Session Information
ERG SES F 10, Health
Parallel paper session
Contribution
Happiness researchers investigate different factors which can affect well-being. Results show that happiness can be influenced by many factors such as genetics, pesonality, relationships, demograpic factors (gender, age, income, qualifications), activities, cultural factors (Szondy, 2003). Of these elements, the present study focuses on the activities and cultural factors of hungarian and spanish university students.
As previous studies have presented flow experiences significantly indorse subjective well-being, moreover can produce personal growth. For example active sport can effectively enhance the level of subjective well-being (Bagdy, 2005; Csíkszentmihályi, 1997/2008; Szondy, 2003), group activities also lead to happiness. According to Csíkszentmihályi (1998), people usually feel the best when they are around their friends. Sexual behavior is the most important source of sensual gratification (Bagdy, 2005). Frequency, satisfaction with sexual life and frequency of interaction with ones partner is in positive correlation with subjective well being (Csíkszentmihályi és Hunter, 2003). It has also been found that the following activities enhance happiness: doing good deeds, maintaining relationships well, appreaciating the finer details, and doing excersise (Lyubomirsky, 2008).
Cultural effects on happiness are well shown by comparative intercultural studies, such as that of Veenhoven et al (2011), which shows that on a scale of 0-10 people from Costa Rica scored the highest, where as Togo scored the lowest.The two countries of focus in the study presented here at Veehooven research are situated in the middle, hungarians with 5,5 average score and Spain with 7,2. Therefore, spanish people proved to be happier than hungarians. The reason might be the effect of climate, but can be caused by other factors, for example, in Hungary satisfaction with life is mostly defined by ones satisfaction with their economic status (Kopp, 2008).
Students period of emerging adulthood is crutial in aspects of independent life, career socialization and finding intimate relationship, therefore it is a critical period of establishing a happy future (Arnett, 2000). For this reason university years appear to be a significant time of self actualization.
In a previous study (Füzi, 2010) the relationship between how is flow intensity subjective well being and self actualization, was analized. Results show that self actualizing people are more satisfied with their life and tend to have more intense flow experiences. Flow intensity was correlated with a higher score of happiness. An important result with respect to ones career choice, is that people with a high score on self actualization are also self actualized in their work. These people tend to have intense flow experiences while working and have a higher score on life satisfaction.
The objective of the present study is to examine whether there is a significant difference between hungarian and spanish student’s happiness, self esteem and self-actualization. Furthermore, to explore what kind of flow activities appear amongst the youth from these two differenct cultural backgrounds. The studied variables are satisfaction with life, self actualization, self esteem and flow. In the exploratory part of the study 12 flow categories in the hungarian sample and 13 flow cathegories in the spanish sample were indentified.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Arnett, J.J (2000) Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development from the Late Teens Through the Twenties. American Psychologist, May 2000 Vol. 55. No 5, pp. 469- 480 Bagdy E., Daubner B., Popper P (2005): Öröm, harmónia, boldogság, Saxum Bt. – InfoMed. Kft., 2005 Csíkszentmihályi M. (1997): Flow: Az áramlat. A tökéletes élmény pszichológiája, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest Csíkszentmihályi M.(2008): Kreativitás – A flow és a felfedezés, avagy a találékonyság pszichológiája, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest Diener, E. (1984) Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin 1984, Vol.95, No.3, pp. 542-575. Diener, E., Emmons, R.A., Larsen, R. J., Griffin, S. (1985) The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 1985, 49,1, pp. 71-75. Füzi V. (2009): Az önmegvalósítás és szubjektív jóllét összefüggéseinek vizsgálata ifjúkorban, Egy igazolt praxis felé. Újabb eredmények a pszichológiai és a felsőoktatási tanácsadás hazai kutatásaiból, FETA Könyvek 4., Budapest, 47-67 Kopp M. (2008): Magyar lelkiállapot 2008, Semmelweis Kiadó, Budapest Lyubomirsky, S. (2008): Hogyan legyünk boldogok? Életünk átalakításának útjai tudományos megközelítésben, Ursus Libris Kiadó, Budapest Maarit Johnson (2008): Önbecsülés és alkalmazkodás, Eötvös Kiadó, Budapest Maslow, A (2003): A lét pszichológiája felé, Ursus Libris Kiadó, Budapest Morris, D. (2005): A boldogság természete. Partvonal Kiadó, Budapest Oláh A. (2005): Érzelmek, megküzdés és optimális élmény. Belső világunk megismerésének módszerei, Trefort Kiadó, Budapest Ryff, C. (1989). Happiness is Everything, or Is It? Exploration on the meaning of Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57 (6). 1069-1081 Scheldon, K.M., Elliot, A.J. (1999): Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: the Self-Concordance Model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(3). 482-497. Szondy M. (2004): A szubjektív jóllét és a törekvések kapcsolata késő serdülőkorban. Alkalmazott pszichológia, 6(4), 53-72 Veenhoven, R. (2011): Happiness in Nations, World Database of Happiness, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Assessed on (24.01.2012) at: http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/hap_nat/nat_fp.php?mode=1
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