An exhaustive meta-analysis carried out by multiple academic institutions reveals that life satisfaction tends to decline from the age of 9 to 16, witnesses a minor uptick until the age of 70, and then experiences another decline until 96 years of age. The research also found that positive emotions generally taper off from 9 to 94 years of age, while negative emotions exhibit variability in earlier life, decrease until the age of 60, and then escalate.
This research offers critical insights into the trajectory of subjective well-being across an individual’s lifespan by analyzing over 400 distinct sample sets.
The quest to determine the age at which individuals attain their greatest level of happiness has been an area of extensive academic inquiry for several years, though it has defied any conclusive resolution.
A multidisciplinary team from German Sport University Cologne, Ruhr University Bochum, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and the universities of Bern and Basel in Switzerland has recently contributed to this ongoing discussion. Their extensive meta-analytic review, published in the academic journal Psychological Bulletin, involved 443 samples from longitudinal studies, encompassing a staggering total of 460,902 participants.
The study concentrated on the variations in three core components of subjective well-being, as elucidated by Professor Susanne Bücker: these are life satisfaction, positive emotional states, and negative emotional states. According to the study’s findings, life satisfaction diminishes between the ages of 9 and 16, sees a mild rise until 70, and subsequently drops until 96. Positive emotions decline steadily from 9 to 94, whereas negative emotional states showed initial volatility between 9 and 22 years of age, a decrease until the age of 60, and an increase thereafter.
While examining the research, the scholars observed larger median shifts in positive and negative emotional states in comparison to life satisfaction.
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General Trend Indicates Periods of Well-Being
Summarizing the study, Professor Susanne Bücker remarked that a generally positive trend is evident for a considerable portion of life when focusing on life satisfaction and negative emotional states.
The decrease in life satisfaction from ages 9 to 16 is attributed to physiological and social changes experienced during puberty. Life satisfaction begins to increase from young adulthood onward. Positive emotions decrease progressively from childhood to late adulthood. Conversely, all aspects of subjective well-being tend to decline in the very late stages of life.
The deterioration in late-life well-being could potentially be linked to diminishing physical capabilities, deteriorating health conditions, and the loss of social contacts, primarily due to the passing of contemporaries, posits the research team.
The research underscores the importance of considering multiple facets of subjective well-being throughout the human lifespan. The findings stand as crucial reference points for the formulation of intervention programs, particularly those targeting the enhancement or maintenance of well-being in later life stages.
Reference: “The development of subjective well-being across the life span: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies” by Susanne Buecker, Maike Luhmann, Peter Haehner, Larissa Bühler, Laura C. Dapp, Eva C. Luciano and Ulrich Orth, 2023, Psychological Bulletin.
DOI: 10.1037/bul0000401
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about life satisfaction
What is the main focus of this scholarly meta-analysis?
The primary focus of this meta-analysis is to understand the trajectory of life satisfaction and emotional states throughout the human lifespan. The research was conducted by a multidisciplinary team from several universities and involved analyzing data from over 460,000 participants.
Who conducted this study, and where was it published?
The study was conducted by a research team from German Sport University Cologne, Ruhr University Bochum, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and the universities of Bern and Basel in Switzerland. The findings were published in the academic journal Psychological Bulletin.
How many participants were involved in the study?
The study analyzed 443 samples from longitudinal studies, comprising a total of 460,902 participants.
What are the key components of subjective well-being examined in the study?
The study focused on three core components of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, positive emotional states, and negative emotional states.
What are the key findings regarding life satisfaction?
The study reveals that life satisfaction declines from the ages of 9 to 16, increases slightly until the age of 70, and then experiences another decline until the age of 96.
How do emotional states change throughout life according to the study?
Positive emotional states generally decline from age 9 to 94. Negative emotional states show some fluctuation in early life, decline until age 60, and then begin to increase again.
What implications do these findings have for later life?
The findings suggest that all components of subjective well-being tend to decline in very late adulthood. This could be related to factors like diminishing physical capabilities, deteriorating health conditions, and the loss of social contacts.
How could this research be used for intervention programs?
The study emphasizes the importance of considering various aspects of subjective well-being across different life stages. Its findings can serve as crucial reference points for developing intervention programs aimed at maintaining or improving well-being in later life.
More about life satisfaction
- Psychological Bulletin Journal
- Study on Subjective Well-Being Across the Lifespan
- Research Team from German Sport University Cologne
- Ruhr University Bochum Research Publications
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Academic Papers
- University of Bern Research Outputs
- University of Basel Studies on Emotional Well-Being
- Longitudinal Studies in Psychology
8 comments
Wow, this is some heavy stuff. Its kinda relieving to know that its not just me, life satisfaction does have its ups and downs for everyone.
kinda depressing to see that all aspects of well-being tend to decline in very late adulthood… but then again, not entirely surprising. Health and friends matter, folks.
Could this be why so many ppl aim for early retirement? Get out while the gettings good so to speak?
460,000 participants? thats a huge sample size. The findings must be pretty reliable then.
Really comprehensive study! But I wonder how they accounted for cultural differences, cuz life satisfaction can vary a lot depending on where you live.
If happiness peaks and troughs at these specific ages, wonder if theres a way to kinda hack the system. Like, can we do stuff to stay happier for longer?
I’m in my 30s and I can totally see how life satisfaction starts to rise after the tumultuous teenage years. Makes me a bit anxious for what’s to come though.
Its fascinating but also a bit daunting. Would have loved to see more about how the individual components like positive and negative emotions actually change over time.