predicting each of the subjective wellbeing dimensions demonstrate the concept's multidimensionality. It also highlights factors influencing subjective wellbeing outcomes of women left behind are not solely due to their husbands' migration. The policy implications of this study are highlighted.

Subjective Well-Being of Parents and Childless People in Older Age in Germany

AbstractThe growing number of older childless individuals in Western societies has raised concerns about their subjective well-being. In this study, we scrutinize the subjective well-being of parents and childless individuals aged 60 years and older. We examine subjective well-being as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Based on the value-of-children approach, we hypothesize that childless individuals experience lower subjective well-being than parents and that the disparity in well-being differs with age, gender, and the quality of the parent-child relationship. For our analysis, we use data from a nationally representative sample of adults aged 60 years and older (n = 10,682) drawn from the German Ageing Survey. Our findings from random effects regression models show that childless individuals report lower life satisfaction, less positive affect, and more negative affect than parents. These associations are larger for men than for women but do not vary significantly across age groups. Furthermore, our results suggest that the benefits of parenthood strongly depend on the quality of the parent-child relationship. Childless people report lower subjective well-being than parents with a close emotional bond with their children, but similar or even higher subjective well-being than parents with an emotionally distant parent-child relationship. In sum, our study indicates that childless people experience, on average, lower well-being across all three dimensions of subjective well-being in older age. However, under specific circumstances, childless individuals may fare better than parents.

Sense of belonging to community and avoidable hospitalization: a population-based cohort study of 456,415 Canadians

A sense of belonging to a community is a dimension of subjective well-being that is of growing population health interest. We evaluated sex-stratified associations between community belonging and risk of avoidable hospitalization. Adult men and women from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000–2014) were asked to rate their sense of community belonging (N = 456,415) and were also linked to acute inpatient hospitalizations to 31 March 2018. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the association between community belonging and time to hospitalization related to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) and adjusted for a range of sociodemographic, health, and behavioural confounders. Compared to those who reported intermediate levels of belonging, both very weak and very strong sense of belonging were associated with greater risk of avoidable hospitalization for women (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12, 1.47, very weak; HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03, 1.27, very strong), but not for men (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.97, 1.29, very weak; HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.98, 1.19, very strong). This study suggests that community belonging is associated with risk of ACSC hospitalization for women and provides a foundation for further research on community belonging and population health.

Developing a machine learning-based instrument for subjective well-being assessment on Weibo and its psychological significance: An evaluative and interpretive research.

Demystifying machine learning (ML) approaches through the synergy of psychology and artificial intelligence can achieve a balance between predictive and explanatory power in model development while enhancing rigor in validation and reporting standards. Accordingly, this study aimed to bridge this research gap by developing a subjective well-being (SWB) prediction model on Weibo, serving as a psychological assessment instrument and explaining the model construction based on psychological knowledge. The model establishment involved the collection of SWB scores and posts from 1,427 valid Weibo users. Multiple machine learning algorithms were employed to train the model and fine-tune its parameters. The optimal model was selected by comparing its criterion validity and split-half reliability performance. Furthermore, SHAP values were calculated to rank the importance of features, which were then used for model interpretation. The criterion validity for the three dimensions of SWB ranged from 0.50 to 0.52 (P< 0.001), and the split-half reliability ranged from 0.94 to 0.96 (P< 0.001). The identified relevant features were related to four main aspects: cultural values, emotions, morality, and time and space. This study expands the application scope of SWB-related psychological theories from a data-driven perspective and provides a theoretical reference for further well-being prediction.

A study on the relationship between yoga exercise intervention and the comprehensive well-being of female college students.

Due to the influence of theories, tools, and methodologies in studying well-being, sports science has predominantly focused on subjective well-being, with less attention given to psychological well-being and even less to the integrated study of comprehensive well-being. This study aims to analyze the relationship between yoga exercise intervention and the comprehensive well-being of college students and to explore the mechanism of a yoga exercise intervention to improve the comprehensive well-being of female college students. With 92 female college students as subjects, the "Comprehensive Well-being Scale" was used, and research methods such as yoga exercise intervention, questionnaire surveys, qualitative analysis, expert interviews, and statistical analysis were employed to investigate the role of a yoga exercise intervention on the comprehensive well-being of female college students. Among the nine dimensions of comprehensive well-being, the three dimensions of subjective well-being and the two dimensions of psychological well-being (health concern and personality growth) of female college students were significantly improved. Additionally, four other dimensions of psychological well-being also showed significant improvement. Furthermore, the improvement in the life satisfaction of female college students' subjective well-being was mainly achieved through yoga meditation, while partner yoga posture practice could help individuals gradually form a stable pattern of altruistic behavior. Yoga exercise intervention can improve the comprehensive well-being of female college students and can be an effective counseling method for college students' mental health education.

