The happiness-increasing strategies scales and well-being in a sample of Swedish adolescents

• In an adolescent sample, the present study examines the factor structure of the happiness-increasing strategies scales (H-ISS) found by Tkach and Lyubomirsky (2006), gender differences, and the relationship between the strategies and subjective and psychological well-being measured a year after the H-ISS. A principal axis factoring using an oblique rotation procedure estimated the eight factors, which partially differed from those found earlier: social interaction, mental control, partying, religion, self-directed, instrumental goal pursuit, active leisure, and prevented activities. Girls used social interaction, mental control, partying, and religion more frequently than boys. Boys scored higher in prevented activities. The strategies accounted for 34% of the variance in life satisfaction, 43% of positive affect, 18% of negative affect, and 28% of psychological well-being. The study suggests that, with slight modifications, the H-ISS can be used among adolescents to measure individual differences in behaviour that increase positive experiences over time.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

adolescents

happiness

happiness-increasing strategies

subjective well-being

SWB

psychological well-being

PWB

Sweden

adolescents; happiness; happiness–increasing strategies; subjective well–being; psychological well–being; Sweden

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)