Children’s and Adolescents’ Conceptions of Happiness

López‐Pérez, Belén; Sánchez, Janice; Gummerum, Michaela

doi:10.1007/s10902-015-9701-1

Cited by 41 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…A study with Brazilian 5 to 12 year olds showed age differences in what youth think happiness is, where younger children more often mention leisure activities but older children mention how happiness feels (Giacomoni, de Souza, & Hutz, 2014). Similar shifts in conceptions of happiness were found across a sample of Spanish 9 to 16 year olds, where children more often mentioned hedonic factors (i.e., good feelings) but adolescents more often mentioned broader eudaimonic factors, such as harmony and purpose (Lópéz-Perez, Sánchez, & Gummerum, 2016). Additionally, another study with Porteguese adolescents indicated they report that happiness involves both hedonic and eudaimonic components (Freire, Zenhas, Tavares, & Iglésias, 2013).…”

Section: Emotional Beliefs and Values In Youthsupporting

confidence: 60%

Valuing happiness in youth: Associations with depressive symptoms and well-being

Gentzler

Palmer

Ford

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

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In Western society, happiness is often viewed as an important or even preeminent life goal. Yet, research with adults suggests that excessively valuing happiness (e.g., equating happiness to constant feelings of happiness, worrying about happiness even when happy) is linked to more depressive symptoms and lower subjective wellbeing. We extended this work by investigating valuing happiness in youth within three samples: 7-12 year-old children (Study 1; N = 76); 14-18 year-old adolescents (Study 2; N = 142); and 12-18 year-old adolescents (Study 3; N = 152). Paralleling research with adults, valuing happiness was related to higher depressive symptoms in all three studies. These associations were moderated by perceived stress in Study 2 and age in Study 3. Valuing happiness showed inconsistent associations with well-being. This research suggests that youth who value happiness too much are more depressed. We highlight the need for prospective designs and implications for understanding depression risk.

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Section: Emotional Beliefs and Values In Youthsupporting

confidence: 60%

Valuing happiness in youth: Associations with depressive symptoms and well-being

Gentzler

Palmer

Ford

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

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“…An explanation of this age barrier lies within developmental psychology. Children under the age of 12 are considered to be at the concrete operational stage, with reasoning limited to concrete examples rather than abstract or hypothetical concepts (López-Pérez, Sánchez, & Gummerum, 2016). Beyond this age, in adolescence, they enter the formal operational stage (Piaget, 1952) and can reason about abstract concepts without needing concrete examples.…”

Section: Measuring Swb In Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Golden Triangle of Happiness: Essential Resources for a Happy Family

Cummins

2018

IJCYFS

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It is normal for people to feel positive about the quality of their lives, despite the presence of challenges. Of special interest here are the challenges of caring for a child or a disabled family member. How do the adults living within such families maintain a positive self-view? Answering this question requires an understanding of subjective well-being as it applies to each individual family member and of the management system that strives to keep each person feeling positive. This paper describes various psychological components of this homeostatic management system, together with a consideration of the most useful resources to support homeostasis. Key resources have been identified by using the Personal Wellbeing Index, a seven-item scale measuring subjective well-being (mood happiness). Over many studies, researchers have found considerable agreement that three kinds of resources — “the Golden Triangle” — are consistently more relevant to subjective well-being than the others. These are feelings of satisfaction with income, relationships, and life purpose. The implications for interventions that offer support to families in need are discussed.

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“…Esto es coherente con la serie de investigaciones que se han venido desarrollando en los últimos años (Bojanowska & Zalewska, 2015;Caunt et al, 2013;Denegri et al, 2015;Henderson, Knight, & Richardson, 2013;Huta & Ryan, 2009;López-Pérez et al, 2015;McMahan & Renken 2011;Torner, 2011;Waterman, 1993), y abre la interrogante que muchas de estas investigaciones se han planteado a saber: ¿el predominio en las personas de una concepción más eudaimónica o más hedónica de la felicidad tiene …”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Así mismo, el término felicidad ha sido más utilizado generalmente desde la perspectiva hedónica (Diener, Oishi, & Lucas, 2009;Ryan & Deci, 2001) para referenciar una experiencia subjetiva-afectiva predominantemente positiva o placentera. En cambio, se hará un uso más generalizado y se podrá observar que el término felicidad puede ser abordado desde diferentes perspectivas (Caunt et al, 2013;López-Pérez, Sánchez, & Gummerum, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified