Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis Research Articles

Children with homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated subjective well-being in Indonesia

The aims of this study are twofold. First, to explore the characteristics of children with homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated (as defined by Cummins 2003; Tomyn et al., 2015) subjective well-being (SWB) in Indonesia, including sociodemographic variables. Second, to investigate variables contributing to the subjective well-being (SWB) each of these two groups of Indonesian children. Homeostatically defeated children were identified based on their SWB scores are 50 or below 50 on a 0-100 scale, following Cummins’ theory of SWB homeostasis, while homeostatically maintained children were identified based on their SWB scores above 50. Participants of this study (N = 14,576; 50.64% girls and 49.36% boys; 96.15% were homeostatically maintained children and 3.85% were homeostatically defeated children) were children 10 and 12-year-olds. A representative sample of the Children’s Worlds survey in West Java Province, Indonesia, collected in October 2017 was used for the analysis here presented. The five items version of the Children’s Worlds Subjective Well-Being Scale (CW-SWBS5) was used as SWB indicator, together with several items to evaluate other SWB aspects (family, friends, school climate, living area, bullying, material deprivation, family economic status, and satisfaction with several other life domains). Cummins’ theory of SWB homeostasis was used to discuss the results. Results showed different contribution of some of the variables on the SWB of children depending if it appeared to be homeostatically maintained or homeostatically defeated. However, satisfaction with safety showed positive contribution to SWB of both homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated children. Implication for parents, teachers, government, and policy makers are discussed to assist these children to improve their SWB.

Children’s Experiences of Bullying Victimization and the Influence on Their Subjective Well-Being: a Population-Based Study

Bullying is both a major public health concern and a violation of children’s right to safety from violence. Within the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the relation between bullying and children’s subjective well-being (SWB). Empirical research has unequivocally demonstrated the significant negative influence of bullying on children’s SWB. Within the South African context, violence and aggressive behaviour is widespread. The high prevalence of school bullying in South Africa is intricately related to the intergenerational experiences of violence, rooted in the history of racism, prejudice, oppression, exclusion, and the discriminatory practices of apartheid. However, there are limited large-scale studies that explores the relation between bullying victimization and children’s SWB. The current study, uses a population-based sample to explore the relation between bullying victimization and children’s SWB in South Africa, across provincial regions (nine provinces), age (10 - and 12-years), gender (boys and girls), geographical context (urban and rural), and socio-economic status (low, lower-middle, and middle socio-economic status). The study uses Subjective Well-Being Homeostasis Theory to frame and interpret the findings. We found a significant negative relationship between bullying victimization and children’s SWB. The combined influence of being hit, called unkind names and socially excluded explained 6 % of the variance in SWB for the overall sample, with some variation across provincial region, age groups, gender, geographical context, and socio-economic status. The study further found that increased incidences of bullying experiences were associated with lower mean scores of SWB. Finally, the study found that even though the different forms of bullying victimization have a significant negative influence on children’s SWB, the homeostatic mechanism is potentially mediating this influence and maintaining levels of SWB.

Subjective Well-Being and Material Deprivation During COVID-19 pandemic: A study in children and adolescents in Indonesia

This study aimed to investigate the contribution of material deprivation on the subjective well-being (SWB) of children and adolescents aged 10-18 years old during COVID-19 in Indonesia. Participants (N = 3,094; 54.3% girls; 53.2% high school students) were children and adolescents from 33 provinces in Indonesia with mean age = 15.39. Convenience sampling was used in this study, of which data were collected using internet-based questionnaires. SWB was measured using three SWB scales: Children’s Worlds Subjective Well-Being Scale (CW-SWBS), Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS), and one item measures subjective material well-being. Material deprivation was measured by participants’ reports on their accessibility to necessities they need in life. Participants were further asked whether they were worried about their family’s money and access to have food to eat each day. Data were analyzed using linear regression, and descriptive statistics using crosstabs, Chi-Square and ANOVA. Linear regression analysis results showed that material deprivation significantly contributed to lowering SWB scores, lack of access to have food to eat each day, and worrying about family’s money. Participants who experienced material deprivation reported lower SWB scores than those who experienced non-material deprivation. Girls reported lower SWB scores than boys, while older participants reported lower SWB scores than younger ones. Results are discussed using Cummins’ theory of SWB homeostasis. It is suggested that parents play a role as a buffer to assist children and adolescents in adapting to the adverse situation during pandemic COVID-19.