Changes in subjective well-being and stress of older adults before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in Switzerland.

Despite the concerns about older adults' overall quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, they often demonstrated better resilience, adaptability, and subjective well-being (SWB) than younger individuals. However, longer-term trends remain unclear. This study aims to describe older adults' trajectories in SWB dimensions before, during, and after the pandemic spanning 2017-2022. This study used piecewise growth curve analysis on a subsample of the Swiss Household Panel to investigate the population-average (n individuals = 3086; n = observations = 13,780) trajectories of SWB dimensions and stress among adults aged 65 and older between 2017 and 2022. We also tested whether these trajectories differed by age, gender, and household income. Life satisfaction and positive affect remained stable among older people during the pandemic (2019-2021) but declined after. Negative affect increased during the pandemic and decreased afterward, while stress levels increased slightly before and significantly after the pandemic. The trajectories did not differ by gender or household income, but the oldest-old (> 75-year-old) had a more significant decline in positive affect and life satisfaction pre-pandemic (2017-2019) and stress during the pandemic (2020-2021). Research shows that older adults possess adaptation skills and emotional competencies, which enable them to navigate pandemic challenges. However, we show that the post-pandemic era presents more substantial challenges for this older population, who perhaps face more difficulties adapting to the new uncertain post-pandemic world. Further research needs to examine if these findings replicate in other contexts, for instance, where pandemic containment measures have been more stringent.

Out-of-home activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden: Associations with subjective well-being and the moderating roles of age and personality

This study investigates the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reduction of frequency of out-of-home activities among Swedes, and its relationship with Subjective Well-Being (SWB), including Life Satisfaction (LS) and Emotional Well-Being (EWB). A considerable decrease in attending cultural events, dining out, shopping, and social activities was observed and to a lesser extent walking and exercise. Reduction in walking and exercise, but none of the other activities, correlated negatively with both LS and EWB. Our study suggests that activity reductions may have similar effects on both dimensions of SWB, rather than the typical finding in previous studies suggesting a stronger influence on EWB. Age moderated the impact of physical activities, indicating that reductions in physical activities were primarily detrimental for older individuals. High Neuroticism was found to moderate the relationship between social activities and SWB, suggesting that decreases in social activities had a slightly negative effect on SWB for people high in Neuroticism.

The satisfaction with life scale and the well-being index WHO-5 in young Peruvians: a network analysis

ABSTRACT The main objective of this study is to calculate the structure of a network of elements of life satisfaction and emotional well-being in young Peruvians, through network analysis, using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Well-Being Index WHO-5. A total of 414 university students between the ages of 18 and 27 (M = 22.18; SD = 2.57) participated. The results show that network analysis offers new avenues for exploring the dimensionality of complex constructs, concluding that the SWLS and WHO-5 represent distinct but related dimensions of subjective well-being. In addition, the items linked to the global judgement of satisfaction with one’s own life and with the activation of the arousal level stand out for their relevance in the network. Finally, some differences in network connectivity according to sex are highlighted, which merit further research.

The diversity of well-being indicators: a latent profile analysis.

Research on the dimensional structure of subjective well-being (SWB) suggests a five-dimensional solution, consisting of the three established dimensions of life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect, and two additional empirically supported dimensions: domain satisfaction and happiness. While these dimensions can be aggregated into a superordinate SWB construct, little research has explored how these dimensions differ in their variation across subpopulations of individuals. The present study addresses this gap via secondary analysis of a sample of 1,487 partnered individuals, using the five dimensions of SWB as indicators for latent profile analysis. Analyses returned five profiles, which we labeled Satisfied, Ambivalent, Indifferent, Dissatisfied, and Very Dissatisfied. In the Ambivalent and Indifferent profiles, the dimensions of negative affect and happiness exhibit discrepant behavior, resulting in shape differences. The five profiles are organized with reference to the external criterion of couple satisfaction. At the theoretical level, the results of the present study have the potential to inform current debates about the structure of well-being. These findings suggest that, while SWB can usually be measured as a unidimensional construct, there is still merit to using multidimensional approaches and alternative forms of measurement-such as LPA-that capture complexities normally absent from unidimensional treatments. At the practical level, the results of the current study have the potential to inform well-being interventions (both clinical and otherwise), suggesting that those dealing with well-being in real life situations should pause before concluding that the absence of negativity implies the presence of positivity, or vice versa.

