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Domain, scope and degree of happiness
Author(s) -
Grichting Wolfgang L.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8309.1983.tb00589.x
Subject(s) - happiness , psychology , social psychology , construct (python library) , degree (music) , consistency (knowledge bases) , scale (ratio) , world values survey , mathematics , physics , geometry , quantum mechanics , computer science , acoustics , programming language
As part of the quality of life study in Townsville the happiness construct was studied by means of Cantril's self‐anchoring scale. The analysis of the rationales for happiness and unhappiness suggested that the happiness‐unhappiness construct is unidimensional and bipolar rather than multidimensional. Alleged causes and avowed degree of happiness were analysed with the help of Goodman's log‐linear analysis for nominal data. It was concluded that the degree of subjective happiness is not linearly related to the stipulated causes. Similarly, the consistency of motives for the pursuit of happiness is not linearly related to the degree of happiness, suggesting that both sinners and saints can be equally (un)happy. The happy individual emerges as female, married, of mature age and conservative in nature. In this study the ideal type of the happy individual does not conform with Wilson's observations of 20 years ago but fits more recent findings from overseas, particularly within the tradition of indicators of social well‐being.