Mindfulness Practice Is Associated With Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis Resilience in People With Crohn's Disease but Not Ulcerative Colitis.

ObjectivesPeople with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease: IBD), commonly experience high levels of depressive symptoms and stress and low levels of subjective wellbeing (SWB). Mindfulness is increasingly considered an adjuvant IBD treatment. The relationships between depression, disease symptoms and mindfulness have not previously been considered within the theory of SWB homeostasis. This theory states that SWB is normally maintained by a homeostatic system around a setpoint range but can fail when psychological challenges dominate consciousness. This study explored the relationship among SWB and patient-reported psychological and IBD symptoms and investigated whether mindfulness practice is independently associated with SWB homeostatic resilience.DesignThis cross-sectional study recruited participants through online IBD support groups.MethodsParticipants (n = 739; 62% Crohn's disease) detailed symptoms of depression and stress, patient-reported disease symptoms, and regularity of mindfulness practice.ResultsThe sample had significantly lower SWB (hedges g = −0.98) than normative data. A logistic regression found mindfulness practice doubled the Crohn's disease participants' odds of reporting SWB within the normal homeostatic range, after controlling for psychological, physical, and demographic variables (OR 2.15, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.66). A one-point increase of patient-reported bowel symptoms reduced the participant's odds of reporting SWB in the normal homeostatic range by about a third (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.85). However, the influence of mindfulness or disease symptoms on SWB was not observed for people with ulcerative colitis.ConclusionThese findings provide initial evidence for an association between mindfulness and SWB homeostatic resilience in a clinical population.

The Role of Mindfulness in Promoting Subjective Wellbeing and Mood Homeostasis in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

Background: The relationship between stress, symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and depression has not previously been considered using the theory of subjective wellbeing (SWB) homeostasis as a conceptual framework. It is proposed that mindfulness, as a mechanism of down-regulating challenging emotion, can aid in the restoration of mood homeostasis and reduce symptoms of both psychological and physiological stress. The study aims to identify whether individuals with Crohn’s disease (CD) and co-occurring psychological depression or stress are experiencing the defeat of SWB homeostasis. Further, the study aims to test whether a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention can restore homeostasis. The study would also identify whether this restoration of homeostasis is associated with a reduction in disease symptomatology.
 Methods/Design: An exploratory randomised control trial with 40 participants recruited from public health gastroenterology patients and randomly allocated to an 8-week MBSR program or wait-list control. Measures of SWB, depression, stress, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels will be collected prior to and after the intervention. Individual HPMood set points will be determined from affect data collected over 7 days through momentary sampling techniques prior to the commencement of the intervention. Measures will be repeated at 6-month follow-up. Following this, the wait-list group will be offered the same 8-week MBSR. Hypotheses will be tested using mixed ANOVA and clinical significance tests.
 Discussion: This study will be an important contributor to knowledge about psychological vulnerability and resilience for people with CD and will provide initial evidence that could contribute to the development of a larger future trial.

