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A demonstration of set-points for subjective wellbeing

journal contribution
posted on 2014-01-01, 00:00 authored by Robert CumminsRobert Cummins, N Li, M Wooden, Mark StokesMark Stokes
This paper presents evidence for the existence of ‘set-points’ for subjective wellbeing. Our results derive from a 10-year longitudinal study in which subjective wellbeing has been measured using a single question of general life satisfaction. The process of data analysis is driven by logic based on the theory of subjective wellbeing homeostasis. This analysis involves the iterative elimination of raw data, from 7,356 individual respondents, based on confidence limits. All results are projected onto a 0–100 point scale. We demonstrate evidence for the existence of set-points lying between 71 and 90 points, with an average set-point-range of 18–20 points for each person. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

History

Journal

Journal of happiness studies

Volume

15

Issue

1

Pagination

183 - 206

Publisher

Springer

Location

Dordrecht, The Netherlands

ISSN

1389-4978

eISSN

1573-7780

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2014, Springer