Measures Of Happiness Research Articles

Motivation in Learning and Happiness: A Study among Generation Z University Students in Malaysia

The focus on success has overshadowed the happiness of students, leading to increased stress levels and eventual disengagement and dropout. This study prioritized the importance of student motivation in their happiness. It aimed to determine whether there is a link between motivation in learning and the happiness of Gen Z students in a Malaysian institution. 120 business faculty members enrolled in bachelor's degree programs in Malaysia participated in an online survey. The survey consisted of close-ended questions and utilized a Likert-type scale to gauge levels of agreement or disagreement regarding happiness using The Happiness Measures (HM). The analysis of the data was performed with SPSS Statistics Version 29. The study findings indicated a strong and meaningful correlation between happiness and three predictor variables: self-efficacy, active learning strategy, and achievement goals. Moreover, the research emphasized the capacity of extracurricular pursuits to improve the welfare of Generation Z students.

Is Your Elephant Happy? Mahout Identification and Description of Elephant Affective States in Nepal

ABSTRACT The health and welfare of working elephants is directly related to that of their mahout and to the strength and duration of elephant–human bonds. Such bonds are influenced by the ways in which mahouts understand, describe, and respond to elephant communication and dynamic elephant affective states. This study examined how mahout interpretation of elephant communication and affective states influences mahout behavior during interactions and thus influences the development and maintenance of elephant–human working and living relationships. Using in-person, semi-structured interviews with owners and mahouts, biographical and employment data on mahouts and elephants were collected. These interviews were followed by multispecies ethnographic data collection and participant observations among 41 mahouts and 29 elephants. Narrative analysis of mahout interviews, coupled with observations of mahouts and elephants, resulted in the identification of several themes that mahouts felt impacted the elephant–human working relationship, all tied to the development and nurturing of long-term bonds. The first set of themes that emerged is discussed in this paper, which includes “measures of elephant happiness” and “methods of communication.” Identifying these themes was crucial to understanding how humans and elephants build and maintain long-term bonds, as well as determining how these bonds (or their breakage) affect working relationships. Communication and bond building may be key to improving the health, welfare, and working conditions for marginalized groups of humans and elephants employed in tourism practice.

Prayer and Mental Well-Being in the United States: An Overview of Original and Comprehensive Prayer Data.

The Baylor Religion Survey (Wave 6; 2021) contains the most comprehensive set of prayer questions of any national survey of the USA; it also contains multiple indicators of mental health and well-being, specifically measures of happiness, depression, anxiety, sense of control, mattering, and dignity. This paper provides a complete overview of how various dimensions of prayer correlate with these different aspects of well-being. While many of these relationships will require more intensive investigation, our synopsis provides confirmation of past expectations using new data. Overall, we find that prayer is related to mental well-being in both positive and negative ways. Specifically, we find that praying with others and positive emotions felt during prayer are correlated with greater overall mental health and more positive self-concepts. However, we also find that petitionary prayer topics, belief that God is impersonal, and negative emotions felt during prayer coincide with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and a lack of control. Generally, these conclusions hold after controlling for basic demographics, religious tradition, and church attendance, which confirms that mental well-being is related to the practice of prayer in both beneficial and detrimental ways.

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Gratitude Questionnaire in a Chinese Sample: Comparing the 6-Item and 5-Item Versions

Abstract Objectives There are controversies related to the item composition of the Gratitude Questionnaire-Six-Item Form (GQ-6). Recent literature has suggested removing Item 6 from the scale. This study evaluated both the 6- and 5-item versions and proposed an adapted Chinese version. Method Nine hundred and three undergraduate students were recruited for this psychometric evaluation study. The internal consistency, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the GQ-6 were evaluated. Results The results showed that the 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5), which excludes Item 6, demonstrated better internal consistency (α = 0.74) compared to the original 6-item version (GQ-6) (α = 0.59). Both the 6-item and 5-item versions of the Gratitude Questionnaire exhibited good concurrent validity with well-established measures of self-esteem, life satisfaction, happiness, and mental well-being, as reported in the gratitude literature. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicated that the 5-item version possessed better construct validity than the original version. The CFA results also supported a unidimensional factor structure for the GQ-5 after post-hoc modifications. Conclusions The findings suggest that the GQ-5 demonstrates better psychometric properties compared to the original GQ-6. These results will assist researchers in choosing the appropriate version of the Gratitude Questionnaire for research studies conducted in different Chinese contexts. Preregistration This study is not preregistered.

