Subjective Assessment of Happiness and Dimensions of Social Support: Empirical Insights

Subjective Assessment of Happiness and Dimensions of Social Support: Empirical Insights

 

Subjective assessment of happiness maintains that happiness is a global and subjective measure of whether a person is happy or unhappy (Lyubomirsky and Lepper, 1999). Social support networks and perceived level of satisfaction from support networks contribute to happiness. The present study aimed at exploring relationship between subjective happiness and dimensions of social support (structural: number of persons and functional: level of satisfaction) of ageing respondents classified on the basis of working status and gender. The study was based on a sample of 139 respondents drawn from Jaipur City, (India) identified using snowball sampling, following clear inclusive and exclusive criteria. The respondents completed Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & Leeper, 1999) and short form of Social Support Questionnaire (Sarason et al 1987).

Results indicated that structural social support is positively and significantly related with subjective happiness (r =.291, p<0.05) for ageing males whereas functional social support is positively and significantly related with subjective happiness (r = .427, p<0.01) for ageing women. Hence, the importance of diverse support networks for ageing males and an enhanced level of perceived satisfaction for ageing women as related with subjective happiness is reflected. Subjective happiness is positively and significantly related with only functional social support (r = .516, p<0.01) for retired persons. However subjective happiness is unrelated with both the dimensions of social support in case of pre-retired and post retired persons. Perceived level of satisfaction becomes critically important when people retire. Conversely, due to changes in family structure, death of spouse and loss of companionships; subjective happiness remains unrelated to social support in post retired years where as a sense of personal liberation and interest in personally meaningful leisure activities surface for both ageing men and women.

Keywords: Happiness, Satisfaction, Social Network, Social Support