Refining the relationship between personality and subjective well-being

Psychological Bulletin
Piers SteelJonas Shultz

Abstract

Understanding subjective well-being (SWB) has historically been a core human endeavor and presently spans fields from management to mental health. Previous meta-analyses have indicated that personality traits are one of the best predictors. Still, these past results indicate only a moderate relationship, weaker than suggested by several lines of reasoning. This may be because of commensurability, where researchers have grouped together substantively disparate measures in their analyses. In this article, the authors review and address this problem directly, focusing on individual measures of personality (e.g., the Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness Personality Inventory; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and categories of SWB (e.g., life satisfaction). In addition, the authors take a multivariate approach, assessing how much variance personality traits account for individually as well as together. Results indicate that different personality and SWB scales can be substantively different and that the relationship between the two is typically much larger (e.g., 4 times) than previous meta-analyses have indicated. Total SWB variance accounted for by personality can reach as high as 39% or 63% disattenuated. These results also speak t...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 17, 2008·Quality of Life Research : an International Journal of Quality of Life Aspects of Treatment, Care and Rehabilitation·Steven D BargerHeidi A Wayment
May 8, 2010·Quality of Life Research : an International Journal of Quality of Life Aspects of Treatment, Care and Rehabilitation·Beatrice P Y LaiTony K H Chung
Nov 30, 2010·Social Indicators Research·Brendan M BairdM Brent Donnellan
Aug 17, 2011·Canadian Journal on Aging = La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement·Michael StonesSarah Worobetz
Mar 4, 2009·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Jennifer Lodi-SmithRichard W Robins
May 20, 2009·The American Psychologist·Benjamin B Lahey
Nov 22, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Alexander WeissAndrew J Oswald
Jul 4, 2009·Annual Review of Psychology·Charles S Carver, Jennifer Connor-Smith
Oct 25, 2012·BMC Public Health·Mikael SkärlundRagnar Westerling
Jun 1, 2011·Twin Research and Human Genetics : the Official Journal of the International Society for Twin Studies·Michael E SadlerMatt McGue
Sep 26, 2013·Journal of School Psychology·Michael D LyonsM Lee Van Horn
Jul 22, 2014·Social Indicators Research·Karen L SiedleckiSheena Jeswani
May 6, 2014·The Gerontologist·Christina BryantFiona Judd
Oct 22, 2014·Journal of Happiness Studies·Maike LuhmannJohn T Cacioppo
Jul 16, 2014·Social Indicators Research·Nicolas LoeweJoan Manuel Batista-Foguet
Sep 12, 2013·BioMed Research International·Eloise H TewSimon J G Lewis
Sep 2, 2010·Behavior Research Methods·Ryan T HowellAmy H Sanchez
Oct 9, 2009·Psychological Reports·Sharon GrantJeromy Anglim
Jan 15, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Markus JokelaPeter J Rentfrow
Feb 24, 2016·Clinical Rheumatology·Manja VollmannChristel Salewski
Jan 28, 2016·Developmental Psychobiology·Hani D FreemanStephen R Ross
Sep 23, 2014·Journal of Personality·Cecilia ChengUNKNOWN 44 members of the International Network of Well-Being Studies
Feb 20, 2013·Journal of Research in Personality·Maike LuhmannJohn T Cacioppo
Mar 1, 2011·Schizophrenia Research·Karene BrennerSuzanne King
Jun 2, 2016·Europe's Journal of Psychology·Daniela Fadda, L Francesca Scalas
Mar 11, 2016·Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery·Amin MohamadiShahriar Nafissi
Aug 12, 2009·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Carolyn Emily Schwartz, Mirjam A G Sprangers
Jan 7, 2015·Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports·C Thøgersen-NtoumaniK R Fox
Mar 13, 2016·Revista de psiquiatrí́a y salud mental·Luis Javier Irastorza EguskizaMaría Mora
Aug 28, 2015·Applied Psychology. Health and Well-being·Ulli ZessinSven Garbade
Jan 16, 2009·International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·Jameson K HirschJürgen Unützer
Mar 24, 2009·Scandinavian Journal of Psychology·Pieternel Dijkstra, Dick P H Barelds

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.