Are We Happier With Others

Course overview

This course is based upon material published in the Journal of Personal and Social Psychology and is available as an open-access article on PubMed Central a part of the National Institutes of Health. Abstract: Previous research suggests that having close relationships is a fundamental human need that, when fulfilled, is positively associated with subjective well-being. Recently, however, scholars have argued that actually interacting with ones closest partners may be psychologically taxing (e.g.,due to pressures to provide support, care, and empathy). In the present research, we tested [a] how experiential affect varied as a function of which persons were currently present (e.g., romantic partners, friends, colleagues), as well as [b] how global well-being varied as a function of total daily time invested in these individuals. Replicating previous research, participants reported the highest levels of experiential well-being in the company of their friends, followed by their romantic partners, and then children. Statistically controlling for the activities performed with others, however, suggested that individuals did not necessarily prefer the mere company of their friends per se: people reported similar levels of well-being while in the presence of friends, partners, and children when adjusting estimates for activities. In contrast to the experiential findings, global well-being varied only as a function of total time spent with ones romantic partner. Our findings further support the claim that experiential and global well-being are often separable constructs that may and show different patterns of association with relationship experiences (e.g., well-being may operate differently on within- versus between-persons levels). This course on happiness and subjective well-being is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge regarding happiness and subjective well-being. The course material includes a literature review of research and theory. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading, and others do not. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Hudson, Lucas and Donnellan Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding social well-being and happiness. Specifically, a professional will: Describe the difference between global and experiential well-being. Identify the relationship between well-being and social relationships. Describe the impact of total time with others and global well-being. Identify how experiential well-being varies as a function of the presence of specific classes of other people (romantic partners, children, friends etc,) Citation: Hudson NW, Lucas RE, Donnellan MB. Are we happier with others? An investigation of the links between spending time with others and subjective well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2020 Sep;119(3):672-694. doi: 10.1037/pspp0000290. Epub 2020 Mar 23. PMID: 32202811; PMCID: PMC7416486.