Study Unit 2 Flashcards
Hedonic perspective on well-being
- well-being is defined as having a happy and satisfying life, as well as having more pleasant emotional experiences than negative ones
- examines what makes life pleasant or unpleasant
- focuses on subjective well-being
Subjective well-being
- refers to the evaluations we make of our lives and inextricable emotional experiences- both cognitively and affectively
- global judgement of life satisfaction and our emotional responses
Life satisfaction + High positive affect + Low negative affect = Subjective well-being
Life satisfaction as a facet of subjective well-being
- cognitively and qualitatively evaluating our own lives against our own standards
- 2 subcomponents:
1. general life satisfaction
2. domain-specific life satisfaction
Positive and negative affect as a facet of subjective well-being
- emotions and our emotional states
- not the absence of negative emotions, but rather a balance between positive and negative experiences with positive being slightly dominant
- intensity, stability and context of experiencing positive emotions is also important
- very high levels of positive emotions (intensity) are associated with risky behaviour or manic episodes
- instability in the experience of positive and negative emotions could be indicative of bipolar disorders
- experiencing both positive or negative emotions in the inappropriate context could be indicative of psychosis
Causes of subjective well-being
Internal causes (top-down influences) reside within the individual:
- temperaments
- personality traits
- personal outlooks on life
- resilience
External causes (bottom-up influences) refer to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Life satisfaction is mostly influenced by external causes:
- Sufficient material resources
- Sufficient social resources
- Desirable society
Measuring subjective well-being
Life satisfaction
- indicators of quality of life
- Cantril’s self-anchoring striving scale (ladder)
- Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS)
Measuring affect
- determines the presence of positive affect in relation to negative affect
- The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) developed by Watson (five point scale)
- PANAS-C for children and adolescents
- Diener’s Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (SPANE) (six broad emotions rather that specific emotions)
- Affectometer 2
Global scales
- general happiness
- Subjective happiness scale (SHS). Extent to which a person sees themselves as happy ot unhappy on a seven-point scale
Influence of Age on subjective well-being
- life satisfaction remains relatively stable during one’s lifespan but follows an inverted U shape: being lowest at mid-life and highest at young or old ages
- may increase slightly between the ages of 40-65, and decreases towards the end of life
- both positive and negative affect seems to decline with age, specifically when it involves high-arousal emotions
- older adults experience less intense emotions than younger people
- not a strong predictor
Influence of Gender on subjective well-being
- no significant difference
- women do experience both positive and negative emotions much more frequently and more intensely than men
- men experience slightly higher levels of life satisfaction
- women score higher on negative affect
- women score higher in the expression of affect
- men show higher levels of happiness with increasing age
- gender differences might be a result of perceived gender roles in the given culture
Influence of Marital status on subjective well-being
- married people report higher levels of subjective well-being and life satisfaction
- prevents a decrease in life satisfaction across the lifespan
- stronger benefits for couples who are best friends
- Explanation: people who are happier tend more to marry
- divorce negatively effects long-term life satisfaction
- death of a spouse effects subjective well-being for as long as 8 years before recovering
Influence of Intelligence and Education on subjective well-being
- no significant relationship
- emotional intelligence seems to be more closely associated with well-being
- educational level does show a positive effect on subjective well-being
- explanation: higher levels of education may provide more opportunities to find a rewarding career, and eventually leading to job satisfaction
Influence of Employment on subjective well-being
- widely associated with well-being
- how we perceive our work, as well as career orientations can influence levels of subjective well-being
- those with a calling orientation seem to experience more fulfilment and meaning in their work and find their jobs rewarding
- unemployment has an on-going effect in subjective well-being
- however, in areas where unemployment is the norm, research fails to find a substantial relationship between unemployment and subjective well-being
