Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Contribution of Social Relationships to Children’s Happiness

Journal of Happiness Studies volume 10, pages 329–349 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The association between happiness and social relationships was examined in 9- to 12-year-old children. Participants included 432 children and their parents. Children’s happiness was assessed using self-rating scales, parent’s ratings, and the Happiness and Satisfaction Subscale from the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, Second Edition (Piers and Herzberg 2002). Children’s social relations were assessed with items from the Piers-Harris scale and questionnaires given to the children and their parents. These items were grouped into two positive (i.e., family and friends) and two negative categories (i.e., negative relations with peers and behaving badly toward others). Variance in children’s happiness was partially accounted for by positive social interactions involving the family (e.g., children agreeing that they are important members of their family) and friends (e.g., parents reporting that their children visit with friends more frequently). Negative social interactions also explained variance in children’s happiness including negative relations with peers (e.g., children agreeing that they feel left out of things) and behaving badly toward others (e.g., children agreeing that they are often mean to other people, and they cause trouble for their family). Demographic variables related to the family (i.e., number of siblings, age of parents, and marital status of parents) were only weakly, or not at all, associated with children’s happiness. The results parallel findings from the literature involving adults and adolescents; social relationships are significant correlates and predictors of happiness.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Allred, G. H., & Poduska, B. E. (1988). Birth order and happiness: A preliminary study. Individual Psychology, 44, 346–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amato, P. R. (1994). Father–child relations, mother–child relations, and offspring psychological well-being in early adulthood. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 56, 1031–1043.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amato, P. R. (2001). Children of divorce in the 1990s: An update of the Amato and Keith (1991) meta-analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 355–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amato, P. R. (2006). Marital discord, divorce, and children’s well-being: Results from a 20-year longitudinal study of two generations. In A. Clarke-Stewart & J. Dunn (Eds.), Families count: Effects on child and adolescent development. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amato, P. R., & Afifi, T. D. (2006). Feeling caught between parents: adult children’s relations with parents and subjective well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 222–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F. M., & Withey, S. B. (1976). Social indicators of well-being. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argyle, M. (2001). The psychology of happiness (2nd ed.). East Sussex, England: Routedge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argyle, M., & Lu, L. (1990). Happiness and social skills. Personality & Individual Differences, 11, 1255–1261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Arieh, A. (2006). Is the study of the “State of our children” changing? Re-visiting after 5 years. Children and Youth Services, 28, 799–811.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berk, L. (1994). Child development (3rd ed.). Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhrmester, D., & Furman, W. (1990). Perceptions of sibling relationships during middle childhood and adolescence. Child Development, 61, 1387–1398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, L., McBride-Chang, C., Stewart, S. M., & Au, E. (2003). Life satisfaction, self-concept, and family relations in Chinese adolescents and children. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 182–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, H., & Furnham, A. (2001). Attributional style and personality as predictors of happiness and mental health. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2, 307–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, H., & Furnham, A. (2002). Personality, peer relations, and self-confidence as predictors of happiness and loneliness. Journal of Adolescence, 25, 327–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, H., & Furnham, A. (2003). Personality, self-esteem, and demographic predictions of happiness and depression. Personality & Individual Differences, 34, 921–942.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Hunter, J. (2003). Happiness in everyday life: The uses of experience sampling. Journal of Happiness Studies, 4, 185–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demir, M., Ozdemir, M., & Weitekamp, L. A. (2007). Looking to happy tomorrows with friends: Best and close friendships as they predict happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 8, 243–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demir, M., & Weitekamp, L. A. (2007). I am so happy cause today I found my friend: Friendship and personality as predictors of happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 8, 181–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denham, S. A. (1998). Emotional development in young children. New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, M., & Lucas, R. E. (2004). Adults’ desires for children’s emotions across 48 countries: Associations with individual and national characteristics. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 525–547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Oishi, S. (2005). The nonobvious social psychology of happiness. Psychological Inquiry, 16, 162–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13, 81–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dishion, T. J., Andrews, D. W., & Crosby, L. (1995). Antisocial boys and their friends in early adolescence: Relationship characteristics, quality, and interactional process. Child Development, 66, 139–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiTommaso, E., & Spinner, B. (1993). The development and initial validation of the social and emotional loneliness scale for adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 127–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwivedi, K., & Harper, P. (2004). Promoting the emotional well-being of children and adolescents and preventing their mental ill health: A handbook, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, J. (2004). Children’s friendships: The beginnings of intimacy. Victoria, Australia: Blackwell Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feingold, A. (1983). Happiness, unselfishness, and popularity. The Journal of Psychology, 115, 3–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feshback, N. D. (1987). Parental empathy and child adjustment/maladjustment. In N. Eisenberg & J. Strayer (Eds.), Empathy and its development (pp. 271–291). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flouri, E., & Buchanan, A. (2003). The role of father involvement in adolescent’ psychological well-being. British Journal of Social Work, 33, 399–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frijda, N. H., & Mesquita, B. (1994). The social roles and functions of emotions. In S. Kitayama & H. R. Markus (Eds.), Emotion and culture: Empirical studies of mutual influence (pp. 51–87). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Funder, D. C. (1991). Global traits: A neo-Allportian approach to personality. Psychological Science, 2, 31–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1992). Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child Development, 63, 103–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Brewin, C. R. (1990). Personality and happiness. Personality & Individual Differences, 11, 1093–1096.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Cheng, H. (2000a). Lay theories of happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1, 227–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Cheng, H. (2000b). Perceived parental behaviour, self-esteem and happiness. Society of Psychiatric Epidemiology, 35, 463–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greene, A. L. (1990). Patterns of affectivity in the transition to adolescence. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 50, 340–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, M., & Rowat, K. M. (1995). Parental relationships, coping strategies, received support, and well-being in adolescents of separated or divorced and married parents. Research in Nursing and Health, 18, 249–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harry, J. (1976). Evolving sources of happiness for men over the life cycle: A structural analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, 289–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, C. D., Bond, J. B., & Greenwood, L. J. (1991). Satisfaction, happiness, and self-esteem of older rural parents. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 10, 31–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, N., & Joseph, S. (2003). Big 5 correlates of three measures of subjective well-being. Personality & Individual Differences, 34, 723–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B., Veenhoven, R., & Wearing, A. (1991). Top-down versus bottom-up theories of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 24, 81–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, A. R., Rogers, W. L., & Woodworth, J. (1982). Subjective well-being among different age groups. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Survey Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hills, P., & Argyle, M. (2001). Happiness, introversion–extraversion and happy introverts. Personality & Individual Differences, 30, 595–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holder, M. D., & Coleman, B. (2007). The contribution of temperament, popularity, and physical appearance to children’s happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies.

