On the pursuit of happiness. Personality underpinnings of life satisfaction of Spanish and Polish university freshmen

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyse the relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction among university freshmen. Knowledge about personality determinants of life satisfaction in newly enrolled university students can be used to predict their successful adaptation to new educational requirements. Two groups of students were surveyed: Spaniards studying in Spain (n = 164; Mage = 21.25; SD = 1.97) and Poles studying in Poland (n=162; Mage=22.85; SD=1.24). The following instruments were used: the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The results showed that in the group of Spanish students, life satisfaction correlated positively with Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism, while in the group of Polish students, it correlated positively with all personality traits. In both Polish and Spanish students, Extraversion, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were significant predictors of higher life satisfaction. The Polish and Spanish student groups differed slightly in the patterns of the relationships between personality traits and life satisfaction, however, in both samples, higher levels of Extraversion, Conscientiousness and lower levels of Neuroticism were conducive to higher life satisfaction. The article discusses the educational implications of the reported findings.