Feeling Well

To say that something is "subjective" often is to imply that it is of questionable validity.  Our culture places a premium on "objective" data.  For instance, virtually all of the behavioral and health sciences insist that only"evidenced-based' research is worthy of dissemination.  Therefore, at first, it seems contradictory to discuss findings derived from studies of "subjective well-being."  Yet, such studies generally are accepted as reasonable by most psychologists.  This perhaps is because the subjective well-being opinions of research subjects are collected and evaluated with scientific rigor and satisfy state of the art academic standards.  For the most part, well-being data is comprised of single or combined assessments of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors elicited from the research subjects and/or from persons who know them intimately.           

Subjective well-being (SWB) data quantify an individual’s general sense of how well their life is proceeding.  SBW, then, depends on relatively chronic, versus episodic, features of life.  Because everyone occasionally has an especially “bad day” or an especially “good day,” SWB must be assessed over time to determine one's modal satisfactions and feelings.

So what is assessed in deciding SWB?  Certainly, the assessment needs to be multifaceted.  Some common, obvious determinants of SWB, for instance, are an individual’s health, income, and sense of competence and control.  The issue of control is quite salient because some psychologists have asserted that much of SWB is genetically determined.  If so, one might conclude that there is little or nothing that we can influence that will make an appreciable difference in our SWB.  If  “It’s all in the genes,” our well-being is preordained.

Recent studies, however, have challenged the contention that genes are primary for SWB.  For instance, Diener et al. (2017) cite research by Nes and Roysamb (2015) suggesting that non-genetic factors account for most of our SWB.  This supports the commonsense notion regarding the importance of health practices, employment, and marital quality.  Relationships are especially central in that good interpersonal relationships facilitate in us a strong tendency to behave in ways that promote physical and mental health.  And the more physically and mentally healthy we are, the more SWB we experience.

The self determination theory (SDT) of Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan (2002) affords a rather succinct system for understanding and applying much of the SWB research data.  According to SDT, three major relatively controllable factors are critical for SWB: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.  Autonomy of course is synonymous with personal control, and personal control is a prerequisite for both initiating and maintaining efforts that facilitate a lifestyle consistent with SWB. But autonomy alone is not sufficient.  Competence enables one to take prerequisite autonomy and to translate it into actions that actually effect the desired outcomes.  For SWB purposes, relatedness has two aspects.  On the one hand, relatedness refers to an individual's  ability to interact constructively with other people to achieve health and happiness.  But think of relatedness also as the extent to which she/he experiences a compelling attachment not only to people, but also to SWB-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  When relatedness is strong in that sense, the individual better understand what she/he is doing, and, therefore, can make more committed, informed, and integrated SWB-relevant choices.'

The take-away of course is that you you will feel content, and even well, to the extent that you foster your personal competence, autonomy, and relatedness.  Those are health-promoting qualities whether they are subjectively or objectively true.      

References

Diener, Ed; Heintzelman, Samantha J.; Kushlev, Kostadin; Tay, Louis; Wirtz, Derrick; Lutes, Lesley D.; Oishi, Shigehiro.(2017).  Findings all psychologists should know from the new science on subjective well-being. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne,  58,2, 87-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000063

Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (Eds.), (2002). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68