21st Annual Student Research Conference
How are Happiness-Increasing Strategies, Locus of Control and Subjective Well-Being Related?
Alison M. LaFollette* and Maggie J. Griffith
Dr. Karen Vittengl, Faculty Mentor
Tkach and Lyubomrisky (2006) researched how satisfaction with life and the Big Five relate to happiness-increasing strategies obtained from an open-ended survey. The current study examined the relationship between happiness-increasing strategies, subjective well-being (SWB), and locus of control (LOC). Four hundred twenty-nine undergraduates reported how frequently they used each of 52 happiness-increasing strategies. Factor analysis revealed fourteen general strategies: Direct Attempts, Partying/Clubbing, Mental Control, Active Leisure, Religion, Passive Leisure, Exercise, Social Affiliation, Academic Goals, Singing/Dancing, Alone Time, Goal Pursuit, Movie Going, and Flow. Direct Attempts, Social Affiliation, Academic Goals and Exercise showed the strongest positive correlations to SWB, while Mental Control and Partying/Clubbing showed the strongest negative correlations. LOC was correlated with less than half of the happiness-increasing strategies namely, Direct Attempts, Mental Control, Social Affiliation, Academic Goals, Goal Pursuit and Flow.
Keywords: happiness, locus of control
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 13-
Location: OP Lobby
Time: