Naslov
Lay definitions of happiness in Croatia

Autori
Brdar, Ingrid ; Anić, Petra ; Tončić, Marko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Book of abstracts from the 12th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference / - Rijeka : Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2016, 91-91

Skup
12th Alps-Adria Psychology Conference

Mjesto i datum
Rijeka, Hrvatska, 29.09.2016. - 01.10.2016

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
Definition of happiness ; lay definitions of happiness ; global and domain happiness

Sažetak
The definition of the term “happiness” is one of the most controversial issues in well-being research. The lack of a generally accepted definition is due to the nature of happiness experience. It is abstract, hence it is difficult to express its meaning verbally because. It is subjective, therefore individual definitions can be quite different. Happiness can be measured at global or domain specific level. Whereas global happiness may reflect person’s disposition, domain happiness may reflect actual experiences. What comes first – domain or global happiness? Top-down approach suggests that global happiness affects domain happiness. On the other hand, bottom-up approach implies that domain happiness affects global happiness. Research shows that in some domains top-down effects were found (work, social relationships, leisure), whereas in other domains bottom-up effects were observed (marriage satisfaction). This study used mixed-method approach to 1) explore people's conception of happiness, and 2) to investigate the relationship between domain specific and global judgments of happiness. The Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation (EHHI ; Delle Fave et al., 2011, 2016) questionnaire was administered to 245 adult participants (128 females and 117 males), aged from 30 to 60 years, with mean age 43.76. Participants answered open-ended questions about their description of happiness, and rated their happiness in 10 specific domains (e.g. family, work) on a 7-point Likert scale. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1995) and short form of Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) were used for assessing subjective well-being, while eudaimonic well-being was measured by Mental Health Continuum (Keyes, 2005). The results show that overall happiness does not equal the sum of happiness in specific life domains. Domain happiness explained from 25% - 55% of global happiness, depending on the measure used. Family is the most important predictor of well-being, followed by interpersonal relationships and work. In conclusion, both qualitative and quantitative analyses yielded the same results. These findings show that happiness is a complex construct, which should be measured through different aspects. At the methodological and theoretical levels, findings emphasize the importance of combining qualitative and quantitative method to better explore the constructs and to develop a wider picture of the phenomenon.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Psihologija

POVEZANOST RADA