  • Huebner, E. S. (1991). Correlates of life satisfaction in children. School Psychology, Quarterly, 6, 103–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E. S., & Dew, T. (1996). The interrelationship of positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction in an adolescent sample. Social Indicators Research, 38, 129–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E. S., Drane, W., & Valois, R. F. (2000). Levels of demographic correlates of adolescent life satisfaction reports. School Psychology International, 21, 281–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, R. (1990). Culture shift in advanced industrial society. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahana, E., Redmond, C., Hill, G., & Kercher, K. (1995). The effects of stress, vulnerability, and appraisals on the psychological well-being of the elderly. Research on Aging, 17, 459–489.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keltner, D., & Kring, A. (1998). Emotion, social function, and psychopathology. Review of General Psycology, 16, 319–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladd, G. W., Kochenderfer, B., & Coleman, C. (1996). Friendship quality as a predictor of young children’s early school adjustment. Child Development, 67, 1103–1118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R., & Richards, M. H. (1991). Daily companionship in late childhood and early adolescence: Changing developmental contexts. Child Development, 62, 284–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Latten, J. J. (1989). Life-course and satisfaction, equal for everyone? Social Indicators Research, 21, 599–610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepper, H. S. (1998). Use of other-reports to validate subjective well-being measures. Social Indicators Research, 44, 367–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, L., & Lin, Y. Y. (1998). Family roles and happiness in adulthood. Personality & Individual Differences, 25, 195–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. R., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2003). Reexamining adaptation and the set point model of happiness: Reactions to changes in marital status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 527–539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., Tkach, C., & DiMatteo, M. R. (2006). What are the differences between happiness and self-esteem. Social Indicators Research, 78, 363–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W., & Holmes, I. W. (1990). Multidimensional self-concepts: Construct validation of responses by children. American Educational Research Journal, 27, 89–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, I., McAdams, D. P., & Little, B. R. (2006). Personal projects, life stories, and happiness: On being true to traits. Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 551–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moxnes, K. (2003). Risk factors in divorce: Perceptions by the children involved. Childhood: A Global Journal of Child Research, 10, 131–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, D. G., & Diener, E. (1995). Who is happy? Psychological Science, 6, 10–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nangle, D. W., Erdley, C. A., Newman, J. E., Mason, C. A., & Carpenter, E. M. (2003). Popularity, friendship quantity, and friendship quality: Interactive influences on children’s loneliness and depression. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 546–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neto, F. (2001). Personality predictors of happiness. Psychological Reports, 88, 817–824.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pavot, W., Diener, E., & Fujita, F. (1990). Extraversion and happiness. Personality & Individual Differences, 11, 1299–1306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piers, E. V., & Harris, D. B. (1984). Piers-Harris children’s self-concept scale. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piers, E. V., & Herzberg, D. S. (2002). Manual for the Piers-Harris children’s self-concept scale (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollard, E. L., & Lee, P. D. (2003). Child well-being: A systematic review of the literature. Social Indicators Research, 61, 59–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers, B., Power, C., & Hope, S. (1997). Parental divorce and adult psychological distress: Evidence from a national birth cohort: A research note. Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 867–872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruch, W. (1993). Exhilaration and humor. In M. Lewis, & J. M. Haviland (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (pp. 605–616). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saklofske, D. H., & Yackulic, R. A. (1989). Personality predictors of loneliness. Personality and Individual differences, 10, 467–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, D., Izard, C. E., & Bear, G. G. (2004). Emotionality, emotion information processing, and aggression. