Concepts of happiness and well-being in social and behavioral sciences

Abstract

The aim of the paper is scientific analysis of terms and concepts of subjective wellbeing, happiness and quality of life and their significance for social and behavioral sciences, through the application of analysis and synthesis of empirical and theoretical findings as general methods used in work. In addition, the paper analyzes empirically validated correlates and outcomes of subjective well-being, as well as two theoretical postulates that define the preconditions of well-being - the theory of satisfying needs and the theory of hedonism. The importance of concepts of wellbeing for behavioral sciences can be seen in the benefits of happiness at the individual and wider social level. Gains at the individual level are reflected in the results of numerous studies that show happiness (satisfaction with life, positive feelings and low levels of negative feelings) and success in different living domains in a positive correlation, including health, partnership and social relationships, income, work performance, and prosocial behavior. Through the concluding observations of individual studies that high levels of one's people's subjective wellbeing can lead to a more stable and productive society as a whole, the wider profit of the system from work on improving the subjective well-being of one nation is reflected.

Cilj rada jeste naučna analiza pojmova i koncepcija subjektivnog blagostanja, sreće i kvaliteta života i njihov značaj za socijalne i bihejvioralne nauke, kroz primenu analize i sinteze empirijskih i teorijskih nalaza kao opštih metoda korišćenih u radu. Pored toga, u radu su analizirani empirijski nalazi o subjektivnom blagostanju, kao i dva teorijska postulata koji definišu preduslove blagostanja - teorija zadovoljenja potreba i teorija hedonizma. Važnost pojmova blagostanja za bihejvioralne nauke se može ogledati u dobitima sreće na individualnom i šire društvenom nivou. Dobiti na individualnom nivou se ogledaju kroz rezultate brojnih studija koje pokazuju da su sreća (zadovoljstvo životom, pozitivna osećanja i nizak nivo negativnih osećanja) i uspeh u različitim životnim domenima u pozitivnoj korelaciji, uključujući zdravlje, partnerske i socijalne odnose, prihode, radni učinak i prosocijalno ponašanje. Kroz zaključna razmatranja pojedinih studija da visoki nivoi subjektivnog blagostanja jednog naroda mogu voditi ka stabilnijem i produktivnijem društvu u celosti, ogleda se šira dobit sistema od rada na unapređenju subjektivnog blagostanja jednog naroda.