Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
4-25-2025
Keywords
adulthood, cognitive, subjective well-being
Disciplines
Developmental Psychology
Abstract
Subjective well-being (SWB) is defined as an individual’s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life. The cognitive element encompasses how one feels about his or her life, and the affective element refers to emotions, moods, and feelings. In simpler terms, SWB represents an individual’s happiness and life satisfaction. The concept of SWB has been discussed for centuries; however, interest in this field has grown exponentially since the 1950s as Psychologists expanded their focus on negative emotional states such as depression to also explore positive emotional states such as happiness and feelings of well-being.
Recommended Citation
Datoc, Alison; Lashley, Lisa K.; and Golden, Charles J., "Subjective Well-Being" (2025). Essays in Developmental Psychology. 200.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/edp/200