Impact of Performance of Out-of-Home Activities on Affective and Cognitive Subjective Well-Being

• Research shows that at an individual level, both affective and cognitive subjective well-being (SWB) are partly related to stable, possibly genetically determined personality traits. Other research demonstrates that SWB depends on life circumstances. For instance, indivduals with a higher income tend to have a higher SWB, although SWB does not seem to increase in proportion to increases in income over time. Previous research also provides evidence for the impact activity participation has on SWB. In contrast to life circumstances “happening” to people, performance of activities requires effort, and it has been asserted that performance of activities therefore add to SWB by being instrumental in achieving life goals (cognitive SWB). Performance of activities also lead to enjoyable affective experiences (affective SWB). Previous research has targeted activities that people themselves choose because they feel the activities are important to them. In the present study we investigate the impact on SWB of frequent out-of-home activities which people perform because of obligations, needs, or desires. The extent to which performance of such out-of-home activities increase or reduce SWB would be an important input to societal cost-benefit analyses of policies. In a survey of a population-based sample of 1,330 Swedish citizens, we examine the relationships between affective reactions to performing out-of-door activities (work or school; purchase of non-durables; other purchases; participating in sports, exercise or outdoor activities; participating in hobby, religious, course or club activities; visiting relatives or friends; visiting restaurant, café or entertainment/culture events; picking up or leaving children at school or day-care centre; participating in children’s leisure activities) and their impact on weekly affective SWB, global affective SWB and cognitive SWB. Multiple linear regression analyses yielded effects on SWB of socio-demographic variables (sex, age, income, education, urban vs rural residential area, marital status, children, and employment) consistent with previous research. Most variance was accounted for in cognitive SWB (7%), next most (3%) in global affective SWB and least in weekly affective SWB (2%). In contrast, reported affective reactions to performing the out-of-home activities in the previous week accounted for most variance (30%) in weekly affective SWB, next most (21%) in global affective SWB, and least (12%) in cognitive SWB. The effects of performance of activities on cognitive SWB were fully mediated by global affective SWB and the effects on the latter partially mediated by weekly affective SWB. Approximately 1% to 3 % of the variance in SWB accounted for by the sociodemographic variables was mediated by the affective reactions to performing the out-of-home activities. Taken together the results demonstrate how much more relative to life circumstances SWB depends on enjoyment in performing everyday activities. Furthermore, even though activities or episodes representing enjoyable peak events are better remembered by people and therefore has a positive impact, enjoying the hassles of everyday life appears to also have an important impact on SWB.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

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