Dimensions Of Subjective Well-being Research Articles

Singles in the city: happily ever after?

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).

Mechanisms by Which the Fun for Wellness Intervention May Promote Subjective Well-Being in Adults with Obesity: a Reanalysis Using Baseline Target Moderation.

Fun For Wellness (FFW) is a self-efficacy theory-based online behavioral intervention that aims to promote growth in physical activity and well-being. The FFW conceptual model for the promotion of subjective well-being posits that FFW exerts both a positive direct effect, and a positive indirect effect through well-being self-efficacy, on subjective well-being. Subjective well-being is defined in FFW as an individual's satisfaction with their status in seven key domains of their life. Well-being self-efficacy is defined in FFW as the degree to which an individual perceives that they have the capability to attain a positive status in seven key domains of their life. The objective of this study was to use baseline target moderation to assess variation in the impact of FFW on subjective well-being dimensions in adults with obesity. Data (N = 667) from the Well-Being and Physical Activity Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03194854) were reanalyzed. There was evidence that well-being self-efficacy at baseline moderated the direct effect of FFW on well-being self-efficacy at 30days post-baseline for the occupational and psychological dimensions. Both of these findings suggest a "compensatory" effect. Similarly, there was evidence that well-being self-efficacy at baseline moderated the indirect effect of FFW on subjective well-being at 60days post-baseline through well-being self-efficacy at 30days post-baseline for the occupational and psychological dimensions. Both of these findings suggest a "compensatory" effect. Finally, there was evidence that well-being self-efficacy at baseline moderated the direct effect of FFW on subjective well-being at 60days post-baseline for the community, occupational, and physical dimensions. Each of these three findings suggests some version of a "rich-get-richer" effect. In summary, results provide both supportive and unsupportive (i.e., interpersonal, economic, and overall dimensions) evidence regarding variation in the impact of the FFW intervention and should impact the design of future FFW trials.

Subjective Well-Being of Adolescents in Luxembourg, Germany, and Brazil During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PurposeThis study explores adolescent well-being during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in two high-income countries from Europe and one middle-income country from South America. The aim is to investigate the correlates of different dimensions of subjective well-being in 10- to 16-year-olds from different cultural contexts. MethodsAn online, self-report questionnaire was completed by 1,613 adolescents in Luxembourg, Germany, and Brazil between May and July 2020. The outcome variables were measures of life satisfaction and emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included a range of sociodemographic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal covariates. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and latent variable structural equational modeling. ResultsA two-factor model of subjective well-being, consisting of life satisfaction and emotional well-being latent constructs, fitted well with this sample data for Luxembourg, Germany, and Brazil. Results showed that gender, socioeconomic status, intrapersonal factors, quantity and type of schoolwork, and relationships with adults were important common predictors of individual differences in subjective well-being during COVID-19. Fear of illness emerged as the strongest correlate of emotional well-being across the three countries. ConclusionsThis study indicates that girls and adolescents from low-income homes may be especially vulnerable to negative secondary impacts of COVID-19 that can affect mental health. It identified several common correlates of subjective well-being in adolescents from different cultural settings, including factors that may be changeable, such as the following: the way adults listen to adolescents, schoolwork during distant learning, and fear of illness. Findings can inform the development of quality interventions for promoting the well-being of adolescents during a global pandemic.

Correction to: Are Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being Differently Related to Consumption? Evidence from Japan

In the original publication, the authors’ affiliation has been published incorrectly. The correct affiliation of authors is given in this correction.

Cultural Participation and Subjective Well-Being of Indigenous in Latin America

In general populations, to several scholars, cultural participation (i.e., participation in cultural and artistic activities) contributes to subjective well-being. Nevertheless, although the mentioned association in Indigenous has been suggested to be related to health, general well-being, and cultural identity, it has been usually left aside in research. Therefore, this manuscript aims to explore the connection between cultural participation and subjective well-being of Indigenous individuals in the context of Latin America. Using the 2013 Latinobarometer dataset (n = 3337), an ordinal regression analysis was run. Results suggest that, reading books, reading news, attending theater, and visiting heritage places show a positive association with life satisfaction (a dimension of subjective well-being); while attending concerts and participating in community celebrations do not report one. These outcomes suggest that participation in cultural and artistic activities can be related to individual and community well-being of Indigenous, and, in consequence, to subjective well-being. Besides, they indicate the need for adequate cultural policies to fulfill the achievement of participation and engagement in cultural life, as well as the review of the activities that potentially bring access to the cultural rights of Indigenous populations.

