Robert A. CumminsJacqui WoernerAdrian J. TomynT’Meika KnappAdele M Gibson

Australian Centre on Quality of Life

Deakin Universityand

Anna L.D LauDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

On the fifth anniversary of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index: what have we learned about

subjective wellbeing?

Australian Centre on Quality of Life http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol

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Quality of Life

Objective QOL Subjective Wellbeing

Objective Conditionse.g. Physical health

Subjective Perceptionse.g. Satisfaction with health

?

www.vermontdairy.com/ice_cream

Two kinds of ‘happiness’

Short-term ‘state’ happinessAn emotional response to something

Enduring ‘trait’ happiness/contentment

A mood with a genetic basis

Subjective wellbeing

What is subjective wellbeing?

A normally positive state of mind that involves the whole life experience

“How satisfied are you with your -----?”

( SWB )

• Standard of living• Health• Achieving in life• Relationships• Safety• Community connectedness• Future security

Personal Wellbeing IndexInternational Wellbeing Group (2006)

http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol

The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index Surveys

Geographically representative national

sample

N = 2,000

Telephone interview

#1: April 2001

------------

#16: Oct 2006

How satisfied are you with your --------?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 8 9 10

CompletelyDissatisfied

CompletelySatisfiedMixed

[Jones and Thurstone ,1955]

11-point, end-defined scale

We code all data to lie on a range from

0 100

Completedissatisfaction

Completesatisfaction

Personal Wellbeing Index

Major eventspreceding

survey

Surveydate

>S11

>S2, S4, S5

Scores above this line are significantly

higher than S1

73

74

75

76

77

S1

Apr

2001

Sept

11

S2

Sept

2001

S3

Mar

2002

S4

Aug

02

Bali

Bomb

S5

Nov

02

Pre-Iraq

War

S6

Mar

03

Hussein

deposed

S7

Jun

03

S8

Aug

03

S9

Nov

03

S10

Feb

04

S11

May

04

Athens

Olympics

S12

Aug

04

Asian

Tsunami

Dec

04

S13

May

05

Second

Bali

Bomb

S14

Oct

05

New

IR

Laws

March

06

S15

May

06

S16

Oct

06

Strength

of

satisfaction

Satisfaction with feeling part of your Community

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

S1Apr2001

S2Sept2001

S3Mar2002

S4Aug2002

S5Nov2002

S6Mar2003

S7Jun

2003

S8Aug2003

S9Nov2003

S10Feb2004

S11May2004

S12Aug2004

S13May2005

S14Oct

2005

S15May2006

S16Oct

2006

Strengthof

satisfaction

>S4, S5, S11

>S1

Satisfaction with the State of the Natural Environment

Intense media coverageof ‘global warming’

>S5

>S1

55

57

59

61

63

S1

Apr

2001

S2

Sept

2001

S3

Mar

2002

S4

Aug

2002

S5

Nov

2002

S6

Mar

2003

S7

Jun

2003

S8

Aug

2003

S9

Nov

2003

S10

Feb

2004

S11

May

2004

S12

Aug

2004

S13

May

2005

S14

Oct

2005

S15

May

2006

S16

Oct

2006

Strength

of

satisfaction

<S1

Satisfaction with the Social Conditions

Introduction of new anti-union

industrial relations laws

>S10

>S1

58

60

62

64

S1

Apr

2001

S2

Sept

2001

S3

Mar

2002

S4

Aug

2002

S5

Nov

2002

S6

Mar

2003

S7

Jun

2003

S8

Aug

2003

S9

Nov

2003

S10

Feb

2004

S11

May

2004

S12

Aug

2004

S13

May

2005

S14

Oct

2005

S15

May

2006

S16

Oct

2006

Strength

of

satisfaction

Satisfaction with Government

>S5,6,7,8,9

September11

BailBombing

PostIraq War

Olympics Tsunami

GovernmentRe-elected

GovernmentRe-elected

>S3,4

50

52

54

56

58

60

S1

Apr

2001

S2

Sept

2001

Nov

2001

S3

Mar

2002

S4

Aug

2002

S5

Nov

2002

S6

Mar

2003

S7

Jun

2003

S8

Aug

2003

S9

Nov

2003

S10

Feb

2004

S11

May

2004

S12

Aug

2004

Oct

2004

Jan

2005

S13

May

2005

S14

Oct

2005

S15

May

2006

S16

Oct

2006

Strength

of

satisfaction

Subjective wellbeing homeostasis

In a manner analogous to the homeostatic maintenance of body temperature, we propose a

psychological/neurological homeostatic system that functions to hold subjective wellbeing steady.

Each person (cat) has a set-point for their subjective wellbeing.

75

Time

60

90

Set-point range

The average set-point

http://kenpope.com/jacob/hi.jpg

http://www.mypethaven.com/Images/sad%20cat.gif

Each person (cat) has a set-point for their

subjective wellbeing.