The unique role of meaning in life in the relationships between trait awe, subjective well-being, and prosocial tendency: A network analysis.

Although individuals with higher trait awe (the tendency to experience awe) are known to be happier and more prosocial, there is limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying these complex relationships. This study uses network analysis to explore dimension-level relationships between trait awe, meaning in life, subjective well-being (SWB), and prosocial tendency in a joint network and to explore the bridging role of meaning in life in the network. A total of 538 adults (53.2% females; Mage = 19.86 ± 1.51) completed the survey. The network revealed unique and intricate connections between the dimensions of trait awe, meaning in life (i.e., the presence of and the search for meaning, abbreviated as POM and SFM), subjective happiness and life satisfaction (SWB), and prosocial tendency (i.e., willingness to donate money and volunteer time). Trait awe exhibited direct links to subjective happiness, life satisfaction, and prosocial tendency to donate money. Moreover, through POM and SFM, trait awe also exhibited indirect links to each dimension of SWB and prosocial tendency. Within the global network, POM was further identified as acting as a bridge node with the highest bridge strength and closeness, indicating that POM could efficiently transmit influences within the entire network. These findings highlight the distinct contributions of meaning in life to understanding the relationships between trait awe, SWB, and prosocial tendency, and provide valuable insights for improving SWB and fostering prosocial tendencies.

Subjective well-being among PhD students in mainland China: the roles of psychological capital and academic engagement.

The mental well-being of PhD students is a major concern in higher education. However, very few studies have investigated the influencing factors of PhD students' subjective well-being (SWB) - an important indicator of mental well-being. Even no study on the influencing factors of PhD students' SWB has been undertaken in mainland China. Based on job demands-resources theory, the present study pioneers the investigation of the relationship between PhD students' psychological capital (PsyCap; comprising self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism) and SWB (comprising positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) in mainland China. It further examined the mediating role of academic engagement (comprising vigor, dedication, and absorption) in this relationship. PhD students (n = 376) from two comprehensive universities in Jiangsu province responded to an online survey. The results showed that (1) self-efficacy was positively associated with life satisfaction, hope was positively associated with positive affect, optimism was significantly associated with all three dimensions of SWB, but resilience was not significantly associated with any of the three SWB dimensions; and (2) dedication mediated the relationship between hope and life satisfaction and that between optimism and negative affect and life satisfaction, but vigor and absorption did not mediate any of the PsyCap-SWB relationships. Limitations and practical implications of this study are discussed.

The ABC of happiness: Validation of the tridimensional model of subjective well-being (affect, cognition, and behavior) using Bifactor Polytomous Multidimensional Item Response Theory

BackgroundHappiness is often conceptualized as subjective well-being, which comprises people's evaluations of emotional experiences (i.e., the affective dimension: positive and negative feelings and emotions) and judgements of a self-imposed ideal (i.e., the cognitive dimension: life satisfaction). Recent research has established these two dimensions as primary parts of a higher order factor. However, theoretical, conceptual, and empirical work suggest that people's evaluations of harmony in their life (i.e., the sense of balance and capacity to behave and adapt with both acceptance and flexibility to inter- and intrapersonal circumstances) constitutes a third dimension (i.e., the behavioral dimension). This tridemensional conceptualization of subjective well-being has recently been verified using Unidimensional Item Response Theory (UIRT) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). Here, we use a recently developed and more robust approach that combines these two methods (i.e., Multidimensional Item Response Theory, MIRT) to simultaneously address the complex interactions and multidimensionality behind how people feel, think, and behave in relation to happiness in their life. MethodA total of 435 participants (197 males and 238 females) with an age mean of 44.84 (sd = 13.36) responded to the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (10 positive affect items, 10 negative affect items), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (five items), and the Harmony in life Scale (five items). We used Bifactor-Graded Response MIRT for the main analyses. ResultAt the general level, each of the 30 items had a strong capacity to discriminate between respondents across all three dimensions of subjective well-being. The investigation of different parameters (e.g., marginal slopes, ECV, IECV) strongly reflected the multidimensionality of subjective well-being at the item, the scale, and the model level. Indeed, subjective well-being could explain 64 % of the common variance in the whole model. Moreover, most of the items measuring positive affect (8/10) and life satisfaction (4/5) and all the items measuring harmony in life (5/5) accounted for a larger amount of variance of subjective well-being compared to that of their respective individual dimensions. The negative affect items, however, measured its own individual concept to a lager extent rather than subjective well-being. Thus, suggesting that the experience of negative affect is a more independent dimension within the whole subjective well-being model. We also found that specific items (e.g., “Alert”, “Distressed”, “Irritable”, “I am satisfied with my life”) were the recurrent exceptions in our results. Last but not the least, experiencing high levels in one dimension seems to compensate for low levels in the others and vice versa. ConclusionAs expected, the three subjective well-being dimensions do not work separately. Interestingly, the order and magnitude of the effect by each dimension on subjective well-being mirror how people define happiness in their life: first as harmony, second as satisfaction, third as positive emotions, and fourth, albeit to a much lesser degree, as negative emotions. Ergo, we argue that subjective well-being functions as a complex biopsychosocial adaptive system mirroring our attitude towards life in these three dimensions (A: affective dimension; B: behavioral dimension; C: cognitive dimension). Ergo, researchers and practitioners need to take in to account all three to fully understand, measure, and promote people's experience of the happy life. Moreover, our results also suggest that negative affect, especially regarding high activation unpleasant emotions, need considerable changes and further analyses if it is going to be included as a construct within the affective dimension of a general subjective well-being factor.

