Table 1 Factors related to subjective well-being across disciplines.
Discipline | SWB-related approaches | SWB-related constructs | SWB-related measures | Citationsa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Economics | – Frequent emphasis on utility from material resources – Can also include income (esp. relative income) | – Utility – Income – Happiness – Unhappiness – Life satisfaction | – Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) – World Values Survey (WVS) – U-Index – General Social Survey (GSS) | Benjamin et al., 2017 Diener et al., 1985 Easterlin, 1995 Frey & Stutzer, 2002 Kahneman & Krueger, 2006 |
Sociology | – Unit of analysis is often groups (e.g., families) – Often focused on links and overlap between SES, demographics, and SWB – Quality of life is often the primary outcome of interest (with SWB as part to it) | – Meaning – Quality of life – Life satisfaction – Group disparities | – Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (CSASS) – Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) – General Social Survey (GSS) – World Happiness Report (WHR) | Diener et al., 1985 Diener et al., 2009 George, 2010 Kelly & Evans, 2017 Veenhoven, 2008 |
Psychology | – Unit of analysis is typically the individual – Strong emphasis on testing multi-item SWB-related scales – Scales used also depend on area (e.g., stress, personality, positive psychology) – Methodology includes ecological momentary assessment | – Meaning – Quality of life – Life satisfaction – Stress & coping – Happiness – Unhappiness – Anxiety, and depression | – Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) – Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) – Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) – State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) – Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) | Diener et al., 1985 Kashdan, 2004 Gillham et al., 2011 Goodman et al., 2018 Lyubomirsky & Dickerhoof, 2005 Stone & Mackie, 2013 |
Public health | – Need/goal engagement & fulfillment as theoretically central, linking orientations and SWB outcomes – Most SWB measures contain evaluative or experiential measures, but not both – Emphasis on link between SWB and physical health | – Quality of life – Life satisfaction – Mental and physical functioning – Positive and negative emotion | – Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) – Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) – Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (HRQOL) – Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) | CDC, 2023 Das et al., 2020 Diener et al., 1985 Diener et al., 2018 Ryff & Keyes, 1995 |
Public policy | – SWB often based on public’s self-reported life satisfaction, assessed in response to policy – Unit of analysis is typically large, including countries | – Life satisfaction – Institutional trust – Social capital – Development indices (for individuals and populations) | – General Trust Scale (GTS) – Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS) – Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) – Human Development Index (HDI) | Diener et al., 1985 Dolan et al., 2008 Dolan & Metcalf, 2012 Odermatt & Stutzer, 2018 Vik & Carlquist, 2018 |
SHARE | – An inter-disciplinary approach to SWB-related factors and measurement – Combines single & multi-item, positive & negative, and evaluative & experiential SWB measures | – Life satisfaction – Quality of life – Depression | – Single-item life satisfaction measure – Control, Autonomy, Self-realization, and Pleasure (CASP-12) – EURO-D Depression Scale | Jovanović, 2020 Pérez-Rojo et al., 2018 Prince et al., 1999 |
