Abstract
This paper reviews advances in the study of satisfaction in the context of Social Indicators Research. Five developments are considered: (1) changes in the conceptualization of satisfaction, (2) advances in the measurement of satisfaction, (3) growth of a significant body of comparative data on satisfaction, (4) the map of satisfaction that emerges from these developments, (5) resulting advances in understanding of the appraisal-process, and (6) developments in the use of the satisfaction concept in wider conceptions of welfare.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allardt, E.: 1976, ‘Dimensions of welfare in a comparative Scandinavian study’, Acta Sociologica 19, pp. 227–239.
Andrews, F. M. and S. B.Withey: 1976, ‘Social Indicators of Well-Being: American's perceptions of quality of life’ (Plenum, New York).
Argyle, M.: 1987, ‘The psychology of happiness’ (Methuen, London).
Bellenbaum, A. (ed.): 1994, ‘Von guten Leben; Glücksvorstellungen in Hochkulturen’ (Academie Verlag, Berlin).
Blanchflower, D. G. and R.Freeman, 1993, ‘The legacy of communist labor relations’, Haney paper 93-10 (Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA).
Bless, H. and N.Schwarz: 1984, ‘Ist schlechte Stimmung die Ausnahme? Eine Meta-analyse von Stimmungsuntersuchungen’ (Paper, University of Heidelberg, Germany).
Bradburn, N. and D.Caplovitz: 1965, ‘Reports on happiness; a pilot study in behavior related to mental health’ (Aldine Publishing, Chicago, USA).
Brickman, P., D.Coates and R.Janoff-Bullman: 1978, ‘Lottery-winners and accident-victims: Is happiness relative?’ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, pp. 917–927.
Buchanan, W. and H.Cantril: 1953, ‘How nations see each other; a study in public opinion’ (University of Illinois Press, Urbana, USA).
Cantril, H.: 1965, ‘The pattern of human concern’ (Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ).
Cavan, R. S., E. W.Burgess, R. J.Havinghurst and H.Goldhammer: 1949, ‘Personal adjustment in old age’ (Science Research Associates, Chicago, USA).
Chin-Hon-Foei, S.: 1989, ‘Life-satisfaction in the EC countries 1975–1984’, in R.Veenhoven (ed.), ‘Did the crisis really hurt? Effects of the 1980–82 economic recession on satisfaction, mental health and mortality’ (Universitaire Pers Rotterdam, The Netherlands), pp. 24–43.
Clark, M. and B. G.Anderson: 1967, ‘Culture and aging: an anthropological study of older Americans’ (Thomas, Springfield, IL, USA).
Diener, E.: 1984, ‘Subjective well-being’, Psychological Bulletin, 95, pp. 542–575.
Diener, E., R. A.Emmons, R. J.Larsen and S.Griffin: 1985, ‘The satisfaction with life scale’, Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, pp. 71–75.
Diener, E., E.Sandvik and W.Pavot: 1989, ‘Happiness is the frequency, not intensity of positive versus negative affect’, in F.Strack et al (eds.), ‘Subjective well-being; an interdisciplinary perspective’ (Pergamon, Oxford), pp. 119–140.
Easterlin, R. A.: 1974, ‘Does economic growth improve the human lot? Some empirical evidence’, in P. A.David and W. R.Melvin (eds.), ‘Nations and households in economic growth’, (Academic Press, New York, USA), pp. 89–125.
Eurobarometer: 1992, ‘Trends 1974–1991’ (Commission of the European Communities, Directorate of Information, Communication and Culture, Dpt. of Surveys, Research and Analyses, Brussels, Belgium).
Gallup, G. H.: 1976, ‘Human needs and satisfactions; a global survey’, Public Opinion Quarterly, 40, pp. 459–467.
Glatzer, W. and W.Zapf: 1984, ‘Lebensqualität in der Bundesrepublik’ (Campus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany), (English summary in Social Indicators Research 1987, 19, pp. 1–171).