Happiness, positive emotions, and subjective well-being in dementia.

Research on non-cognitive features of dementia traditionally focusses on neuropsychiatric symptoms and challenging behavior and thus on negative aspects of the disease. Despite the clinical observation that many patients frequently report subjective well-being and often express positive emotions there is only little research on the definition, measurement and determinants of subjective well-being and happiness in people living with dementia. Furthermore, the few studies there are, examined happiness using retrospective questionnaires and the accounts of relatives or caregivers. However, in dementia, the experiencing self becomes more significant since past and future thinking are fading into the background. Here, we review the relative scarce literature in this field, discuss different psychological constructs and their applicability for dementia research, and suggest methods for measuring the addressed constructs in people with dementia. In particular, we propose methodology to study happiness and positive emotions in the experienced moment of the participants using ecological momentary assessments (EMA). We believe that adequate measures of momentary subjective well-being might become an important outcome parameter in clinical dementia trials beyond the currently used quality of life measures.

MINISTRY of GENEROSITY - A proposal for the Democratization of Prosperity fostering the CULTURE of GENEROSITY

This thesis examines the critical role of education in societal transformation, drawing on Werner Jaeger's assertion that the state is the primary agent of education and cultural evolution. In "Paideia," Jaeger emphasizes the state's role in shaping individual development and humanity's essence through educational systems. The thesis introduces the concept of a Ministry of Generosity, a state initiative aimed at fostering a Culture of Generosity as a formal measure of societal happiness. This ministry would integrate the Pedagogy of Generosity into education, promoting prosperity and compassion across economic and educational spheres. The thesis explores the General Theory of Generosity and its practical application in social and educational technology, highlighting the pioneering work of Dr. hc Vicente Pironti, founder of Humaniza. It examines how these technologies can drive cultural transformation and set a global standard for education and societal well-being. Additionally, the thesis addresses the development of humanized algorithms within the Artificial Intelligence Universe, incorporating ethical parameters and compassion for humans, sentient beings, and the environment. These humanized algorithms are presented as a crucial element in realizing the new Culture of Generosity.

The continuum of recovery among Canadians with bipolar disorder: From remission to complete mental health

ObjectivesResearch on recovery from bipolar disorder focuses primarily on symptom remission and diagnostic criteria. Less attention, however, has been paid to other aspects of mental well-being and psychosocial functioning. The current study examines the prevalence of, and factors associated with, recovery from bipolar disorder through three levels: (1) remission from bipolar disorder; (2) the absence of psychiatric disorders (APD); and (3) complete mental health (CMH), which incorporates measures of happiness, life satisfaction, psychological flourishing, and absence of mental illness. MethodsData were drawn from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. A subsample of 555 adults with bipolar disorder was analyzed using bivariate chi-square analyses and multivariate logistic regression models. ResultsApproximately 1 in 4 (23 %) participants with bipolar disorder achieved CMH, which was significantly lower than the 74 % of those without bipolar disorder who were in CMH. Factors associated with CMH among individuals with bipolar disorder included older age, higher household income, being married, having a confidant, utilizing religion or spirituality for coping, and being free from substance abuse or dependence and debilitating chronic pain. LimitationsAbsence of data on certain mental disorders, exclusion of hospitalized or unresponsive participants, and social desirability, may have biased the results. ConclusionBy identifying factors associated with CMH among those with bipolar disorder, this study provides insight into recovery from bipolar disorder beyond symptom remission, highlights subpopulations who may be at heightened risk of further adverse mental health outcomes, and helps inform interventions that support recovery for individuals affected by bipolar disorder.

