What Makes Life Good? A Life Course Analysis of Subjective Well-being

• In Event: 067 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 14. Subjective Well-Being, Generativity and Healthy Aging

Abstract

Improvement in quality of life is a commonly shared goal among most societies. Quality of life, at least in societies where basic needs are generally met, has become to be synonymous with subjective well-being. In light of increasing life expectancy and population aging among such societies, we know very little about the relationship between subjective well-being and aging. As such, multiple waves of nationally representative cross-sectional data (GSS, N = 22,931) and hierarchical age-period-cohort models are used to examine life course patterns in three distinct subjective well-being measures and the relationships between them. Global subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, and happiness) is found to be relatively stable across all three temporal dimensions, but satisfaction with specific domains of life (i.e., family, friends, health, hobbies, and place of residence) and their contributions to global well-being are found vary in meaningful ways across the life course. It is apparent that life course scholars need to play a more integral role in this area of research, particularly if subjective well-being measures are to be used to improve quality of life.

Author

• Anthony Richard Bardo, Duke University