Educação, bem-estar e sentido da vida: o caso de uma universidade sênior de Portugal

Abstract Research in the field of adult education has shown the positive impact of formal education on overall well-being. However, research on the impact of non-formal education remains scarce, particularly among older people. Given the phenomenon of an increasingly global ageing population, this ex-post facto correlational study aims to investigate how participation in non-formal education through senior or third age universities has a transformative potential on subjective well-being (SWB), self-esteem, health self-efficacy, and meaning in life for those attending such educational institutions in Portugal. Sixty seniors participated in the study, evenly split between users of a senior university (SU) and seniors who did not attend an SU or similar institution. Data were collected using internationally recognised questionnaires appropriate to the studied variables. The results show substantial effects in the SU attendance group on life satisfaction, negative affect, health self-efficacy, and the search for meaning in life compared to the control group. No significant differences were found for positive affect, as an affective component of SWB, self-esteem, or for the presence of meaning in life, with small effect sizes. The study concludes that senior universities contribute positively, particularly in the cognitive dimension of SWB, to health self-efficacy and to a dimension of meaning in life, supporting their role as contexts for active and healthy ageing and personal development. The need for further research on the topic is highlighted in order to overcome the identified limitations.

Spatial dimension of subjective well-being

Spatial dimension of subjective well-being

Does emotion regulation mediate the relationship between self-compassion and subjective well-being? A cross-sectional study of adults living in the United States.

Subjective well-being influences mental and physical health. Fortunately, interventions exist to improve people's subjective well-being. Emotion regulation and self-compassion are two transdiagnostic factors that impact mental health and have been separately shown to be associated with subjective well-being. However, their combined relationship with subjective well-being has not yet been examined. To address this gap, the current novel study aimed to determine if there is a combined relationship between self-compassion, emotion regulation, and dimensions of subjective well-being cross-sectionally in adults living in the United States. Participants (n = 559; 50% female; Mage = 57.70 years) completed an online survey via Prime Panels from CloudResearch, capturing their responses on the interested constructs. Analyses showed that emotion regulation significantly mediated the relationships between self-compassion and various subjective well-being dimensions, specifically, positive affect (d = 0.32), negative affect (d = 1.17), and eudemonic well-being (d = 0.79). Our findings have both clinical and research implications.

Religion, future orientation, and subjective well-being among emerging adults

ABSTRACT We hypothesise that religion is associated with how often emerging adults think about the future, which is then related to their greater subjective well-being. Based on a secondary analysis of the third wave of the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), participation in organised religion is negatively related to thinking about the future, whereas religious efficacy and having religious friends are positively related to thinking about the future. Thinking about the future is related to greater subjective well-being, measured as life satisfaction, gratitude, sense of meaning, and control. Participation in organised religion, religious efficacy, and having religious friends have significant indirect relationships with life satisfaction, gratitude, sense of meaning, and control that are mediated by thinking about the future. Therefore, among emerging adults, thinking about the future helps to explain the relationship between religion and multiple dimensions of subjective well-being.

