Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Further Distinctions Among Major Concepts of Wellbeing

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Psychology of Quality of Life

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 83))

Abstract

This chapter describes a plethora of studies that have closely examined distinctions among concepts related to subjective aspects of quality of life, such as those that were spelled out in the earlier chapter. I start out with the distinction between subjective and objective indicators of quality of life; then I make the distinction between input and outcome indicators of quality of life, after which I discuss the distinction between inner and outer aspects of quality of life. Then, I shift gears and describe studies that have focused on making a clear distinction between happiness and life satisfaction. Following this discussion, the concept of subjective wellbeing is described as an umbrella concept incorporating both affective and cognitive dimensions of wellbeing. I also discuss research distinguishing between subjective wellbeing and Eudaimonia and its variants as well as the differences between hedonic wellbeing and eudaimonic wellbeing. Two models were also presented making further distinctions of between wellbeing and illbeing, namely the structural model and the hierarchical model.

“The quality of life is more important than life itself.”

—Alexis Carrel (https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/alexis-carrel-quotes)

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    An example of an objective measure of subjective well-being is to have subjects carry with them a beeper. The experimenter would then beep subjects randomly and ask them to report on their subjective wellbeing during the last few hours or so.

References

  • Andrews, F. M., & McKennell, A. C. (1980). Measures of self-reported well-being: Their affective, cognitive, and other components. Social Indicators Research, 8, 127–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Balatasky, G., & Diener, E. (1993). Subjective well-being among Russian students. Social Indicators Research, 28, 225–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradburn, N. M., & Caplovitz, D. (1965). Report on happiness. Chicago: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brief, A. P., & Roberson, L. (1989). Job attitude organization: An exploratory study. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 19, 717–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, F. B. (2003). Savoring beliefs inventory (SBI): A scale for measuring beliefs about savouring. Journal of Mental Health, 12, 175–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Busseri, M. A., Sadava, S. W., & Decourville, N. (2007). A hybrid model for research on subjective well-being: Examining common- and component-specific sources of variance in life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Social Indicators Research, 83, 413–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, P., Titus, D. G., Kostin, J., & Kostin, M. (1973). The life satisfaction of non-normal persons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 41, 207–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A. C. (1976). Subjective measures of well-being. American Psychologist, 31, 117–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, K. (1988). On the structure of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 20, 581–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crooker, K. J., & Near, J. P. (1995). Happiness and satisfaction: Measures of affect and cognition? In H. L. Meadow & M. J. Sirgy (Eds.), Development in quality-of-life studies in marketing (Vol. 5, pp. 160–166). DeKalb, IL: Academy of Marketing Science and the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Emmons, R. A. (1984). The independence of positive and negative affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1105–1117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Fujita, F. (1995). Resources, personal strivings, and subjective well-being: A nomothetic and idiographic approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 926–935.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Sandvik, E., Seidlitz, L., & Diener, M. (1993). The relationship between income and subjective well-being: Relative or absolute? Social Indicators Research, 28, 195–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Smith, H., & Fujita, F. (1995). The personality structure of affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 130–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dodge, R., Daly, A., Huyton, J., & Sanders, L. (2012). The challenge of defining wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 2, 222–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durayappah, A. (2011). The 3P model: A general theory of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 17, 211–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce, M. W. (1988). A review of research on happiness measures: A sixty-second index of happiness and mental health. Social Indicators Research, 20, 355–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M. M. (1993). Social support sources and psychological well-being in older women with heart disease. Research in Nursing and Health, 16, 405–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haller, M., & Hadler, M. (2006). How social relations and structures can produce happiness and unhappiness. Social Indicators Research, 75, 169–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B., Kelley, J., & Wearing, A. (1993). Dimensions of mental health: Life satisfaction, positive affect, anxiety and depression. Social Indicators Research, 29, 63–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heintzelman, S. J. (2018). Eudaimonia in the contemporary science of subjective well-being: Psychological well-being, self-determination, and meaning in life. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the nature of man. Cleveland, OH: World.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Pederson, R., & Capwell, D. (1957). Job attitudes: Review of research and opinion. Pittsburgh, PA: Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huppert, F. A. (2009). Psychological well-being: Evidence regarding its causes and consequences. Applied Psychology. Health and Well-Being, 1, 137–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huta, V. (2016). Eudaimonic and hedonic orientations: Theoretical considerations and research findings. In J. Vitterso (Ed.), Handbook of eudaimonic well-being (pp. 215–232). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Inglehart, R., & Rabier, J.-R. (1986). Aspirations adapt to situations—But why are the Belgians so much happier than the French? A cross-cultural analysis of subjective quality of life. In F. M. Andrews (Ed.), Research in the quality of life. Institute for Social Research: Ann Arbor, MI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Intelisano, S., Krasko, J., & Luhmann, M. (2020). Integrating phislosophical and psychological accounts of happiness and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 161–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D. (1999). Objective happiness. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwartz (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 3–25). New York: Russell Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D., Krueger, A. B., Schkade, D., Schwarz, N., & Stone, A. A. (2004). Toward national well-being accounts. American Economic Review, 94, 427–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D., & Riis, J. (2005). Living and thinking about it: Two perspective on life. In F. A. Huppert, N. Baylis, & B. Keverne (Eds.), The science of well-being (pp. 285–304). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kesebir, P., & Diener, E. (2009). In pursuit of happiness: Empirical answers to philosophical questions. In E. Diener (Ed.), The science of well-being: The collected works of Ed Diener (pp. 59–74). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kim-Prieto, C., & Diener, E. (2005). Religious affiliation as a source of cultural differences in achievement motivation. In M. L. Maehr & S. A. Karabenick (Eds.), Motivation and religion (Advances in motivation and achievement) (Vol. 14, pp. 403–418). San Diego, CA: Elsevier, Inc.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kozma, A. (1996, August 22–25). Top-down and bottom-up approaches to an understanding of subjective well-being. World Conference on Quality of Life, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozma, A., Stone, S., Stones, M. J., Hannah, T. E., & McNeil, K. (1990). Long- and short-term affective states in happiness: Model, paradigm and experimental evidence. Social Indicators Research, 22, 119–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozma, A., & Stones, M. J. (1992). Longitudinal findings on a componential model of happiness. In M. J. Sirgy, H. L. Meadow, D. Rahtz, & A. C. Samli (Eds.), Developments in quality-of-life studies in marketing (Vol. 4, pp. 139–142). Blacksburg, VA: Academy of Marketing Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, R. E. (1994). Quality of life and quality of persons: A new role for government? Political Theory, 22, 219–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, R. E. (1996). Quality of life and quality of persons: A new role for government? In A. Offer (Ed.), The pursuit of the quality of life (pp. 256–294). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liao, P.-S. (2009). Parallels between objective indicators and subjective perceptions of quality of life: A study of metropolitan and county areas in Taiwan. Social Indicators Research, 91, 99–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., Diener, E., & Suh, E. (1996). Discriminant validity of well-being measures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 616–628.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKennell, A. C. (1978). Cognition and affect in perceptions of well-being. Social Indicators Research, 5, 389–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKennell, A. C., & Andrews, F. M. (1980). Models of cognition and affect in perceptions of well-being. Social Indicators Research, 8, 257–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C. (1980). Satisfaction and happiness. Social Indicators Research, 8, 385–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C. (2008). Education, happiness and wellbeing. Social Indicators Research, 87, 347–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organ, D. W., & Near, J. P. (1985). Cognition vs. affect in measures of job satisfaction. International Journal of Psychology, 20, 241–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parducci, A. (1995). Happiness, pleasure, and judgment: The contextual theory and its applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rehberg, K.-S. (2000). The fear of happiness: Anthropological motives. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1, 479–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, B. W., & Robins, R. W. (2000). Broad dispositions, broad aspirations: The intersection of the big five dimensions and major life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 1284–1296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Røysamb, E., & Nes, R. (2016). Genes, environment and core features of eudaimonic wellbeing. In J. Vitterso (Ed.), Handbook of eudaimonic well-being (pp. 233–252). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Røysamb, E., & Nes, R. B. (2018). The genetics of wellbeing. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers.

