The studies on SWB have changed over time in response to the previously discussed paradigm shift in the field of psychology. These studies aim not only to solve problems and cure mental illness but also to teach people how to be happier, in the sense that they become more at ease with themselves and more tolerant and compassionate to others (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2000). The first positive psychology studies concentrated on the enablers of subjective well-being—more simply put, the “who” of happiness (Diener, 2000). Today, research has shifted away from the “who” and has moved on to the “when” and “why.
” When is a person happy? When is that person unhappy? Why do these changes occur? These are the three main problems that contemporary researchers seek to solve. Thus, there has been a paradigm shift within a paradigm shift. The first SWB studies described a happy individual as “young, healthy, well-educated, well-paid, extroverted, optimistic, worry-free, religious, married with a high self-esteem and job morale, (having) modest aspirations, of either sex and of a wide range of intelligence” (Wilson, 1967, as cited in Diener, 1984). However, Diener, Suh, Lucas, & Smith’s more recent study (1999) contradicts that definition.
They contend that a happy individual is one who is “blessed with a positive temperament, tends to look on the bright side of things, does not ruminate excessively about bad events, lives in an economically developed society, has social confidants (intimate friends), and possesses adequate resources for making progress toward valued goals. ” It must be emphasized that all of the SWB research that has so far been cited in this paper has been written by Westerners who are steeped in the Western intellectual tradition and who are analyzing Western cultures.
Nevertheless, even among the multitude of SWB studies available, there are only a handful who make the connection between the SWB and the emotional intelligence of adolescents. Triandis (1989) has identified the concept of individualism-collectivism, also known as the independent-interdependent construals of the self, as one of the most important ideas that researchers must consider when comparing the SWB of people from two different cultures. People from individualistic/independent cultures put a premium on personal abilities, emotions and opinions. They prize uniqueness and individuality.
Meanwhile, people from collectivistic/interdependent cultures place a higher value on social harmony. For these types pf people, preserving relationships with others through compromise and respect is paramount. Whether a person is individualistic or collectivistic determines what makes his or her SWB increase. In other words, culture plays a decisive role in shaping people’s ideas of what it takes to be happy or to have “the good life” (Suh, Diener, Oishi, & Triandis, 1998). Individualistic cultures instill in people the belief that the personal self is separate from the community.
Thus, Markus and Kitayama (1991) conclude that intrapsychic experiences constitute the “good life” in an individualistic culture. These experiences include personal achievements, independence from family, the ability to communicate one’s personal thoughts freely, etc. People firmly rooted in collectivistic cultures, on the other hand, feel happiest when their relationships with other people improve and when they are able to maintain social harmony. Markus and Kitayama’s conclusions are widely supported by their fellow psychologists, including Kwan, Bond, and Singelis (1997).
In spite of the proliferation of studies on subjective well-being in general, there remains a glaring lacuna when it comes to research on the subjective well-being of children and teenagers, a fact that was emphasized by Huebner, Suldo, and Valois (2003). However, these researchers have also noted the emergence of a corpus of scientific works that avows the significance of promoting healthy levels of subjective well-being in young people. Huebner et al. ’s findings led this researcher to explore the concept of happiness that manifests in adolescent Americans.