Validation Study of the Spanish Version of the Measure of Happiness (MH) Questionnaire.

This study aims to validate the Spanish version of the Measure of Happiness (MH), a questionnaire that identifies the specific areas of an individual's life that are related to experienced happiness. The sample consisted of 458 Spanish native speakers (65.7% women, 34.3% men; mean age = 24.14, SD = 8.45) and was divided into two groups: Sample 1 (N = 226) underwent Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Sample 2 (N = 232) underwent Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The convergent and discriminant validity of the Spanish version of the MH and its subscales was assessed by calculating Pearson correlations between the MH factors and the Subjective Happiness Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the WHOQOL-BREF. The EFA and CFA confirmed the original five-factor structure of the MH questionnaire. The only difference in the Spanish version of the MH is that Item 4, which was originally assigned to Factor 2 "Financial Status", was reallocated to Factor 1 "Psychophysical Status". The reliability of the Spanish version of the MH questionnaire was also confirmed, and the factors correlated in the expected direction with the constructs of quality of life, happiness, anxiety, and depression. The MH questionnaire demonstrated excellent psychometric properties among Spanish respondents.

Perceived Social Support as a Predictor of Subjective Happiness among Elderly in Irbid Governorate in Light of some Variables

This study aimed to find out the extent to which the perceived social support as a predictor of the subjective happiness of the elderly. The study sample consisted of (146 elderly males and females) in Irbid governorate. To achieve the objectives of the study, the perceived social support scale and the subjective happiness scale were used, after making sure of their validity and reliability. The results of the regression analysis showed that the multi-linear variables involved in predicting the measure of subjective happiness were friends and family members, which together explained (34.1%) of the variance explained by the measure of subjective happiness. The variable of friends was the most able to predict the measure of subjective happiness, which explained (29.6) %) of the variance, followed by the family member variable that explained (4.5%) of the variance. the percentage of the explained variance of these variables was statistically significant at the level of significance (p = 0.05).

Does mental toughness predict happiness over and above resilience, self-efficacy and grit?

There is conceptual overlap between mental toughness and resilience, self-efficacy, and grit, although few studies have empirically examined the overlap between them. In addition, little research has examined the extent to which there is an empirical advantage of using the mental toughness framework to predict outcomes of interest. The current study therefore explored the predictive validity of mental toughness, specifically in terms of the extent to which it predicts happiness over and above the cognate constructs of resilience, self-efficacy, and grit. Three hundred and sixty-seven participants completed measures of mental toughness, resilience, self-efficacy, grit, and happiness. The correlations between the variables were explored, and a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which mental toughness predicted happiness over and above resilience, self-efficacy, and grit. There were significant correlations between mental toughness, resilience, self-efficacy, and grit. When resilience, self-efficacy and grit were entered into the regression each of them was a significant predictor of happiness, but when mental toughness was added they were no longer significant predictors, with the commitment, control of emotion, control of life, confidence in abilities, and interpersonal confidence components of mental toughness being significant predictors. Therefore, despite conceptual overlap, if the aim of research or practice is to identify individuals at risk of poor wellbeing, then this aim is better met when using the construct of mental toughness. The role of mental toughness in happiness also suggests value in examining the impact of mental toughness interventions in the domain of wellbeing.

