Advances and Open Questions in the Science of Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an extremely active area of research with about 170,000 articles and books published on the topic in the past 15 years. Methodological and theoretical advances have been notable in this period of time, with the increasing use of longitudinal and experimental designs allowing for a greater understanding of the predictors and outcomes that relate to SWB, along with the process that underlie these associations. In addition, theories about these processes have become more intricate, as findings reveal that many associations with SWB depend on people's culture and values and the context in which they live. This review provides an overview of many major areas of research, including the measurement of SWB, the demographic and personality-based predictors of SWB, and process-oriented accounts of individual differences in SWB. In addition, because a major new focus in recent years has been the development of national accounts of subjective well-being, we also review attempts to use SWB measures to guide policy decisions.

Easy as (Happiness) Pie? A Critical Evaluation of a Popular Model of the Determinants of Well-Being

“…Since the publication of Lyubomirsky et al's (2005) model, research on subjective wellbeing has progressed considerably, as documented extensively by Diener et al (2018). However, the "happiness pie" is still widely cited, and many of the problematic arguments underlying its claims-for example, misconceptions about the generalizability of betweensubjects variance decompositions and about the interpretation of heritability estimatescan be found in contemporary research endeavors, both within and outside of positive psychology.…”

“…Any estimate of the percentage of variance that can be explained by a certain combination of predictors is only meaningful with respect to the population from which the sample has been drawn. Of course, in the period spanning almost half a century since these studies were conducted, other researchers have collected data that show the relation between demographic variables and well-being (see Diener et al 2018 for a review), but as we have already noted, such relations tell us little about the influence of variables that fall under the much wider category of life circumstances.…”

Problematic smartphone usage and subjective and psychological well-being

“…Subjective well-being (SWB) has been influentially defined in terms of a tripartite model consisting of high positive affect, low negative affect, and satisfaction with life (Diener, 2009a(Diener, , 2009bDiener, Lucas, & Oishi, 2018;Diener & Ryan, 2009;Tov & Diener, 2013). Importantly, SWB does not prescribe what should make people experience positive or negative emotions, nor does it prescribe what makes for a good life.…”

Kesejahteraan Subjektif Ditinjau dari Virtue Transcendence dan Coping Stress

“…(1) Subjective well-being, sebagai berbagai macam jenis evaluasi subjective dari kehidupan individu, yang didalamnya termasuk evaluasi kognitif dan evaluasi efektif. Subjective well-being merupakan cerminan dari evaluasi kualitas hidup seorang yang dilihat dari sudut pandang, atau perspektif orang itu sendiri (Diener, Lucas, & Oishi, 2018). Menggunakan alat ukur yang dikembangkan oleh Diener, yaitu floureshing scale untuk mengukur aspek kognitif yang berjumlah delapan variabel dan alat ukur scale of positive and negative untuk mengukur aspek afektif yang berjumlah 12 item.,…”

“…Lalu Diener, Helliwell, & Kahneman (2010) menggunakan kata "subjective well-being" ketika secara khusus merujuk pada "kesejahteraan subjektif" yang mengarah kepada evaluasi kognitif kehidupan secara menyeluruh dan pengalaman afek emosi positif, seperti bahagia, senang, ceria, dan damai (Diener, Helliwell, & Kahneman, 2010(dalam Diener et al 1999. Diener, Lucas, & Oishi (2018) mendefinisikan subjective well-being sebagai berbagai macam jenis evaluasi subjektif dari kehidupan individu, yang didalamnya termasuk evaluasi kognitif dan evaluasi afektif. Subjective well-being merupakan cerminan dari evaluasi kualitas hidup seorang yang dilihat dari sudut pandang, atau perspektif orang itu sendiri.…”