Changes in crime-related factors and subjective well-being over time and their mutual relationship

Recently, there has been growing interest in crime-related determinants of subjective well-being (SWB). The existing findings are, however, rather contradictory. The relationship between the aforementioned phenomena is most often examined using cross-sectional data, although it seems their development over time might be interlinked. Moreover, only limited attempts have been made to address the multidimensionality of SWB. Using a pseudo-panel analysis of eight bi-annual waves of the European Social Survey (ESS) consisting of 24 European countries, we examined the relationship between changes in two SWB dimensions–life satisfaction and happiness–and crime-related factors, i.e. victimization experience and feeling of safety, over time. The data showed that both victimization and feeling of safety are important determinants of SWB, although different patterns in the relationship between SWB dimensions and the crime-related factors were revealed.

Risk of Contracting COVID-19, Personal Resources and Subjective Well-Being among Healthcare Workers: The Mediating Role of Stress and Meaning-Making.

The latest research suggests that the relationships between the risk of contracting COVID-19, personal resources and subjective well-being have rather an indirect character and can include the occurrence of mediating factors related to meaning-making processes and stress experiences. Protection motivation theory offers a theoretical paradigm that enables these associations to be thoroughly investigated and understood. The current study aimed to examine the mediating roles of meaning-making and stress in the relationship of risk of contracting COVID-19 and personal resources (self-efficacy and meaning in life) with subjective well-being among healthcare workers. A total of 225 healthcare workers from hospitals, medical centres and diagnostic units completed a set of questionnaires during the first few months of the COVID-19 lockdown period (March–May 2020). The results revealed that greater self-efficacy and meaning in life were associated with higher cognitive and affective dimensions of subjective well-being, whereas a lesser risk of contracting COVID-19 was only associated with the higher affective dimension. The central finding demonstrated different mediating roles of stress and meaning-making in the relationship of risk of contracting COVID-19 and personal resources with the cognitive and affective dimensions of subjective well-being. This confirmed the applicability of meaning-oriented and stress management processes for understanding how healthcare workers’ well-being is affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Need for Cognition Partially Mediates the Relationship Between Cognition and Subjective Well-Being

Aspects of cognitive functioning have been linked to measures of subjective well-being both cross-sectionally (Jones et al., 2003) and over time (Enkvist et al., 2013) but the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. One potential mechanism may be individuals’ need for cognition, or the dispositional tendency to enjoy and engage in effortful cognitive activities (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982). Analyses were conducted to examine need for cognition as a mediator of the relationship between five domains of cognition (episodic memory, processing speed, reasoning, spatial visualization, and vocabulary) and four dimensions of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and depressive symptomatology) cross-sectionally in a large sample of healthy adults between the ages of 18-99. Results indicate that need for cognition partially mediates the relationship between all five domains of cognition and life satisfaction, negative affect, and depressive symptomatology, but does not mediate the relationship between cognition and positive affect.

GENDER ROLES AND DIMENSIONS OF FAMILY FUNCTIONING AS PREDICTORS OF SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING IN MEN AND WOMEN

Subjective well-being (a positive attitude towards life and positive affectivity) as an important indicator of mental health attracts a lot of attention in the field of positive psychology. For the sake of improving mental health, research was mainly focused on identifying factors related to it. So far, findings indicate there is a need for a better understanding of the characteristics of both individual and family environments. To that end, the aim of this study was to examine gender differences and what contributes to the subjective well-being of men and women. The study examined gender roles, masculinity and femininity, aspects of family functioning, education and the number of children. The sample included 1417 respondents who are married or in a relationship (586 men, 802 women), and the following questionnaires were used: a shorter versions of the Subjective Well-Being Scale, the Masculinity and Femininity Scale and the Family Functioning Scale, as part of the larger PORPOS2 battery. The results showed that masculinity and femininity, and adequate communication in the family are important indicators of a positive attitude towards the life of both genders. Masculinity and satisfaction with communication play a significant role when it comes to the positive affectivity in both men and women. The level of cohesiveness also plays an important role in the subjective well-being of men, and the number of children is a negative predictor of both dimensions of subjective well-being in women. Based on these results, we can conclude that a better understanding of the subjective well-being of men and women requires a more focused approach, which can be important in both research and psychotherapeutic work.

Time Use, Unemployment, and Well-Being: An Empirical Analysis Using British Time-Use Data

We use nationally representative data from the UK Time-Use Survey 2014/2015 to investigate how a person’s employment status is related to time use and cognitive and affective dimensions of subjective well-being. We do not find clear indications that employed and unemployed persons experience different average levels of emotional well-being when they engage in the same kinds of activities. For the employed, working belongs to one of the least enjoyable activities of their day. They also spend a large share of their time at work and on work-related activities. The unemployed, instead, spend more time on leisure and more enjoyable activities. When looking at duration-weighted average affective well-being over the entire waking time of the day, the unemployed experience, on average, more enjoyment than the employed. For the employed, the more hours they have to work on a specific day, the lower the average enjoyment they experience on that day. Differentiating the analyses by weekdays and weekends supports the finding that being able to freely allocate one’s non-work time is associated with higher levels of affective well-being. In line with previous studies on cognitive well-being, we find that the unemployed report substantially lower levels of life satisfaction than the employed.