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 371–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, B. J., Cohen, D. M., Harbeck-Weber, C., Powers, J. D., & Smith, G. A. (2003). Pediatric pain measurement using a visual analogue scale: A comparison of two teaching methods. Clinical Pediatrics, 42, 227–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sidana, U. R., Singh, R., & Srivatava, P. (1976). Social agents in children’s happiness. The Journal of Social Psychology, 99, 289–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, R., Sidana, U. R., & Saluja, S. K. (1978). Integration theory applied to judgments of personal happiness by children. The Journal of Social Psychology, 105, 27–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slee, P. T., & Rigby, K. (1993). Australian school children’s self appraisal of interpersonal relations. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 23, 273–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stock, W. A., Okun, M. A., Haring, M. J., & Whiter, R. A. (1983). Age and subjective well-being: A meta-analysis. In R. J. Light (Ed.), Evaluation studies: Review annual (Vol. 8, pp. 279–302). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Storksen, I., Roysamb, E., Holmen, T. L., & Tambs, K. (2006). Adolescent adjustment and well-being: Effects of parental divorce and distress. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 47, 75–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strayer, J. (1980). A naturalistic study of empathic behaviors and their relation to affective states and perspective-taking skills in preschool children. Child Development, 51, 815–822.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stull, D. E. (1988). A dyadic approach to predicting well-being in later life. Research of Aging, 10, 81–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suldo, S. M., & Huebner, S. (2004). The role of life satisfaction in the relationship between authoritative parenting dimensions and adolescent problem behavior. Social Indicators Research, 66, 165–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics. In B. G. Tabachnick & L. S. Fidell (Eds.), Multiple regression (4th ed., pp. 111–176). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tait, M., Padget, M. Y., & Baldwin, T. T. (1989). Job and life satisfaction: A reexamination of the strength of the relationship and gender effects as a function of the date of the study. Journal of Applied Psychology, 34, 502–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terry, T., & Huebner, E. S. (1995). The relationship between self-concept and life satisfaction in children. Social Indicators Research, 35, 39–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tkach, C., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006). How do people pursue happiness?: Relating personality, happiness-increasing strategies, and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7, 183–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, M. K. (1997). Peer social status and children’s understanding of the expression and control of positive and negative emotions. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 43, 610–634.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernberg, E. M. (1990). Psychological adjustment and experiences with peers during early adolescence: Reciprocal, incidental, or unidirectional relationships? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 18, 187–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitesell, N. R., & Harter, S. (1989). Children’s reports of conflict between simultaneous opposite-valence emotions. Child Development, 60, 673–682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, K. C., Becker, J. A., & Thompson, J. K. (1996). Body image dissatisfaction in preadolescent children. Journal of Applied and Developmental Psychology, 17, 85–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, W., Rhodes, N., & Whelan, M. (1989). Sex differences in positive well-being: A consideration of emotional style and marital status. Psychological Bulletin, 105, 248–264.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, R. M. R., & Bradley, M. T. (1998). Social withdrawal: Self-efficacy, happiness, and popularity in introverted and extroverted adolescents. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 14, 21–35.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Preparation of this article was supported, in part, by a grant from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research awarded to Mark Holder and a UBCO internal research grant awarded to Mark Holder. We are grateful for Andrea Welder and Andrea Klassen for reading and commenting on an earlier version of this paper, and for Tabatha Freimuth for the data collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of British Columbia, Okanagan, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada, V1V 1V7

    Mark D. Holder

  2. Okanagan College, Kalamalka Campus, 7000 College Way (C 311), Vernon, BC, Canada, V1B 2N5

    Ben Coleman

Authors
  1. Mark D. Holder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ben Coleman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark D. Holder.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Holder, M.D., Coleman, B. The Contribution of Social Relationships to Children’s Happiness. J Happiness Stud 10, 329–349 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-007-9083-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-007-9083-0

Keywords

search

Navigation