The development of subjective well-being across the life span: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies.

Abstract

How does subjective well-being (SWB) develop across the life span? Theories and previous empirical research suggest heterogeneous conclusions regarding this question. Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we synthesized the available longitudinal data on mean-level change in three SWB components: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. The analyses were based on 443 unique samples with a total of 460,902 participants. Our results showed that life satisfaction decreased from age 9 to 16 (d = −0.56), increased slightly until age 70 (d = 0.16), and then decreased again until age 96 (i.e., the oldest age for which data on life satisfaction were available; d = −0.24). Positive affect declined from age 9 for almost the entire time until age 94 (d = −1.71). Negative affect showed small ups and downs between ages 9 and 22. After age 22, negative affect declined until age 60 (d = −0.92), after which it increased again until age 87 (d = 0.58). Average changes in positive and negative affect were stronger than in life satisfaction. The moderator analyses suggested that the pattern of mean-level changes held across gender, country, ethnicity, sample type, the measure of SWB, time frame of SWB measure, and birth cohort. In sum, we found a favorable developmental trajectory of SWB over large parts of life for life satisfaction and negative affect and decreases from childhood until late adulthood for positive affect. In late adulthood, SWB tended to worsen rather than improve. Consequently, interventions aimed at maintaining or enhancing SWB in older adults might be useful.

The stability and change of wellbeing across the lifespan: a longitudinal twin-sibling study

“…In a recent meta-analysis, it was reported that the trajectory of wellbeing depends on the measure of wellbeing, i.e. positive affect decreased across the lifespan, whereas life satisfaction was found to decrease during adolescence, increase in young and middle adulthood, and decreased again in late adulthood (Buecker et al, 2023). We used quality of life as measure, which is strongly related to life satisfaction (Bartels & Boomsma, 2009;Pavot, 2008), and showed a similar trajectory.…”

“…Most of the research on the stability in wellbeing is performed in (white) samples from such high-income Western countries, i.e. Europe and the USA (Buecker et al, 2023). However, there are national differences in the average level of wellbeing experienced across the world (Helliwell et al, 2023) as well as cultural and societal differences in the experience of wellbeing (Joshanloo, 2014;Lomas et al, 2022;Tov & Diener, 2009).…”

The relationship between the perception of major life events and depression: A systematic scoping review and meta-analysis

“…To assess publication bias, we examined whether publication status predicted the effect size estimates (e.g., see Buecker et al, 2023). Furthermore, we conducted Funnel Plot Asymmetry Test (Egger et al, 1997) examining whether the standard error of the effect size estimates predicted the effect sizes.…”

Does Narrating the Life Story Predict Changes in Personality Traits and Characteristics?

“…For self-esteem, annual increases documented across the lifespan ranged between d = .00 and .088 in the meta-analysis of Orth et al (2018). For subjective well-being, average annual increases ranged between d = .002 and .007 for life satisfaction, d = .019 for positive affect, and d = .012 and .035 for negative affect (Buecker et al, 2023).…”

“…Due to the small sample size, we only focused on age and gender as matching criteria. These variables have previously been linked to differences in personality traits and characteristics (e.g.,Bleidorn et al, 2022;Buecker et al, 2023;Feingold, 1994;Kling et al, 1999;Schwaba et al, 2019) …”