Innovative teaching and the education management practice of improving the happiness of engineering college students

This study aims to explore the educational management practices associated with innovative teaching, focusing on their impact on the happiness of engineering college students. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical research, the study analyzes the characteristics of innovative teaching, the learning tendencies of engineering students, the definition and measurement of student happiness, as well as the relationship between innovative teaching and students’ happiness. To collect data, a combination of quantitative questionnaire surveys and qualitative semi-structured interviews was employed. Data were gathered from 300 engineering college students through questionnaires and from 10 representative students through interviews. Through both statistical analysis and content analysis, this study unveils the implementation and effectiveness of innovative teaching among engineering students, as well as the happiness levels of these students, and the connection between innovative teaching and happiness. The research findings demonstrate that innovative teaching is widely adopted among engineering students and significantly enhances their academic performance and learning motivation. Engineering students generally exhibit a high degree of learning autonomy and creativity, actively engaging in practical projects. Furthermore, the happiness of engineering students is primarily reflected in dimensions such as satisfaction with academic achievements, motivation for learning, and support from their social networks. Further analysis reveals a positive correlation between innovative teaching and the happiness of engineering college students. Quantitative analysis establishes a significant positive correlation between innovative teaching and happiness, highlighting the positive impact of innovative teaching on the well-being of engineering students. Qualitative interview data delves into students’ experiences and cognitive changes brought about by innovative teaching, further affirming the beneficial effects of innovative teaching on their happiness.

A Bibliometric Approach to the Thesis of the Happy-Productive Worker—A Journey Through the Concepts and Measurement

In an organizational context marked by a concern for well-being, decent working conditions, and the proliferation of events associated with happiness, a theory called the happy-productive worker thesis (HPW) emerged. This thesis is based on the premise that happy workers are more productive than their opposites. Therefore, managing organizations focusing on the internal customers (employees) seems a win-win situation for both parties. In this sense, this study aims to analyze the extent to which the HPW thesis has been explored theoretically and empirically, as well as the forms of measurement used to evaluate happiness and performance. This study presents a systematic literature review that defines the “happiness productive worker” as the key term to search on the Web of Science and Scopus databases. This study analyzes seven literature reviews and 38 articles. With these articles, the investigators used the VOSviewer to develop a keyword co-occurrence analysis. This methodology analyzes the strength between keywords, establishing an association between them. The results made it possible to divide the articles analyzed into three clusters: HPW and positive psychology, HPW and happiness measurement, and HPW and the association between the measurement of happiness and performance. This work concluded that of the 38 articles and seven reviews analyzed, all approved empirically and theoretically the premise that happy employees are more productive than their opposites and listed the main scales used.

Real-World Outcomes of Lip Augmentation Using a Hyaluronic Acid-Based Filler With Low 1,4-Butanediol Diglycidyl Ether Content: A Prospective, Open-Label, Multicenter, Post-marketing Study.

Background 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) is the most common cross-linker used to produce hyaluronic acid (HA)-based dermal fillers. However, BDDE may have cytotoxic and potentially mutagenic effects, raising safety concerns. Consequently, manufacturers are developing new HA filler formulations with reduced BDDE levels to mitigate potential biological risks. Here, we sought to evaluate the clinical outcomes of lip augmentation performed using an HA-based filler with a reduced BDDE content (Agex Fill Volume®; Biodue SpA, Barberino Tavarnelle, Italy) in a real-world clinical setting. Methods This was a prospective, open-label, multicenter, post-marketing study conducted over six months. Thirty adult subjects (29 women and one man) who desired a ≥1-point improvement on the validated Lip Fullness Scale 2 (LFS2) were enrolled. The primary efficacy endpoint was the post-procedural increase in the investigator-reported LFS2 compared to baseline. Other endpoints included self-perceived happiness assessed using the Happiness Measure Scale (HMS) and safety. Results Of the study participants, 73% (22/30) demonstrated an improvement of at least one point in their LFS2 scores immediately after treatment compared to baseline, thus qualifying as responders. Six months later, the responder rate, based on LFS2 scores, remained steady at 66.7% (20/30). Importantly, these aesthetic improvements were consistently associated with a positive impact on subject-reported HMS, with a significant difference (p < 0.001) between post-treatment and baseline scores. All adverse events (AEs) reported after treatment were mild. Conclusions Agex Fill Volume®, a HA filler with low BDDE content, provides a safe and effective option for enhancing lip volume in real-world aesthetic settings.

