IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v14y2013i4p1085-1112.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Subjective Well-Being as a Dynamic and Agentic System: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Busseri
  • Stan Sadava

Abstract

Subjective well-being (SWB) comprises individual differences in life satisfaction (LS), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA), and is typically conceptualized as an important life outcome. In contrast, Shmotkin (Rev Gen Psychol 9:291–325, 2005 ) proposed that SWB is a dynamic and agentic system that promotes optimal functioning, and is organized within individuals as configurations of LS, PA, and NA. We investigated three fundamental features of this novel framework. A 3-year, two-wave longitudinal study (N = 446 Canadian students; Mage = 18.67; 73 % female) was undertaken. The same set of five SWB configurations were observed at each time point, including congruous and incongruous profiles. Consistent with the hypothesized dynamic nature of the SWB system intraindividual stability in SWB configurations (operationalized in terms of categorical cluster membership and prototypicality scores) was moderate. In support of the proposed responsive nature of the SWB system, changes over time in individuals’ SWB configurations were predicted by changes in psychological, physical, and interpersonal functioning. Consonant with the proposed promotive role of the SWB system, positive functioning and changes in functioning over time were predicted by individuals’ SWB configurations and changes in configurations. The present work provides support for the proposed dynamic and agentic nature of SWB. Unique insights offered by a configural perspective on SWB are discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Busseri & Stan Sadava, 2013. "Subjective Well-Being as a Dynamic and Agentic System: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1085-1112, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:4:p:1085-1112
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9368-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10902-012-9368-9
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-012-9368-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. M. Joseph Sirgy & Alex C. Michalos & Abbott L. Ferriss & Richard A. Easterlin & Donald Patrick & William Pavot, 2006. "The Quality-of-Life (QOL) Research Movement: Past, Present, and Future," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 76(3), pages 343-466, May.
    2. M. Sirgy & Alex Michalos & Abbott Ferriss & Richard Easterlin & Donald Patrick & William Pavot, 2006. "The Qualityity-of-Life (QOL) Research Movement: Past, Present, and Future," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 76(3), pages 343-466, May.
    3. Paul Dolan & Mathew White, 2006. "Dynamic Well-Being: Connecting Indicators of what People Anticipate with Indicators of what they Experience," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 75(2), pages 303-333, January.
    4. Kennon Sheldon & Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2006. "Achieving Sustainable Gains in Happiness: Change Your Actions, not Your Circumstances," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 55-86, March.
    5. Lars Bergman & Daiva Daukantaite, 2009. "Stability of Typical Patterns of Subjective Well-Being in Middle-Aged Swedish Women," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 293-311, June.
    6. Marne Arthaud-day & Joseph Rode & Christine Mooney & Janet Near, 2005. "The Subjective Well-being Construct: A Test of its Convergent, Discriminant, and Factorial Validity," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 445-476, December.
    7. Chu Kim-Prieto & Ed Diener & Maya Tamir & Christie Scollon & Marissa Diener, 2005. "Integrating The Diverse Definitions of Happiness: A Time-Sequential Framework of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 261-300, September.
    8. Michael Busseri & Stanley Sadava & Danielle Molnar & Nancy DeCourville, 2009. "A Person-Centered Approach to Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 161-181, April.
    9. Melanie Davern & Robert Cummins & Mark Stokes, 2007. "Subjective Wellbeing as an Affective-Cognitive Construct," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 429-449, December.
    10. Dov Shmotkin & Michal Berkovich & Keren Cohen, 2006. "Combining Happines’s and Suffering in a Retrospective View of Anchor Periods in Life: A Differential Approach to Subjective Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 77(1), pages 139-169, May.
    11. R. Veenhoven, 2008. "Healthy happiness: effects of happiness on physical health and the consequences for preventive health care," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 449-469, September.
    12. Bruce Headey & Ruut Veenhoven & Alex Wearing, 1991. "Top-down versus bottom-up theories of subjective well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 81-100, February.
    13. Ulrich Schimmack & Jürgen Schupp & Gert Wagner, 2008. "The Influence of Environment and Personality on the Affective and Cognitive Component of Subjective Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 89(1), pages 41-60, October.
    14. Alex Michalos, 1980. "Satisfaction and happiness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 385-422, December.
    15. Robert Biswas-Diener & Joar Vittersø & Ed Diener, 2005. "Most People are Pretty Happy, but There is Cultural Variation: The Inughuit, The Amish, and The Maasai," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 205-226, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chi, Christina Geng-qing & Cai, Ruiying & Li, Yongfen, 2017. "Factors influencing residents’ subjective well-being at World Heritage Sites," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 209-222.