The Dynamics of Subjective Well-Being Among Recurrent Flood Victims: Development and Testing of an Integrated Model

The Indian subcontinent is vulnerable to natural disasters, predominantly devastating floods. The north-eastern region of India, especially the state of Assam, is endowed with many natural water resources, making the area highly flood-prone. However, very few studies have investigated the population’s subjective well-being (SWB) in these areas despite such recurrent adversity. An integrated model of SWB is proposed and tested by combining the SWB homeostasis theory and the theory of conservation of resources. The integrated model indicated both subjective as well as objective variables as significant predictors of the SWB. A sample of 306 participants was randomly selected from two severely flood-affected areas in the state of Assam in India using a cross-sectional survey study design. Structural equation modeling was used to test two hypothesized integrated models (a direct and mediational path model). The results indicated that SWB homeostasis is maintained within the normative range of 60-65 points when measured on a 100-point continuum. Analysis of the direct path model showed that education, safe shelter, personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness), object and condition resources, psychological buffers (optimism and perceived control), and negative affect significantly predicted SWB. The mediational path model indicated that optimism is a significant mediator between personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism), positive affect, resources (object resources and condition resources), and SWB. The study findings may have implications for counselling in addressing internal psychological buffers such as optimism and perceived control for maintaining the SWB of the disaster victims.

Using Subjective Well-being Homeostasis to Understand the Personal Impact of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

It seems intuitive that people who have a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as stuttering, must experience a low subjective life quality. Yet this is not necessarily so. The relationship between medical pathology and perceived life quality is not linear. It is dependent on the balance between severity of the challenge associated with the disorder and the resilience of the homeostatic system, which manages subjective well-being. This article examines the nature of this interaction, using subjective well-being as the dependent variable under consideration. The processes of subjective well-being homeostasis are described and the evidence supporting such a system, most especially the existence of subjective well-being set points, is provided. Homeostatic resilience is highly dependent on the resources available for homeostatic defense, and three kinds of resources forming the “Golden Triangle” are pre-eminent. These comprise money, achieving in life, and relationships. If these resources are sufficiently strong, homeostasis will successfully defend normal levels of subjective well-being even in the face of quite severe threat. This explains why neurodevelopmental disorders do not automatically lower subjective life quality. The Golden Triangle resources point to the nature of the most effective interventions designed to bolster homeostatic resilience.

Capabilities, Subjective Wellbeing and Public Policy: A Response to Austin (2016)

It has recently been claimed that Sen’s capabilities approach can be used to advise the formation of public policy related to human wellbeing. It has also been proposed that measures of subjective wellbeing are inadequate for this purpose. These ideas are examined in relation to capabilities, using the same reference material as the proposing author. The theory of subjective wellbeing homeostasis is used as the alternative framework by which to understand the potential of subjective wellbeing for policy advice. This examination reveals an almost complete lack of evidence that capability measurement could fulfill the suggested role. While subjective wellbeing has more potential for this purpose, caveats to its employment for policy advice are also evident.

Confirmation of Subjective Wellbeing Set-Points: Foundational for Subjective Social Indicators

The usefulness of subjective wellbeing (SWB) as a social indicator rests on understanding what controls its level when measured through self-report data. While the theory of SWB homeostasis provides a cogent explanatory framework for the control processes, this theory relies on set-points, and direct evidence for their existence rests on a single study. Cummins et al. (J Happiness Stud 15:183–206, 2014. doi: 10.1007/s10902-013-9444-9) demonstrated a normal range of set-points between 71 and 90 points on a 0–100 scale, using data on global life satisfaction (GLS). These findings are consistent with homeostasis theory, which proposes that set-points account for the normal positivity of SWB while its stability is accounted for by homeostatic processes. The current paper extends the first report in two ways. First, by replicating the range of set-points using a different data set. Second, by extending the findings to homeostatically protected mood (HPMood), which is proposed to be the basic psychological molecule that homeostasis seeks to protect. Participants completed between 5 and 10 surveys. Data preparation involved the iterative elimination of scores based on significant deviation from their over-time mean score. It is confirmed that GLS and HPMood set-points are both normally distributed between 75 and 90 points. These results offer further support for the usefulness of SWB as a social indicator.