75

Time

60

90

Set-point range

When nothing much is happening to them, People (and cats?) rate how they feel about their life in terms of their set-point for SWB

The average set-point

http://kenpope.com/jacob/hi.jpg

http://www.mypethaven.com/Images/sad%20cat.gif

Challenging wellbeing

Badstuff

Subjective wellbeing

Depression

Protecting wellbeing

External resources help to protect wellbeing against negative challenges

Badstuff

SubjectivewellbeingX

Protective resources(eg. money,

relationships,)

√

Can money buy happiness?

Income and subjective wellbeing

Median

Total N ≈ 30,000

76.3

Normal Range

73.0

*78.0

*76.5

*73.9

71.7

74.9

78.3

79.2

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

<$15 $15-30 $31-60 $61-90 $91-120 $121-150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

Subjectivewellbeing *

“Has something happened to you recently causing you to feel happier or

sadder than normal?”

Does money buy a better life?

Does money buy a better life?

26.0

25.122.9

21.3

17.6

32.429.5

28.2

24.8

26.1

10

15

20

25

30

35

<$15 $15-30 $30-60 $60-90 $90+

Household Income ($'000)

%reporting

anevent

Happy eventSad event

Household Structure and SWB

76.3

73.0

Normative Range

Depressionrisk

67.6

78.377.3 77.0 76.9

75.3 75.0 74.973.8

72.2

70.370.671.1

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

Partnerand

parents

Partneronly

Partnerand

children

Partnerchildren

andotheradults

Parentsand

children

Partner,children

andparents

Partnerand

otheradults

Parentsonly

Alone Otheradults

Soleparents

Parentsand

otheradults

Otheradultsand

children

SWB

Living with a partner Living without a partner

Money and Relationships are additive external resources

76.7

Normative Range

73.4

79.179.1

77.477.477.3

76.575.4

6263646566676869707172737475767778798081

<$15 $15-$30 $31-$60 $61-$90 $91-$120$121-$150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

Living withPartner only

SubjectiveWellbeing

76.7

73.4

Normative Range

79.1

80.7

75.476.5

77.3 77.477.4

79.1

77.3

78.9

70.3

72.6

75.9

78.2

6263646566676869707172737475767778798081

<$15 $15-$30 $31-$60 $61-$90 $91-$120$121-$150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

Partner only

Partner & children

SubjectiveWellbeing

76.7

Normative Range

73.4

79.1

80.7

64.1

70.1

76.3

79.1

77.477.477.3

76.575.4

78.2

75.9

72.6

70.3

78.9

77.376.5

69.6

6263646566676869707172737475767778798081

<$15 $15-$30 $31-$60 $61-$90 $91-$120$121-$150 $150+

Household Income ($'000)

Partner only

Partner & children

Sole parent

SubjectiveWellbeing

How much support do you receive from----?

84.4

76.075.4

67.5

55.2

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

Partner Family Friends(work)

Friends(general)

Professional

Strengthof

support

Source of support

Is receiving support always good for wellbeing?

Normative range

76.3

73.0

76.2

71.4

70.1

67.4

69.2

75.675.1

65.7

71.0

77.7

69.9

72.3

77.7

76.1

72.8

66.266.8

73.7

71.4

80.4

73.8

70.2

62.8

80.1

74.5

72.0

69.2

67.5

82.6

79.2

74.9

71.5

67.6

71.7

81.9

69.869.0

63.8

81.9

74.4

74.3

72.5

64.9

74.7

68.9

60616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384

10 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

Level of support

Subjectivewellbeing

Partner

Family

Friends (work)

Friends (general)

Professional

Normative range

76.3

73.0

76.2

71.4

70.1

67.4

69.2

80.4

73.8

70.2

62.8

60616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384

10 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

Level of support

SWB

Partner

Level of Support from partner

72.0Never married

70.6Live alone

Normative range

76.3

73.0

76.2

71.4

70.1

67.4

69.2

80.4

73.8

70.2

62.8

60616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384

10 9 8 7 6 5 (4 + 3) (2 + 1) 0

Level of support

SWB

Partner

Level of support from partner

72.0Never married

70.6Live alone

80%

(51%) (15%) (14%)

http://www.topics-mag.com/edition21/images-life/city.jpg

http://www.gov.sk.ca/images/sask-photos/album/1121622170.19374.196546232.jpg

Where is wellbeing higher?

In the city?

or in the country?

Australia

New South Wales

Above average Below averageAverage

Victoria

Above average Below averageAverage

Conclusions

• The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index provides a unique view of the Australian population. It remains the only index in the world monitoring the subjective wellbeing of a population using a standardized instrument.

• The differences in subjective wellbeing can be interpreted in terms of Homeostatic Theory and point to the importance of wealth and relationships as buffers against challenging living conditions

• There are significant geographical difference in subjective wellbeing across Australia

• The results from the Index can be used to inform policy in relation to issues of national importance

• We anticipate that the Index will continue to develop and advance our understanding of how we might increase the life quality of all Australians

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Cummins, R.A. (2000b). Personal income and subjective well-being: A review. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1, 133-158.

Cummins, R.A. (2006). Australian Unity Wellbeing Index: Report 14.1 – “Fifth Anniversary Special Report – Summarising the major findings”. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, School of Psychology, Deakin University. ISBN 1 74156 0454http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol/index_wellbeing/index.htm

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