    2. Kennon M. Sheldon & Mike Corcoran & Mike Prentice, 2019. "Pursuing Eudaimonic Functioning Versus Pursuing Hedonic Well-Being: The First Goal Succeeds in Its Aim, Whereas the Second Does Not," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 919-933, March.
    3. Shuoli Wang & Yidong Tu & Tongtong Zhao & Yongkang Yang, 2022. "Focusing on the Past, Present, or Future? Why Proactive Personality Increases Weekly Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1543-1560, April.
    4. Siew Yap & Rozumah Baharudin, 2016. "The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Perceived Parental Involvement, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Subjective Well-Being: A Multiple Mediator Model," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 257-278, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ariel Rodríguez & Pavlína Látková & Ya-Yen Sun, 2008. "The relationship between leisure and life satisfaction: application of activity and need theory," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 86(1), pages 163-175, March.
    2. Evren Agyar, 2014. "Contribution of Perceived Freedom and Leisure Satisfaction to Life Satisfaction in a Sample of Turkish Women," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(1), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Dov Shmotkin & Amit Shrira, 2012. "Happiness and Suffering in the Life Story: An Inquiry into Conflicting Expectations Concerning the Association of Perceived Past with Present Subjective Well-Being in Old Age," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 389-409, June.
    4. Michael Busseri & Stanley Sadava & Danielle Molnar & Nancy DeCourville, 2009. "A Person-Centered Approach to Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 161-181, April.
    5. Fatih Terzi & Handan Türkoğlu & Fulin Bölen & Perver Baran & Tayfun Salihoğlu, 2015. "Residents’ Perception of Cultural Activities as Quality of Life in Istanbul," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 211-234, May.
    6. Jed Blore & Mark Stokes & David Mellor & Lucy Firth & Robert Cummins, 2011. "Comparing Multiple Discrepancies Theory to Affective Models of Subjective Wellbeing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 100(1), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Danilo Garcia & Arvid Erlandsson, 2011. "The Relationship Between Personality and Subjective Well-Being: Different Association Patterns When Measuring the Affective Component in Frequency and Intensity," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(6), pages 1023-1034, December.
    8. Baruce C. Rudy, 2014. "The Wal-Mart Effect? Exploring the Social Costs of Explosive Organizational Growth," Working Papers 0191mgmt, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.
    9. Marco Grasso & Luciano Canova, 2008. "An Assessment of the Quality of Life in the European Union Based on the Social Indicators Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 1-25, May.
    10. Robert Weech-Maldonado & Michael J. Miller & Justin C. Lord, 2017. "The Relationships among Socio-Demographics, Perceived Health, and Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 289-302, June.
    11. Francesco Sarracino & Kelsey J. O’Connor, 2023. "Neo-humanism and COVID-19: Opportunities for a socially and environmentally sustainable world," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 9-41, February.
    12. Liselot Hudders & Mario Pandelaere, 2012. "The Silver Lining of Materialism: The Impact of Luxury Consumption on Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 411-437, June.
    13. Agnieszka Bretyn, 2021. "Quality of Life of Young Consumers: Evidence from Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2B), pages 1163-1173.
    14. Yalcin Yildirim & Diane Jones Allen & Amy Albright, 2019. "The Relationship between Sound and Amenities of Transit-Oriented Developments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-19, July.
    15. David Newman & Louis Tay & Ed Diener, 2014. "Leisure and Subjective Well-Being: A Model of Psychological Mechanisms as Mediating Factors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 555-578, June.
    16. Yew‐Kwang Ng, 2008. "Happiness Studies: Ways to Improve Comparability and Some Public Policy Implications," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(265), pages 253-266, June.
    17. Reuben D. Rusk, 2022. "An Adaptive Motivation Approach to Understanding the ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-24, October.
    18. Angelo Di Gregorio & Laura Gavinelli & Francesca Montagnini, 2014. "Smart life: dalla tecnologia al mercato. La prospettiva dei consumatori e delle imprese," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(2), pages 13-40.
    19. Oswald, Andrew J., 2008. "On the curvature of the reporting function from objective reality to subjective feelings," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 369-372, September.
    20. Diego Born & Victoria Colamarco & Enrique Delamónica & Alberto Minujín, 2019. "South American Children’s Quality of Life: Intra-Urban Disparities along Life-Cycle Indicators," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(3), pages 799-817, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:4:p:1085-1112. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.