In this section, each of the key elements of the study will be explored following a logical progression. First, this section will define the concept of subjective well-being, after which it will consider specific models and then theories of subjective well-being. The close connections between subjective well-being and culture will be scrutinized, after which the study will describe the traits of happy individuals and refer to several pertinent works on emotional intelligence. Definitions of Subjective Well-Being
Although the concept of “happiness” or “subjective well-being” is a basic idea that can be grasped by any human being, its exact definition is quite problematic. Some scientific studies have attempted to solve this problem by offering some tentative definitions of the idea of “happiness. ” One of Diener’s early works (1984) has classified all of these definitions into three broad categories. The first category is composed of those definitions that state that happiness is defined through external criteria, such as holiness or virtue. Happiness is not a subjective state of mind. Rather, it is an objective reality.
It is a goal that can be achieved or a quality that can be possessed. The definitions of subjective well-being that fall under this category are called normative definitions, because they start from a specific hierarchy of values, and define happiness based on that hierarchy. The second general category of definitions is called life satisfaction. In the first group, the researchers define the concept of happiness for their subject. In this second group, it is the subject who defines his or her personal concept of happiness for the researchers. That is to say, different things make different people happy.
There is no one single hierarchy of values that can be imposed on all people, regardless of their cultural background. Thus, researchers cannot classify patients as “happy” or “unhappy” based on the researchers’ personal beliefs or biases. They must rely on the patient’s standards and beliefs. In this way, the concept of happiness is grounded a context that is specific to the patient’s life and individuality. Finally, the third broad category of definitions of subjective well-being may be understood as the predominance of positive affects over negative affects in a patient’s life.
This third family of definitions conceptualizes happiness as the frequency of pleasant emotional experiences and the seldomness of unpleasant emotional experiences. This meticulous classification led Diener (1984) to the conclusion that the concept of happiness has three important characteristics. First and foremost, it is subjective, meaning it is a relative state of mind that is unique to each human being. Secondly, the study of an individual’s subjective well-being encompasses both positive and negative affects.
Stemming from this is the third characteristic of happiness: the assessment of a patient’s subjective well-being necessitates an assessment of all aspects of that patient’s life. Some years later, Diener and Diener (1995) would finally come to define happiness as “a person’s evaluative reactions to his or her life – either in terms of life satisfaction (cognitive evaluations) or affect (ongoing emotional reactions). ” However, Brodsky (1988) offers a distinctly different definition for the concept of subjective well-being.
Brodsky’s basic definition of happiness is quite similar to Diener’s, but the two explanations differ in their specifics. According to Brodsky, well-being is a subjective emotional state in which pleasant emotions such as joy, fun, and happiness are felt frequently, while unpleasant emotions such as frustration, anger and anxiety are felt relatively infrequently. Apart from this, well-being is also dependent on general life satisfaction, which is a person’s assessment of the overall amount of satisfaction he or she feels about his or her life.
Brodsky’s definition of subjective well-being has four key aspects. First, happiness is based on subjectivity and emotion. In other words, happiness is based on what a person believes about himself or herself. Second, happiness is a temporary state of mind. It is not a fixed, immutable part of human personality. Third, happiness is the result of achieving personal goals. Brodsky refers to Emmons (1986), who affirmed that the three elements of positive affect, negative affect and life satisfaction all have a direct impact on a person’s opinion of his or her achievements.
In other words, the amount of happiness that a person feels after achieving a goal is directly affected by these three elements. Lastly, Brodsky defines happiness as much more than the absence of unpleasant emotions. While it is true that a person feels more contented when unpleasant emotions are removed or resolved, that person is not yet truly happy. For that person to become truly happy, he or she must also actively seek pleasant emotions/positive affect through the pursuit of healthy life goals.