Subjective Well-Being, Positive Affect, Life Satisfaction, and Happiness With Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may face challenges maintaining their subjective well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, and positive emotions. This scoping review's purpose was to summarize studies on these positive psychological constructs among people with MS. Observational and interventional studies that included measures of subjective well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, or positive affect were identified. Variables associated with these constructs were classified using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The review included 22 observational and 10 interventional studies. Variables were categorized into each of the ICF domains. Cognitive behavior therapy was the most common intervention, with content and dosing varying widely. Subjective well-being, life satisfaction, happiness, and positive affect are crucial components of community and individual health. The findings of this scoping review highlight the complex interplay between function, personal factors, and environmental conditions in influencing positive psychological constructs. Given the limited evidence, rehabilitation nurses should leverage their skills in delivering holistic care and adopt data-driven approaches to integrate positive psychological strategies into care plans. Further research is needed to measure and compare interventions aimed at improving these constructs and to examine the influence of personal and environmental factors among diverse MS populations.

Integrated web of youth happiness measures

The objective of this research is to comprehend how these elements interact to influence young people's subjective happiness and to provide insightful information about their perspectives. Significant discoveries are shown by the study's findings. This research paper conducts a thorough analysis of the many factors that affect youth happiness, including GDP, loneliness, longevity, autonomy, generosity, and corruption. First off, GDP shows up as a significant and noticeably positive factor to young happiness. This emphasizes how crucial economic success is in raising young people's life happiness. Second, autonomy is recognized as another important factor, showing a significant and favorable influence on happiness. It emphasizes how important one's own independence and life control are for young wellbeing. Additionally, the study uncovers a diverse range of impacts among these indicators. Longevity and Generosity are found to positively influence happiness, emphasizing the role of health and social support in young people's contentment. Conversely, Loneliness and Corruption exhibit significant negative effects on happiness, underscoring the detrimental consequences of social isolation and institutional corruption on youth well-being. In conclusion, this research paper offers a holistic view of youth happiness, recognizing the multifaceted nature of its determinants. These findings have important implications for policymakers, highlighting the need to address not only economic aspects but also personal autonomy, social connectedness, and integrity in efforts to promote youth happiness and well-being in society.

Promoting mental wellbeing among youth Australian Rules footballers through a model of continuous improvement.

The developmental period of adolescence is a known transitional life phase with unique risk and protective factors that can affect mental wellbeing outcomes. This, in combination with the pressures and demand of elite sport, make young elite athletes an important population in which positive mental wellbeing can be explored. This study aimed to examine the state of wellbeing, informed by positive psychology and the Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment (PERMA) model of wellbeing, in a cohort of young athletes aged 16-19 years in the Australian setting as part of a model of continuous improvement. The objectives of these aims were to inform the development of a wellbeing curriculum for implementation in the Australian Rules Football talent pathway and to assess whether wellbeing presents differently in young athletes relative to the general school-attending population of that same age. Participants were 608 young Australian footballers participating in the developmental talent pathway during 2020 and 2021. There were 299 young male footballers, and 309 young women footballers who completed data collection. Wellbeing was assessed using the Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness, Happiness Measure of Adolescent Wellbeing (EPOCH) which corresponds to the PERMA model of wellbeing, and total mean scores were reported. Engagement and connectedness were similar for the young men and women athletes. Young men reported higher perseverance, optimism, happiness, and overall wellbeing relative to young women. Wellbeing among young athletes appears similar to the general population, however perseverance may be higher among young athletes. These findings form an important component of the continuous improvement model adopted in the football program in that the results informed the development of a tailored wellbeing curriculum program that is reflective of the wellbeing needs of the young athletes.

