Well-Being

Question 1

Define subjective well-being

Answer 1

Refers to how people experience & evaluate different aspects of their lives. It is often used to measure mental health & happiness & it can be an important predictor of individual health, wellness & longevity.

Question 2

Who is the theorist behind the model of subjective well-being?

Answer 2

Diener

Question 3

What are the 3 components of the Model of Subjective Well-Being?

Answer 3

1. Affective component
   - positive affect
   - negative affect
2. Cognitive component (satisfaction with our life)

Question 4

define positive affect

Answer 4

experiencing positive emotions & moods on a frequent basis

Question 5

define negative effect

Answer 5

experiencing negative feelings or moods often

Question 6

define life satisfaction (cognition)

Answer 6

defined as overall equilibrium/balance between positive & negative affect & usually measured as difference between the 2. High positive affect & low negative affect often highly correlated, but not always

Question 7

what makes up high subjective well-being?

Answer 7

• experiencing life satisfaction
• frequent positive affect
• infrequent negative affect

Question 8

define affect

Answer 8

the experience & outward expression of emotions – moods & emotions individuals experience that make up ‘emotional’ wellbeing

Question 9

list some of the strengths of Diener’s model

Answer 9

Applicable across multiple cultural contexts as its main components (life satisfaction & affective) can be applied to different cultures – known as cultural universality

Model is comprehensive & holistic approach to wellbeing due to 3 components it entails

Question 10

list some of the limitations of Diener’s model

Answer 10

Only focuses on emotions & personal experiences of individual. However, external factors also affect wellbeing e.g. social relationships, finances, work influences

Experiencing negative emotions (rather than trying to get rid of them) actually has significant impact on lasting happiness – learn to develop resilience through negative affect

Idea of being able to research happiness from a scientific point of view seems very limited as self-report measures (done through questionnaires) is basis of this model & these measures specifically assess explicit attitudes – this is subjective & therefore can be biased

Not scientific

Question 11

how can Diener’s model be applied to a real-world context?

Answer 11

1. Policies – can compare well-being before & after initiatives have been put in place
2. Poor health - e.g. high blood pressure & health of heart can be improved with strategies used by healthcare workers to improve health

Question 12

what model did Ryff create?

Answer 12

6 Factor Model of Wellbeing

Question 13

who created the 6 Factor Model of Wellbeing?

Answer 13

Ryff

Question 14

define the 6 Factor Model of Wellbeing

Answer 14

theoretically grounded instrument that specifically focuses on measuring multiple facets of psychological well-being. Facets include: self-acceptance, establishment of quality ties to others & sense of autonomy in thought & action

Question 15

what word did Ryff use to describe psychological wellbeing?

Answer 15

eudaimonic

Question 16

what are the 6 core dimensions of Ryff’s model?

Answer 16

1. self-acceptance
2. positive relations with others
3. autonomy
4. purpose in life
5. environmental mastery
6. personal growth

Question 17

define self-acceptance

Answer 17

Positive attitude toward self; acknowledgement & acceptance of multiple aspects of self, including good & bad qualities; positive feelings about 1’s past

Question 18

define positive relations with others

Answer 18

Warm, satisfying, trusting relationships with others; concern for welfare of others; capacity for strong empathy, affection & intimacy; understanding give & take of relationships

Question 19

define autonomy

Answer 19

Self-determination & independence; ability to resist social pressures to think & act in particular ways, regulate behaviour from within, & evaluate oneself based on personal standards

Question 20

define purpose in life

Answer 20

Possession of goals & sense of direction; feeling there’s meaning to present & past life; holding beliefs that give life purpose as well as aims & objectives for living

Question 21

define environmental mastery

Answer 21

Sense of mastery & competence in 1’s enviro; ability to control complex array of external activities & leverage opportunities; capacity to choose or create contexts that suit needs & values

Question 22

define personal growth

Answer 22

Feelings of continued development & sense that 1 is growing & expanding; openness to new experiences; realisation of 1’s potential & perceived improvement in self & behaviour over time; change that reflects greater self-knowledge & effectiveness

Question 23

describe the strengths of Ryff’s theory

Answer 23

• its power lies in its ability to bring together many well-established indicators & theories of positive human functioning into a simple questionnaire
• the scales are scientifically validated
• the scales are a valid & reliable measure of psychological wellbeing
• her online toolkit has over 400 downloadable activities, interventions & questionnaires that anyone can access

Question 24

are Ryff’s scales valid & reliable?

Answer 24

• her original paper revealed the 6 scales exhibit acceptable internal consistency in terms of validity
• test-retest reliability remains fairly consistent over time. Overall, these findings suggest the questionnaire is sufficiently reliable
• however, factor analysis revealed a strong ‘general wellbeing’ factor that encompassed several other pre-existing measures other than self-acceptance & enviro mastery, explaining these & other high correlations