Subjective Well-Being of Employees and Freelancers in the Information Technology Sector

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the various dimensions of the subjective well-being of employees and freelancers working in the Information Technology sector. It also examines the difference in subjective well-being between employees and freelancers. Theoretical framework: The study explains subjective well-being based on need theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, and spillover theory. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, utilizing a purposive sample of 200 employees and freelancers in India. A questionnaire is used for data collection using established scales. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and ANOVA are carried out on the collected data. Findings: All the dimensions of subjective well-being are significantly correlated. The ANOVA results indicate significant differences in all dimensions of subjective well-being across the respondents’ demographics. With respect to freelancers and employees in the IT sector, they show differences in work satisfaction, income satisfaction, and health satisfaction. The findings suggest that work satisfaction, income satisfaction, and health satisfaction should be focused among employees. Life satisfaction and leisure satisfaction can be focused on among freelancers. Research, Practical &amp; Social implications: Managers and organizations should invest in the key preference satisfaction domains that will create bring positive employee performance outcomes and enhance the commitment of freelancers toward project success. Originality/value: This study provides novel insights into various areas that can be focused on to improve the subjective well-being of employees and freelancers in the IT sector.

Subjective well‐being of older migrants in the Netherlands: A conceptual and methodological discussion

AbstractSocial policy is most effective when evidence‐based. In this research, we scrutinise 11 surveys to produce evidence on the subjective well‐being (SWB) of older migrants in the Netherlands. The descriptive analysis and literature review revealed that the study of the diversity among older migrants is hindered by several factors, including the inclusion of a limited number of distinct migrant groups, their almost exclusive comparison to non‐migrants, and a focus on first‐generation and urban‐based migrants. Different concepts are used for three dimensions of SWB, both migrant‐specific and general. The validity of concepts and measurement instruments is not well examined. By means of multi‐group analysis, we demonstrate that the overarching concept of SWB is multidimensional and cannot be easily used to compare different groups of migrants. In conclusion, we argue that survey data can be used to further refine the concept of SWB, compare differences between and within migrant groups and over time, and ultimately inform social policy better.

A liberalizing effect of happiness? The impact of improvements and deteriorations in different dimensions of subjective well-being on concerns about immigration

Abstract High levels of concerns about immigration pose a threat to the successful integration of immigrants and may even destabilize heterogeneous societies. This study assesses the mechanisms underlying the association between subjective well-being and concerns about immigration. The analyses rely on the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (1999-2017), a long-running data set that follows individuals over time with a total of 60,319 respondents and 329,556 person-year observations. Individuals who are on average more satisfied with their income, housing situation, and life overall are less concerned about consequences stemming from immigration. The impact of changes in subjective well-being reaches beyond the influence of objective well-being; moreover, if the same individuals become less satisfied with any one of these life dimensions, their concerns about immigration increase. In turn, an increase in satisfaction is followed by a decline of immigration-based concerns. These results imply that political measures that strengthen resilience and foster coping mechanisms are critical to reducing concerns about immigration, cultivating societal integration.

Can adolescents' subjective wellbeing facilitate their pro-environmental consumption behaviors? Empirical study based on 15-year-old students.

To address the challenge of declining pro-environmental behaviors in adolescence, this paper uses the theoretical foundations for subjective wellbeing to verify the influence of three latent dimensions of subjective wellbeing (life satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions) on adolescents' pro-environmental consumption behaviors (PECBs). Furthermore, we explore the moderating effects of nations and regions in the relationship between subjective wellbeing and PECBs in adolescents. Based on the international data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 (PISA 2018), we construct a unique dataset that includes 57,182 samples related to the subjective wellbeing and PECBs of 15-year-old students from eight countries/economies. Specially, we employ an ordered probit model to test our hypotheses. Both adolescents' life satisfaction and positive emotions can significantly improve their PECBs, while there is a significant negative association between negative emotions and PECBs. At the nation's level, adolescents' life satisfaction and negative emotions in developed countries/economies significantly impact PECBs. In contrast, the positive emotions of adolescents in developing countries/economies have more substantial effects on PECBs. At the regional level, the impact of all three dimensions of adolescents' subjective wellbeing on PECBs is more significant in rural than urban areas. This paper provides a new perspective for understanding adolescents' PECBs from the insights of subjective wellbeing. Previous studies have examined the effects of life satisfaction or happiness on PECBs in adults. This paper examines the impact of subjective wellbeing on adolescents' PECBs from life satisfaction, positive emotions, and negative emotions, which suggests that promoting adolescents' subjective wellbeing can be an effective strategy for encouraging PECBs. From a comparative research perspective, we further analyze the differences between the nations at different levels of development, the rural and urban areas, providing a valuable reference for policymakers and practitioners in promoting pro-environmental behaviors among adolescents.