Affect In a Model of Subjective Wellbeing

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Affect In a Model ofSubjective Wellbeing

• Melanie Davern
• Professor Bob Cummins

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Earlier Studies

• Model of SWB culmination of 3 separate studies
• Initial interest in affect and SWB
• Can SWB be used as measure of illbeing?
• Importance of Unipolar (one-way) Response Scales
  in the assessment of affect
• Reciprocal relationship between life satisfaction
  and dissatisfaction
• Adequacy of the Circumplex Model of Affect

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Brief SWB Literature Review

• SWB also described as quality of life, happiness
  and life satisfaction
• Inconsistencies in definition have increased
  measurement discrepancies
• Cummins has found SWB to be held at around 75
  maximum internationally
• Theory of SWB Homeostasis proposes that SWB held
  within a narrow positive set-point
• Generally between 70-80 of maximum

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Brief Literature Review

• Consensus that SWB consists of Cognitive and
  Affective aspects
• These aspects of SWB not clearly defined in
  previous research
• Multiple Discrepancies Theory (MDT) introduced by
  Michalos (1985)
• MDT a measure of the cognitive component of SWB

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Definition of MDT

• Net satisfaction/happiness is a function of
  perceived gaps between current life and
• What one has and wants
• What relevant other have
• Best experienced in the past
• Expected in the past
• Expects to have in the future
• What they deserve
• What they need

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Personality SWB

• Weak relationship between the Five Factor Model
  of Personality and SWB
• Cummins, Gullone Lau (2002) argue that
  personality (including cognition and affect) is
  mediates the relationship between external
  experiences and SWB
• Does personality play such an important role in
  the maintenance of SWB?

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Circumplex Theory of Affect
ACTIVATED
High PA
High NA
Activation
Valence
PLEASANT
UNPLEASANT
Low PA
Low NA
DEACTIVATED
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Sample Methodology

• 854 participants from the longitudinal study of
  the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index
• Age range from 18-76 yrs (Mean 52.2)
• 46 Male 54 Female
• Mailed paper and pencil questionnaires
• 38 response rate

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Measures

• AUWBI Personal Wellbeing Index
• How satisfied are you with your.
• Standard of living
• Health
• What you achieve in life
• Personal relationships
• Community connectedness
• Safety
• Future security

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Measures

• MDT items
• NEO (FFM of Personality)
• Affect items
• Thinking about my life as a whole I feel
• excited, happy, calm, sleepy, bored,
  dissatisfied, annoyed, active, lively, satisfied,
  relaxed, sluggish, exhausted, discontent,
  nervous, aroused, enthusiastic, content, at ease,
  unaroused, tired, unhappy, distressed, alert
• Each octant of the circumplex represented by 4
  affect items using a unipolar response scale

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Initial Model
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Model Fit Statistics
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Final Model
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Model Fit Statistics
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Conclusions

• SWB, affect, MDT and personality are all highly
  interrelated concepts
• SWB is largely a measure of core affect
• Poor discriminant validity in personality, MDT
  and SWB measures
• All alternative measures of core affect