Subjective Wellbeing as a Social Indicator

My essay contributes to the 50-year celebration of Bauer’s ‘Social Indicators’ by examining the progress of subjective social indicators. It begins with a description of how the three contributors to this volume, Bauer, Biderman and Gross, viewed subjective indicators, and then examines developments to the present. Of special interest is subjective wellbeing, most particularly as it is understood through the theory of subjective wellbeing homeostasis. The theory is described and the potential use of subjective wellbeing as an indicator, relevant to the development of public policy, is described. I conclude that it is timely for national statistical agencies to consider the adoption of a scale to measure subjective wellbeing.

Understanding Quality of Life in Medicine: A New Approach

This article introduces the subjective side of quality of life as it has evolved within the discipline of psychology. Subjective well-being is also of special interest within medicine due to its links to pathology and the fact that it is managed by a homeostatic system. This form of management offers an explanation for the unusual properties of subjective well-being, including its normal positivity, stability, and nonlinear relationship to objective variables, such as physical health. Central to understanding is the proposition that subjective well-being mainly consists of a specific form of trait mood. This homeostatically protected mood has a genetic set point and it is the experience of this set-point mood that homeostasis is defending. The resources required to maintain normal homeostatic control are described. If these resources are inadequate to protect the experience of set-point mood, mood positivity falls, and there is a high probability of depression. In this article, the process of homeostasis is shown to assist understanding of intervention effectiveness within both psychology and medicine. This concerns matters of resilience, the nonlinear relationship between levels of subjective well-being, and the strength of challenging agents, and the important understanding that interventions designed to raise subjective well-being are critically dependent on its level at baseline.Key teaching points:• The physiological process of homeostasis has a parallel in psychology in the homeostatic management of subjective well-being.• Subjective well-being is a more globally informative construct than health-related quality of life.• How people feel about themselves and their lives cannot be simply predicted through measures of health.• When subjective well-being homeostasis is defeated, there is a high probability of depression.

Rebound or Resignation: Developing a Predictive Model of Return to Subjective Wellbeing Set-Point

Though subjective wellbeing (SWB) is generally stable and consistent over time, it can fall below its set-point in response to adverse life events. However, deviations from set-point levels are usually only temporary, as homeostatic processes operate to return SWB to its normal state. Given that income and close interpersonal relationships have been proposed as powerful external resources that are coincident with higher SWB, access to these resources may be an important predictor of whether or not a person is likely to recover their SWB following a departure from their set-point. Under the guiding framework of SWB Homeostasis Theory, this study considers whether access to a higher income and a committed partner can predict whether people who score lower than normal for SWB at baseline will return to normal set-point levels of SWB (rebound) or remain below the normal range (resigned) at follow-up. Participants were 733 people (53.3 % female) from the Australian Unity Longitudinal Wellbeing Study who ranged in age from 20 to 92 years (M = 59.65 years; SD = 13.15). Logistic regression analyses revealed that participants’ demographic characteristics were poor predictors of whether they rebounded or resigned. Consistent with homeostasis theory, the extent of departure from the proposed normal SWB set-point at baseline was significantly associated with rebound or resignation at time 2. These findings have implications for the way that SWB measures can be used in professional practice to identify people who are particularly vulnerable to depression and to guide the provision of appropriate and effective therapeutic interventions.

The subjective well-being of individuals diagnosed with comorbid intellectual disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders

The present study's aim was to empirically explore subjective well-being (SWB) and its correlates among adults diagnosed with comorbid intellectual disability (ID) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This exploration was guided by the Theory of SWB Homeostasis as a conceptual framework for examining determinants and processes underlying the SWB of this understudied population. A total of 246 adults receiving residential support completed questionnaires measuring their SWB, ADHD symptomatology, functional limitations, and individual internal (self-determination) and external (financial resources, and social support) resources. The participants' SWB was found to be within the normative range. ADHD symptomatology directly predicted reductions in SWB; however, according to the theory, this effect was fully mediated by the individual's internal and external resources. The main findings support the applicability of the SWB Homeostasis theory for understanding the SWB of individuals with comorbid ID and ADHD. The study findings shed light on the psychosocial determinants of SWB and highlight the importance of psychosocial resources as buffers of the effect of health and environmental conditions.