    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 

  • Sanjuan, P. (2011). Affect balance as mediating variable between effective psychological functioning and satisfaction with life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 373–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saris, W. E., & Andreenkova, A. (2001). Following changes in living conditions and happiness in post communist Russia: The Russian panel. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2, 95–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schimmack, U., Schupp, J., & Wagner, G. G. (2008). The influence of environment and personality on the affective and cognitive component of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 89, 41–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simsek, O. F. (2009). Happiness revisited: Ontological well-being as a theory-based construct of subjective well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 505–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J. (2017). Distinguishing indicators of well-being from indicators of ill-being. In R. E. Anderson (Ed.), Alleviating world suffering (pp. 87–108). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J. (2019). Positive balance: A hierarchical perspective of positive mental health. Quality of Life Research, 28, 1921–1930.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J. (2020). Positive balance: A theory of well-being and positive mental health. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 80–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sumner, L. W. (1996). Welfare, happiness, and ethics. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tov, W. (2018). Well-being concepts and components. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (1991). Is happiness relative? Social Indicators Research, 24, 1–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (1996). Happy-life expectancy: A comprehensive measure of quality-of-life in nations. Social Indicators Research, 38, 1–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2000). The four qualities of life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1, 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2005a). Return of inequality in modern society? Test by dispersion of life-satisfaction across time and nations. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 457–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2005b). The four qualities of life: Ordering concepts and measures of the good life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1, 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2009). Well-being in nations and well-being of nations: Is there a conflict between individual and society? Social Indicators Research, 91, 5–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2016). What have we learnt about happiness? In F. Maggino (Ed.), A life devoted to quality of life (pp. 151–194). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vitterso, J., Soholt, Y., Hetland, A., Alekseeva Thoresen, I., & Roysamb, E. (2010). Was Hercules happy? Some answers from a functional model of human well-being. Social Indicators Research, 95, 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    M. Joseph Sirgy

  2. North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    M. Joseph Sirgy

Authors
  1. M. Joseph Sirgy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Sirgy, M.J. (2021). Further Distinctions Among Major Concepts of Wellbeing. In: The Psychology of Quality of Life. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 83. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71888-6_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation