The degree of distinctness between eudaimonia and hedonia has often been studied by comparing subjective well-being and psychological well-being. It is argued here that the distinctness is best studied when both concepts are measured in parallel terms, e.g., both as momentary feelings, both as trait-level motives, etc. We classified measures of eudaimonia and hedonia into three categories identified by Huta and Waterman (2014) – orientations/motives, behaviors, experiences/feelings – crossed with two hierarchical levels (Vallerand, 1997) – global/trait, situational/state. Within cells of this classification, degree of distinctness between theoretically eudaimonic and theoretically hedonic variables was examined using exploratory factor analytic methods and inter-correlations. Thirty-one measures of eudaimonia and hedonia were studied, across seven global studies and three situational studies, with each situational study addressing a different time span (the moment, one day, one week). It was found that eudaimonia and hedonia were clearly distinct as global or situational orientations/motives, global behaviors, and situational experiences for the momentary time span. Eudaimonia and hedonia showed little or subtle distinctness when measured as global experiences, or situational experiences for a one-week time span. When forcing one-factor solutions of global or situational experiences, positive affect accounted for the most variance in overall well-being; life satisfaction accounted for less variance, but was still a good proxy for overall well-being experience.
The Personal Wellbeing Index was designed to measure the well-being through 7 domains of life satisfaction. The study focuses on the factor structure of the Personal Well-being scale (PWI) in its 7 item Spanish version for Uruguay. The total sample included 5514 school-going adolescents from 12 to 21 years old. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis for 3 different age ranges, from 12 to 14, 15 to 17 and 18 to 21 years old. Cronbach’s alpha was estimated in a range between .80 and .82 in the 3 age groups, while McDonald’s omega-coefficient ranges between .84 and .86. Results show that the PWI is an instrument with good psychometric properties suitable to be used with school-going adolescents. The uni-dimensional structure of the instrument was confirmed across age groups. Having instruments to assess the well-being of adolescents could complement mental health screening providing information that could be included in educational and health policymaking in our region.
Western samples have demonstrated greater optimism than East Asian samples, however, the factor structure of the Life Orientation Test (LOT) is not always consistent. Measurement properties of scales may differ across cultures, potentially biasing estimation of group differences. This study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the LOT-Revised among Japanese and American adults. A representative sample of 1805 American and 1027 Japanese adults was utilized. CFA was used to compare 1-factor and 2-factor models of optimism within samples and examine the measurement invariance of the LOT-R across samples. The 2-factor model was superior and demonstrated partial weak invariance. Levels of optimism and pessimism were also compared across samples. Japanese adults demonstrated lower levels of optimism and greater levels of pessimism than American adults. Findings highlight the importance of assessing measurement invariance in cross-cultural research, suggest exercising caution when using the LOT-R, and provide evidence that optimism and pessimism function as separate constructs.
This paper reports on an investigation of the psychometric properties of the PERMA Profiler—a popular measure of well-being—with a large sample of Australian adults ( n = 1942). We assessed the factor structure, scale reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity of the Profiler. Theory and evidence point to a second-order factor structure whereby the five PERMA elements constitute first-order factors that in turn load on a single general well-being factor. The Profiler displayed acceptable reliability for all subscales except Engagement and demonstrated the expected convergent relationships with measures of Flourishing, Optimism, Depression, and Psychological Distress. Further, the expected discriminate relationships were observed with measures of Anxiety and Stress. An important contribution of this research is to suggest that the elements of the Profiler all reflect, to an extent, a single general well-being factor. At a practical level, we provide information on the strengths and limitations of the Profiler in order to aid researchers and practitioners in their work.
Previous research has provided contradicting findings on whether valuing and pursuing happiness is beneficial or detrimental to one’s level of well-being. These contradicting findings might be resolved by considering these so-called Happiness Goal Orientations (HGO) as a multidimensional construct. The goals of this paper were (1) to present a new multidimensional scale to measure HGO and (2) to investigate whether the different dimensions of the scale are differentially related to well-being. Inspired by theories that distinguish between different dimensions of motivational systems and goal pursuit, we developed and validated the HGO Scale in four independent studies. The scale distinguishes two dimensions: Happiness-Related Strivings represent the propensity to move actively and persistently toward the desired level of happiness. Happiness-Related Concerns represent the propensity to worry about and to focus on threats to one’s level of happiness. Happiness- Related Strivings are associated with approach-related constructs, positivity, successful strategies to regulate one’s moods and emotions, endorsing a broad range of happiness definitions, and the intention to pursue different happiness definitions in everyday life. Happiness-Related Concerns are associated with avoidance-related constructs, anxiety, poor strategies to regulate one’s moods and emotions, defining happiness solely as the absence of negativity, and having no intentions to pursue happiness in everyday life. Happiness-Related Strivings are positively associated with well-being, whereas Happiness-Related Concerns are negatively associated with well-being. These differential associations with well-being demonstrate the importance of considering HGO as a multidimensional construct and that HGO can be both beneficial and detrimental to one’s level of well-being.