A Demonstration of Set-Points for Subjective Wellbeing

This paper presents evidence for the existence of ‘set-points’ for subjective wellbeing. Our results derive from a 10-year longitudinal study in which subjective wellbeing has been measured using a single question of general life satisfaction. The process of data analysis is driven by logic based on the theory of subjective wellbeing homeostasis. This analysis involves the iterative elimination of raw data, from 7,356 individual respondents, based on confidence limits. All results are projected onto a 0–100 point scale. We demonstrate evidence for the existence of set-points lying between 71 and 90 points, with an average set-point-range of 18–20 points for each person. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Personal Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Implications of SWB Homeostasis and Set-Points

Our companion paper (Cummins et al. in J Happiness Stud, 2013) describes the statistical process used to demonstrate set-points and set-point-ranges for subjective wellbeing. The implications of set-points and homeostasis are now considered in the context of resilience. This discussion leads with a brief overview of resilience definitions and is followed by a description of subjective wellbeing (SWB) homeostasis. This addresses, in particular, the issue of SWB malleability under homeostatic control. The link between resources and resilience is then considered, in terms of predictions made by homeostasis theory. Finally, discussion focuses on the implications of such understanding for future directions in SWB research. It is concluded that an understanding of set-points and homeostasis allows new insights into the resilience construct.

The Subjective Wellbeing of Indigenous Australian Adolescents: Validating the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children

By almost all measures of objective life quality, Indigenous Australians are disadvantaged relative to the general population. However, no measures of their Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) have been published. This paper presents the first such data, norm-referenced to the general Australian population. A total of 519 Indigenous adolescents, aged between 12 and 19 years, were administered the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children, which measures SWB. This scale is a parallel form of the Personal Wellbeing-Adult. The PWI-SC exhibited adequate psychometric properties. Moreover, consistent with SWB Homeostasis theory, participants’ mean SWB was within the Australian adult normative range. However, female SWB was lower than males. These results suggest that Indigenous adolescents are resilient.

Subjective Wellbeing and Homeostatically Protected Mood: Theory Validation With Adolescents

Researchers generally agree that Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) comprises both cognitive and affective components. However, the proportioning of their contributions, and the relationship between these constructs and personality, remain equivocal. This study investigated the relationship between these constructs, representing affect by Homeostatically Protected Mood (HPMood). Using a sample of 205 Victorian high-school students aged between 13 and 20 years, structural equation modeling determined that an HPMood-driven model of SWB was better fitting than either a personality-driven model of SWB or a cognition-driven model of SWB, explaining 80% of variance. These results support HPMood as the major component of SWB. They also reinforce the proposition that HPMood may be the driving force behind individual SWB set-points and the variable that SWB homeostasis seeks to defend.

Subjective Wellbeing as an Affective-Cognitive Construct

The affective content of Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) was investigated in two separate studies. Study 1 involved a representative sample of 478 participants from across Australia aged between 18 and 72 years. This study tested the circumplex model of affect and then determined the minimum set of affects that explain variance in SWB. The model was supported, with most affects congregated around the valence axis. Overall, 64% of the variance in SWB was explained by six Core Affects, indicating that SWB is a highly affective construct. Study 2 tested the relative strength of Core Affect (content, happy and excited), in three separate models of SWB incorporating cognition (seven discrepancies) and all five factors of personality. Using a sample of 854 participants aged been 18–86 years, structural equation modeling was used to compare an affective-cognitive driven model of SWB, with a personality driven model of SWB and a discrepancy driven model of SWB. The results provide support for an affective-cognitive model which explained 90 percent of the variance in SWB. All models confirm that the relationship between SWB, Core Affect and Discrepancies is far stronger than the relationship between personality and SWB. It is proposed that Core Affect and Discrepancies comprise the essence of SWB. Moreover, Core Affect is the driving force behind individual set-point levels in SWB homeostasis.