ABSTRACT

The desire to be happy is central to our natureThe present

study attempts to know more about what contributes to happiness or

what makes a person optimistic, kind, giving, content, engaged,

purposive or even brilliant, the qualities that happy people seem to

have more than others. To study this one has to look into their virtues

and strengths. If we recognize our strengths, we can rise above our

weaknesses and be better people.It is around the family and home

that a person's most dominating individual virtues are created and the

value system of human society is strengthened and maintained.

A review of literature has shown that studies have been

conducted to examine the nature of happiness and the factors that

contributed to happiness. Discussion was generated whether

happiness was unidimensional or multidimensional in nature.

Studies have been conducted mostly on adults and across countries

and cultures. An examination of the influence of family environment

and core strengths is taken up in a few studies. Research on

happiness in adolescents has been conducted by only a few

psychologists.

The present study was conducted to examine happiness among

adolescents and understand the relationships between family

environment, happiness and core virtues.Happiness was studied

using a schedule developed by the author. Family environment and

Andhra University, Visakhapatnam

core strengths were assessed by administering standardized scales.

Data was collected from 738 adolescents, between the ages of 13 to 18

from both day schools and boarding schools.

Findings indicate that adolescent girls are happier than boys on

three of the four dimensions of happiness. Adolescents from day

schools are happier with their leisure domain while their counterparts

from boarding schools are happier with the indulgences domain. The

adolescents in junior classes report more happiness on the people-

relationships and leisure domains.The family environment and core

virtues significantly influenced the happiness of the adolescents

regardless of gender, the type of school attended or the class they were

studying in. The implications of the findings for an understanding of

happiness among adolescents are discussed.

Andhra University, Visakhapatnam