Habich, R. and T.Riede: 1989, ‘Satisfaction in West-Germany 1978–1988’, in R.Veenhoven (ed.), ‘Did the crisis really hurt? Effects of the 1980–1982 economic recession on satisfaction, mental health and mortality’ (Universitaire Pers Rotterdam, The Hague, The Netherlands), pp. 94–107.
Harding, S. D.: 1985, ‘Values and the nature of psychological well-being’ in M.Abrams et al. (eds.), ‘Values and social change in Britain’, (McMillan, London, UK), pp. 227–252.
Heady, B., R.Veenhoven and A.Wearing: 1991, ‘Top-down versus bottom-up theories of subjective well-being’, Social Indicators Research, 24, pp. 81–100.
Heady, B. and A.Wearing: 1992, ‘Understanding happiness; a theory of subjective well-being’ (Longman Cheshire, Melbourne, Australia).
Inglehart, R.: 1990, ‘Culture shift in advanced industrial society’ (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ).
Inglehart, R.: 1994, ‘Codebook World Value Studies (ICPSR fiel 1660)’ (University of Michigan, ISR, AnnArbor, MI, USA).
ICPSR (International Consortium for Political Science Research), ‘World Value Studies 1980–82, 1992–94’, File No. 6160.
INSEE: 1993, ‘La Société Francaise: Données Sociales 1993’ (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, Paris, France).
ISR, Institute for Social Research: 1972, ‘Panel study of income dynamics, study design, procedures and available data’ (Survey Research Center, ISR, University of Michigan, USA).
Ipsen, D.: 1978, ‘Das Konstruct Zufriedenheit’, Soziale Welt, 29, pp. 44–53.
Kutner, B., D.Fanshel, A. M.Togo and T. S.Langner: 1956, ‘Five-hundred over sixty; a community survey on aging’ (Russel Sage Foundation, New York, USA).
Landua, D.: 1992, ‘An attempt to classify satisfaction changes; methodological and content aspects of a longitudinal problem’, Social Indicators Research, 26, pp. 221–241.
Michalos, A. C.: 1985, ‘Multiple discrepancies theory (MDT)’, Social Indicators Research, 16, pp. 347–413.
Myers, D. G.: 1992, ‘The pursuit of happiness: Who is happy and why?’ (William Morrow, New York, USA).
Neugarten, B. L., R. J.Havinghurst and S. S.Tobin: 1961, ‘The measurement of life-satisfaction’, Journal of Gerontology, 16, pp. 134–143.
Noll, H. H.: 1994, ‘Zustand der offentliche Sicherhet beintrachtigt Wohlbefinden der Bürger’, ISI Bulletin, No. 12, pp. 5–8.
Rodgers, W. L. and P. E.Converse: 1975, ‘Measures of perceived overall quality of life’, Social Indicators Research, 2, pp. 127–152.
Ouweneel, P. and R.Veenhoven: 1991, ‘Cross-national differences in happiness: cultural bias or societal quality?’ in N.Bleichrodt and P.Drenth (eds.), ‘Contemporary issues in cross-cultural psychology’ (Swets and Zeitlinger, Lisse, The Netherlands), pp. 168–184.
Palisi, B. J. and C.Canning: 1983, ‘Urbanism and social psychological well-being; a cross-cultural test of three theories’, The Sociological Quarterly, 24, pp. 527–534.
Ruse, M.: 1986, ‘Evolutionary ethics: a phoenix arisen’, Zygon, 21, pp. 95–112.
SBA: Statistisches Bundes Ambt: 1992, ‘Datenreport: Zahlen und Facten über die Bundesrepublik Deutschland’ (Wiesbaden, Germany).
Saris, W. and R. Veenhoven (eds.): 1996, ‘Life-satisfaction in Europe, a multitrait-multimethod study in 10 countries’ (in preparation).
Scherpenzeel, A.: 1995, ‘A question of quality; evaluating survey questions by multitrait-multimethod studies’, Doctoral dissertation, University of Amsterdam (KPN Research, Royal PTT, Leidschendam, The Netherlands).
Schwarz, N., F.Strack, D.Kommer and D.Wagner: 1987, ‘Soccer, rooms and the quality of your life; Mood effects on the judgement of satisfaction with life in general and with specific domains’, European Journal of Social Psychology, 17, pp. 69–79.
