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Life Satisfaction and Its 7 Contributing Factors

06 JUN 2015
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Life satisfaction is a complex term and is sometimes used interchangeably with the emotion of
happiness, but they are indeed two separate concepts. Life satisfaction is defined as one’s
evaluation of life as a whole, rather then the feelings and emotions that are experienced in the
moment.

This article contains:

 What is life satisfaction and how is it different from happiness?

 Contributors to life satisfaction
 Measuring your life satisfaction
 Can you feel more satisfied with your life?
 Satisfaction with life scale
 Practical advice
 References
What is life satisfaction and how is it different from happiness?
Happiness is an immediate, in-the-moment experience, whereas life satisfaction is happiness that
exists when we think about our lives as a whole, looking at the big picture.

This adds a little more clarity to the difference between the ideas of happiness and life
satisfaction. It is not based on criterion that researchers deem to be important, but instead on your
own cognitive judgments of the elements that YOU consider to be valuable.

Based on the research ‘The Study of Life Satisfaction’, quality of life is associated with living
conditions, such as food, health, shelter, and so on (Veenhoven, 1996). By contrast, life
satisfaction is defined as a state of emotion, like happiness or sadness.

We can also understand the theory of life satisfaction by using the PERMA model, introduced
by Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology (Seligman, 2011).
In general, whatever level of satisfaction you are feeling, you can define and maximize your
level of wellbeing if you choose which elements you want to engage in to flourish. Also, life
satisfaction tends to be dependent on your emotional state.

According to Daniel Gilbert, professor of Psychology at Harvard University, the meaning of

happiness is “anything we pleased” ( Gilbert, 2009). Our mood is always changing.

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Contributors to life satisfaction
The sources of life satisfaction are not completely understood yet, but what is known, is that they
are a complex combination of,

1. collective action
2. individual behaviour,
3. simple sensory experiences
4. higher cognition
5. stable characteristics of the individual
6. the environment
7. chance factors
as Ruut Veenhoven states in his study of life satisfaction.

Variance in satisfaction between nations has been studied; it has been shown that living
conditions are a major determinant of life satisfaction. That is, economically prosperous
countries tend to experience it more when compared to poorer nations.
The correlation between income and life satisfaction is higher in poorer countries compared to
more affluent countries. Life satisfaction tends to be higher in egalitarian countries; people will
experience less inequality and be able to choose lifestyles that best fit their abilities and desires
where equality is more prominently displayed.

Education is an interesting point when studying life satisfaction. As pointed-out from the

variance in satisfaction between nations resource, more highly educated countries generally
experience higher levels of satisfaction, but with this education comes opportunity for aversive
consequences: loss of previous opportunities that comes along with achieving such education,
job competition, or even lack of jobs. That being said, those more educated tend to experience
more favorable events compared to adverse events.

Variables such as mental and physical health, energy, extroversion, and empathy have all been
shown to be strongly correlated to satisfied individuals, but it is sometimes hard to determine
whether these are products or causes of life satisfaction.

Our past experiences undoubtedly effect the way we think about our lives in terms of
satisfaction. Establishing a satisfying life for yourself is not decided only by circumstances; it is
also influenced by the way you think about and relate to the environment around you.
Measuring your life satisfaction
Beginning in the 1960’s when it became a big topic of discussion in research, life satisfaction
was originally thought to be measured objectively and externally; the same way measuring heart-
rate or blood pressure would be. Since then, it has become evident that life satisfaction must be
measured subjectively rather than objectively; techniques commonly used include, surveys,
questionnaires, and interviews.

Measuring life satisfaction isn’t just a way to see how happy people are with their lives, it’s also
a way of determining how unhappy they are. By adding another, positive point of view stemming
from the individuals subjective experience, clinicians and researchers can analyze what makes
people happy and what makes them unhappy.
The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), created by Ed Diener, has been one of the more
applicable measurement tests of life satisfaction. It consists of five statements (e.g. The
conditions of my life are excellent) to which the participant indicates their agreement. This
assessment doesn’t specify explicit domains such as financial or health satisfaction; it allows
subjective evaluation of life as a whole.

Can you feel more satisfied with your life?

Yes. If you are not as satisfied with your life as you would like to be, you can do things to
change this. Things such as having friends, goals, and a life story are shown to increase ones life
satisfaction. You can look more in depth at these here, along with a couple of other ways to feel
more satisfied with your life.
Relationships among the people you love can influence how satisfied you feel with your life. For
example, studies in Western societies have shown that the mere presence of children to married
couples does not automatically increase your life satisfaction. Rather, the good (or bad)
relationships built with these children will alter your evaluation of it.

Satisfaction with life scale

According to the research conducted on the validity of life satisfaction scales, one of the main
measurements is based on preferences and values of people (Diener, Inglehart & Tay, 2013).
Though we share the same world, we can barely share the same value since we experience things
and view life differently.
To measure your own life satisfaction, you can take Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) here.
It is a short 5-item instrument designed to measure global cognitive judgments with life. It takes
just 1 minute to complete.

Practical advice
Income and education are shown to increase life satisfaction, but this is mainly because they are
so highly valued in the world we live in today. Build relationships with loved ones, create
achievable goals for yourself, and put yourself in situations where you can exercise your
personal strengths and abilities; it will help you experience greater feelings of satisfaction. If you
can do these things, you can benefit yourself and those around you.