Are Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being Differently Related to Consumption? Evidence from Japan

In this study, we investigate the relationship between consumption and subjective well-being (SWB). There is clear evidence in the literature that the income–SWB relationship depends on the SWB measure, but the reasons are not fully clear yet; however, the main reason may be related to consumption because most income is used for that. This study is the first to examine directly whether the consumption–SWB relationship differs between affective, cognitive, and eudaimonic SWB measures. We adopt the following four SWB indices: life satisfaction, the Cantril ladder, affect balance, and eudaimonia. In addition, on the consumption side, we consider both material and relational consumption. Nonparametric analysis of our uniquely collected survey results in Japan suggests that total consumption contributes to cognitive measures of SWB and eudaimonia, while there is a certain threshold for affective measures. However, once material versus relational consumption is considered in total consumption, we find that relational consumption contributes to any SWB measure without clear upper bounds, while material consumption contributes to all SWB measures only to certain thresholds. Our results also show that the marginal effects of total consumption, material consumption, and relational consumption on cognitive measures of SWB and eudaimonia are greater than on affective measures. In addition, our results show that the marginal effects of relational consumption tend to be greater than those of material consumption for all SWB indices. Based on the findings, we expect relational consumption to be key for improving well-being.

Examining within-person relationships between state assessments of affect and eudaimonic well-being using multi-level structural equation modeling

ABSTRACT Prior research has highlighted the possibility that current affect may be interchangeable with state assessments of other dimensions of subjective well-being. In the present study, we conducted a systematic replication and extension by examining the relationship between state assessments of affect and eudaimonic well-being (meaning, core self-evaluation, authenticity, and gratitude) in a 14-day diary assessment (N = 207 with 2,147 assessments). We utilized multi-level structural equation modeling (ML-SEM) with affect as a time-varying covariate and found that the impact of affect for these outcomes was less consequential than for assessments of state satisfaction, and that the impact of positive affect on these dimensions was stronger than that of negative affect.

Psychosocial Resources for Hedonic Balance, Life Satisfaction and Happiness in the Elderly: A Path Analysis.

We explored possible paths from physical and mental health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, optimism, and social support to happiness in older adults, considering hedonic balance and life satisfaction as mediators. A total of 154 Spanish male and female (50%) older adults (65–96 years old, M = 77.44, SD = 8.03; 64% noninstitutionalized elderly) voluntarily participated in this correlational, cross-sectional study. The participants completed self-reports on their perceived health status, self-efficacy, social support, optimism, and global subjective well-being (SWB) as well as its dimensions. Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect relationships. The final model had an excellent fit with the data (χ2(10) = 11.837, p = 0.296, χ2/df = 1.184; SRMR = 0.050, CFI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.035), revealing the unique causal effects of all the included predictors on happiness. With the exception of self-efficacy, the psychosocial resources predicted older adults’ current happiness, and this relationship was fully mediated by hedonic balance and life satisfaction, which were found to be putative intermediary factors for SWB. Self-efficacy in turn predicted the remaining psychosocial resources. Our findings extend the existing evidence on the influences of health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, optimism, and social support on SWB. Furthermore, they support the proposal of hedonic balance and life satisfaction as dimensions of SWB, thus supporting the tripartite hierarchical model of happiness. These results may inform future interventions seeking to improve happiness in late adulthood.

The Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Self-Reported Health: Evidence from Ecuador

This article addresses the relationship between self-reported health and subjective well-being in two dimensions: cognitive and emotional. Using the Household Living Conditions Survey 2014, this study represents the first approach for Ecuador and Latin America to test how the two dimensions of subjective well-being explain self-reported health. The cognitive dimension is measured by a happiness question in a life-evaluative mode. Whereas the emotional dimension is proxied by an average of 16 psychosocial well-being questions that indicates how many, from the last 7 days, the person had a poor emotional state. We use descriptive statistics and a probit model with an instrumental variable approach to address the omitted variables bias and reverse causality. After controlling for socioeconomic, personal, regional, and health related variables, the results indicate that happiness or the cognitive dimension of well-being is the main predictor of self-reported health, quantitatively more important than having a recent illness (objective health measure), habits (sport) or health care (health importance). Furthermore, more days in a negative emotional state is associated with worse self-reported health.