Understandings of Happiness and Life Satisfaction Among Refugees in the UK

Abstract Both qualitative and quantitative research draw increasingly on measures of life satisfaction and happiness to evaluate how refugees are faring in countries where asylum is obtained. However, existing evidence is limited, in that these two subjective well-being (SWB) measures are included in research as either interchangeable or distinct components of SWB. After conducting in-depth interviews with refugees based in the UK, this article presents three important contributions. First, life satisfaction is considered by refugees as a global assessment of key domains in their lives. Second, refugees define happiness not only as an emotion but also as a personal disposition towards experiencing emotions positively. Third, there is a complex relational conditionality between these two components of SWB. While individual socio-demographics and experiences, including those of seeking asylum, bring nuances to the findings, these have significant implications for measuring refugees’ SWB in the UK and in post-displacement contexts more broadly.

Single-item measures of happiness and life satisfaction: the issue of cross-country invariance of popular general well-being measures

Single-item measures of general well-being are increasingly being analysed cross-culturally but without clear evidence of comparability level attainment. The primary objective of this study is to examine the cross-country measurement invariance of the two most common single-item measures—life satisfaction and happiness—across a large number of countries. For this purpose, 45 data sources from large-scale sample surveys conducted between 1976 and 2018 were used. This study presented a novel technique for examining the measurement invariance of individual items and used Bayesian approximation to evaluate the extent of the non-invariance of certain items across nations. The findings revealed that the happiness item’s factor loadings and intercepts deviated less, indicating comparability across more countries than the life satisfaction item. It is possible that the construct of happiness is more universally applicable across cultures than that of life satisfaction. However, the item parameters of the survey items varied among several countries in each round of the program, indicating that the observed score means could only be compared between a few participating countries.

Examining the Progression in Happiness Research: A Comprehensive Review of Theoretical and Empirical Discoveries

Extensive research has been conducted on the complex and multidimensional nature of happiness across various fields of study, employing different theoretical and empirical approaches. This comprehensive review aims to integrate findings on the definition and measurement of happiness, focusing on hedonic subjective experience versus eudaimonic self-actualization, as well as global versus domain-specific assessments. In this review, influential theories are explored, including set point genetics, adaptation contrast, positive emotions, motivation needs, goal self-concordance, homeostasis regulation capabilities opportunity and social connection. Additionally, discussed are individual predictors such as personality traits (e.g., extraversion and neuroticism), a wide range of emotions from joy to sadness, values related to self-transcendence versus self-enhancement religious faith and spirituality beliefs family dynamics social relationships income health environmental factors cultural dimensions reflecting individualism-collectivism masculinity-femininity. The implications for policy practice education are also addressed in this discussion. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating indicators that measure well-being into policies practices educational systems implementing interventions aimed at fostering positive experiences integrating happiness-related content into curricula. Future research could involve the creation of more refined and reliable measures, carrying out thorough comparative experiments on various theories, analyzing complex relationships between multiple predictors, developing participatory applications that are customized for specific local contexts, and conducting comprehensive assessments to determine the impacts and outcomes of interventions. By adopting an interdisciplinary and culturally sensitive approach based on evidence, we can continue to advance the field of happiness science and promote greater human well-being.

Self-compassion and its Relation to Psychological Happiness among Widowed Men in Karak Governorate

The study aimed to identify the level of self-compassion and its relationship to psychological happiness among widowed men in Jordan. The sample consisted of (100) widowed men who were selected by using the convenience sampling method. The measures of self-compassion and psychological happiness were applied. The study used the descriptive correlational method. The results showed that the level of self-compassion was medium, as well as the level of psychological happiness. The results also showed that there is a positive correlation between psychological happiness and each of the dimensions of self-compassion. There was no difference in the level of self-compassion and psychological happiness of widowed spouses according to the variables (age, number of years of widowhood). The study came out with some recommendations among of which are: including some concepts such as self-compassion and psychological happiness in family counseling (for married couples), and addressing other variables to link them with empathy, such as decreasing stress and low self-esteem.