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Life-satisfaction is more a matter of feeling well than having what you want. Tests of Veenhoven's theory

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  • Sakari Kainulainen
  • Juho Saari
  • Ruut Veenhoven

Abstract

When assessing how satisfied we are with our life as a whole, we draw on two sources of information: a) how well we feel most of the time; b) to what extent life has brought us what we want from it. The sub-appraisals are referred to as components of happiness. Although it is generally agreed that both affective and cognitive appraisals are involved, there is difference in opinion as to their relative weight in our overall evaluation of life. This difference is related to the debate on the nature of happiness; need-theory predicts a greater weight for affective experience, while comparison theory predicts greater weight for perceived success in meeting wants. This issue was investigated in two studies among the working age population in Finland in 2012 and 2016. Research questions were answered affirmatively, which fits the theory that judgments of life satisfaction draw first on affective experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Sakari Kainulainen & Juho Saari & Ruut Veenhoven, 2018. "Life-satisfaction is more a matter of feeling well than having what you want. Tests of Veenhoven's theory," International Journal of Happiness and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(3), pages 209-235.
    • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijhdev:v:4:y:2018:i:3:p:209-235
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fazeelat Masood & Naveed R. Khan, 2023. "The More I Have Fun, the More I Experience Life Satisfaction: Gender Moderated and Engagement-mediated Model of Life Satisfaction," Paradigm, , vol. 27(1), pages 60-77, June.
    2. Renaud Gaucher & Ruut Veenhoven, 2022. "What is in the name? Content analysis of questionnaires on perceived quality of one’s work life," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1045-1072, June.
    3. Liudmila Klimenko & Liudmila Skachkova, 2020. "Subjective Well-Being of Russian FacultyAn Empirical Study," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 4, pages 37-63.
    4. Sakari Kainulainen, 2020. "Flourishing within the Working-Aged Finnish Population," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 187-205, March.
    5. Клименко Л. В. & Скачкова Л. С., 2020. "Субъективное Благополучие Преподавателей Российских Вузовопыт Эмпирического Исследования," Вопросы образования // Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 4, pages 37-63.
    6. Berlin, Martin & Fors Connolly, Filip, 2019. "The association between life satisfaction and affective well-being," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 34-51.
    7. Sakari Kainulainen, 2022. "Concurrent Assessments of Individuals’ Affect and Contentment and the Correlation of these Estimates to Overall Happiness at Specific Moments," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3151-3174, October.
    8. Welsch, Heinz & Binder, Martin & Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin, 2021. "Green behavior, green self-image, and subjective well-being: Separating affective and cognitive relationships," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).

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