Influence of Different Facets of Internet Addiction on Subjective Well-being in Malaysia: A Comparison Across Ethnic Groups

Despite a growing awareness that internet addiction is becoming a significant public health issue, there is limited research on how multiple facets of internet addiction relates to the humanistic concepts of well-being, particularly those captured in Diener's three subjective well-being dimensions: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect across ethnic groups. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between different facets of internet addiction and the three subjective well-being dimensions in Malaysia. The research work also sought to investigate if the relationship operates equivalently across ethnic groups. Malaysians (n = 400, 66.5% female; age in years M = 24.52, SD = 5.7) completed Satisfaction with Life Scale and the PANAS. Structural equation modelling was used to examine these associations. Results showed that six facets of internet addiction, such as mood modification, impaired control, conflict, preoccupation, tolerance, and withdrawal, were significant predictors of lower subjective well-being on almost all scales across the total sample size. Invariances analyses also indicated that there were a few significant ethnic differences across these predictors for subjective well-being. The findings highlight the importance of efforts to reduce various characteristic symptoms of internet addiction to mitigate its harmful effects on subjective well-being across ethnic groups in Malaysia. Keywords: Internet addiction, subjective well-being, ethnic groups, Malaysia, multidimensional.

Subjective Well-Being in Italian Regions

This study presents a comparative analysis of subjective well-being in the Italian regions (NUTS2) by synthesizing several ordinal indicators. In recent decades, the use of subjective indicators, i.e. information collected at individual level, has become widespread in official statistics. This article refers, in particular, to those subjective indicators that detect perceptions, points of view and emotional states. The data source is the ad-hoc module on subjective well-being of the European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions, one of the harmonised European official statistical surveys. In synthesizing the information, the study applies the Partially Ordered Set methodology. The purpose is to safeguard the multidimensionality of the phenomenon and the ordinal nature of the items. The study synthesizes the dimension of subjective well-being at micro level, i.e. at individual level, and reports the individual condition of subjective well-being at regional level. In doing so, it explores the informative potential of the ad-hoc module on subjective well-being, which seems not yet fully exploited.

Intra-household arrangements: How important are they in terms of male-female subjective well-being?

Abstract This paper aims to analyze the impact of different intra-household arrangements, defined in terms of income pooling and decision-making responsibilities, on individual subjective well-being in a number of European countries. Using the EU-SILC 2010 module on intra-household sharing of resources and self-assessed health, as a dimension of subjective well-being, we find that the relationship between self-reported health and family arrangements differs by gender and area of decision. The results provide interesting insights on the potential determinants of individual self-assessed health that go beyond the standard ones. In particular, we identify higher levels of males’ and females’ self-assessed health connected to them controlling or sharing financial decisions. Moreover, males’ self-assessed health is positively linked to female making domestic decisions, and negatively if decisions are of financial type; whereas females’ self-assessed health is positively associated to them taking domestic decisions only in households where incomes are not fully pooled. Thus, our findings might be of help for politicians to design the most effective policies intended to improve individual standards of living and to reduce social inequalities.

Orientations to Happiness between the Dark Triad Traits and Subjective Well-Being.

Previous research investigated the linkage between the Dark Triad traits and subjective well-being, but the factors explaining individual differences in terms of cognitive strategies for achieving happiness remained poorly understood. This study (N = 460) examined the indirect effects of orientations to happiness in the link between dark personality traits and subjective well-being in terms of life satisfaction and positive emotion. Participants completed a questionnaire comprising the Dark Triad Questionnaire, the Orientations to Happiness scale, the Satisfaction with Life scale, and the PANAS. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and partial correlations, and structural equation model were applied to the data. Zero-order and partial correlations showed no significant associations of Machiavellianism and psychopathy with subjective well-being measures, and positive associations of narcissism with the three orientations to happiness and the two dimensions of subjective well-being. Indirect effects indicated that the bright side of narcissism sought the pursuit of the emotional component of SWB by adopting engaging activities. Further studies should replicate our findings.

Personality and Subjective Well-Being: Towards Personalized Persuasive Interventions for Health and Well-Being.

• Human-centered computing → Personalization → HCI design and evaluation methods → User models.

A multidimensional approach to the well-being of the population of the states of Mexico

This article adapts a multidimensional index of the well-being of the population in the Mexican States, based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress (CMEPSP). This study's contributions can be summarized in three key points: (i) factor analysis of principal components is used, to allow for different weights of dimensions; (ii) consideration is given to inequality of material well-being within the population of each state, and; (iii) representative state data are considered for all dimensions. The results show that the dimensions of objective well-being have greater weights than the dimensions of subjective well-being, and that differences between weights of dimensions and indicators used are more important than their quantity or characteristics.