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I Matter to My Friend, Therefore I am Happy: Friendship, Mattering, and Happiness

Journal of Happiness Studies volume 12, pages 983–1005 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Decades of empirical research have shown that friendship experiences are an essential predictor of happiness. However, what might account for the relationship between friendship and happiness? Two studies investigated perceived mattering (Marshall, J Adolesc 24:473–490, 2001) as a mediator of the association between friendship quality and happiness. Study 1 showed that perceived mattering to one’s best friend mediated the relationship between friendship and happiness. Study 2 replicated the findings of the first study and showed that mattering in friendships accounts for the role of friendship quality in happiness across the three closest friendships of the individual. The results are discussed in terms of the theoretical importance of understanding how friendship is related to happiness.

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Fig. 1

Notes

  1. We thank the anonymous reviewer for suggesting these additional analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Melikşah Demir, Nicholas A. Bilyk & Fanita A. Tyrell

  2. Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

    Ayça Özen

  3. Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

    Aysun Doğan

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  1. Melikşah Demir
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  2. Ayça Özen
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Demir, M., Özen, A., Doğan, A. et al. I Matter to My Friend, Therefore I am Happy: Friendship, Mattering, and Happiness. J Happiness Stud 12, 983–1005 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-010-9240-8

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Keywords

  • Best friendship
  • Close friendships
  • Friendship quality
  • Happiness
  • Perceived mattering
  • Structural equation modeling