Schwarz, N. and F.Strack: 1991, ‘Evaluating one's life; a judgement model of subjective well-being’, in F.Strack et al. (eds.), ‘Subjective well-being, an interdisciplinary perspective’ (Pergamon, Oxford), pp. 27–48.
Schwartz, S. H.: 1994, ‘Are there universal aspects in the structure and content of human values?’, Journal of Social Issues, 50, pp. 19–45.
Sears, P. S. and A. H.Barbee: 1977, ‘Career and life-satisfactions among Terman gifted women’, in J. C.Stanley and W. C.George (eds.), ‘The gifted and the creative’ (Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA), pp. 28–72.
Smith, P. C., L. M.Kendall and C. L.Hulin: 1969, ‘The measurement of satisfaction in work and retirement’ (Rand-McNally, Chicago, USA).
Trimp, R. and J.Winkels: 1989, ‘Evaluation of income trough the recession; EC countries 1972–1987’, in R.Veenhoven (ed.), ‘Did the crisis really hurt? Effects of the 1980–1982 economic recession on satisfaction, mental health and mortality’ (Universitaire Press Rotterdam, The Hague, The Netherlands), pp. 44–63.
VanPraag, B. M. S., A.Kapteyn and F. G.VanHerwaarden: 1979, ‘The definition and measurement of social reference spaces’, Netherlands Journal of Sociology, 15, pp. 13–25.
Veenhoven, R.: 1984, ‘Conditions of Happiness’ (Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, The Netherlands).
Veenhoven, R.: 1988, ‘The utility of happiness’, Social Indicators Research, 20, pp. 333–354.
Veenhoven, R. (ed.): 1989a, ‘How harmful is happiness? Consequences of enjoying life or not’ (Universitaire Pers Rotterdam, The Hague, The Netherlands).
Veenhoven, R.: 1989b, ‘National wealth and individual happiness’, in K. G.Grunert and F.Olander (eds.), ‘Understanding economic behavior’ (Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, The Netherlands), pp. 9–32.
Veenhoven, R.: 1991, ‘Is happiness relative?’, Social Indicators Research, 24, 1–34.
Veenhoven, R.: 1992a, ‘Bibliography of happiness; 2472 contemporary studies on subjective appreciation of life’ (Risbo, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Updated electronic version on Internet: ftp.eur.nl pub/database.happiness/biblio.zip
Veenhoven, R.: 1992b, ‘Happiness in nations; subjective appreciation of life in 56 nations 1946–1992’ (Risbo, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Updated electronic version on Internet: ftp.eur.nl pub/database. happiness/nations.zip
Veenhoven, R.: 1994a, ‘Correlates of happiness; 7836 findings from 603 studies in 69 nations 1911–1994’ (Risbo, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Updated electronic version on Internet: ftp.eur.nl pub/database.happiness/correlat.zip
Veenhoven, R.: 1994b, ‘Is happiness a trait? Tests of the theory that a better society does not make people any happier’, Social Indicators Research, 32, pp. 101–160.
Veenhoven, R.: 1995, ‘The cross-national pattern of happiness. Test of predictions implied in three theories of happiness’, Social Indicators Research, 34, pp. 33–68.
Veenhoven, R.: 1996, ‘Cross-national differences in satisfaction’ in W. Saris and R. Veenhoven (eds.), ‘Life-satisfaction in Europe’, in preparation, ch. 13.
Veenhoven, R. and P. Ouweneel: in preparation, ‘Equality in the welfare-state; dispersion of life-satisfaction and longevity in nations differing in state-welfare effort’ (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Dpt. of Sociology, The Netherlands).
Zapf, W.: 1994, ‘Allernative Pfade der gesellschaftliche Entwicklung, in W. Zapf, Modernisierung Wohlfahrtsentwicklung und Transformation, Sigma, 1994, Berlin, Germany, pp. 187–211.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Veenhoven, R. Developments in satisfaction-research. Soc Indic Res 37, 1–46 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300268
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300268