Anna L. D. Lau

A model of subjective well-being homeostasis: the role of personality

A considerable body of data is now available to suggest that subjective well-being (SWB) is not free to vary over the theoretical range offered by measurement scales. Rather, most people experience a moderately positive level of well-being, such that the population average is normally held at about 75 percent of maximum. This has led to the proposal that SWB is under the influence of a homeostatic system designed to hold its value within a narrow, positive, set-point-range for each individual. Our paper offers a model that could account for such maintenance through an interlocking system of psychological devices as follows: (a) Personality provides a steady affective background that determines the set-pointrange for the whole homeostatic system. (b) A set of cognitive buffers involving perceived control, self-esteem and optimism, absorb the impact of different need states and, together with personality, create subjective well-being (c) Met and unmet needs act directly on the cognitive buffers, with the met needs reinforcing the buffering system and the unmet needs providing motivation. Personality is also presented as having a powerful influence on motivational systems that seek satisfaction and, thus, predispose behavior that is likely to maintain normal levels of SWB. (d) Finally, at the most fundamental level of the homeostatic system, the processes of habituation and adaptation constitute the first line of defence against the threat of changed extrinsic conditions influencing levels of SWB. Data are cited in support of all levels of the model and the implications of homeostatic control are discussed. In particular, depression is described in terms of homeostatic failure, and the limitation of using SWB as a measure of intervention outcome is emphasized. That is, interventions can only raise SWB if its initial levels were below the setpoint-range. It is concluded that the model is consistent with a great deal of the literature and that testing its many propositions should prove a fruitful approach to advancing knowledge in this area.

The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) pandemic in Hong Kong: Effects on the subjective wellbeing of elderly and younger people

Objectives: This study examined the impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003, on the subjective wellbeing (SWB) of elderly people and a younger comparative sample. The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI), a contemporary instrument employed to measure SWB, was also examined for its psychometric performance to substantiate its use. Method: A total of 302 older adults (age 65 + years) and 158 younger adults (age 35–46 years) were recruited from different districts. Data were collected by individual face-to-face interviews. Result: While elderly people living in severely infected districts showed significantly lower levels of SWB, these levels and those of the younger sample were found to remain within the normative range. A major mitigating factor was an increased sense of community-connectedness. Other characteristics linked to low wellbeing levels included chronic illness, female gender, low education and unemployment. The living districts, characterized by varying extents of infection, had stronger associations with SWB than participants’ age. The PWI demonstrated good psychometric performance and also more robustness with elderly people, including its sensitivity to the sense of population threat. Conclusion: Psychological resilience was identified among both the elderly and younger age-groups in Hong Kong during the SARS pandemic. The PWI is verified as a suitable instrument for SWB measurements.

Conceptualizing quality of life for elderly people with stroke

Purpose : Despite increased interest in quality of life (QOL) as an outcome measure and as a means of identifying client needs in health care, its conceptualisation and the identification of its constituents have been poorly researched for elderly people with stroke in Hong Kong. Method : This article analysed the literature to identify components relevant to the QOL of Chinese elderly people with stroke living in the community in Hong Kong. Results : While common components of QOL for elderly people with and without stroke and regardless of cultural background were identified, a number were specific to an elderly Chinese stroke population. Conclusion : Recommendations for future research have been made with reference to further exploring and validating these components for the target population. A clear understanding of these aspects is essential for the development of sensitive QOL measures to guide and evaluate service delivery to this population.

Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis

This chapter explains the concept of subjective well-being homeostasis. It concerns the proposal that subjective well-being (SWB) is managed by a system of psychological devices which have evolved for this purpose. The chapter begins by presenting some of the psychometric characteristics of SWB and introduces homeostasis as a theoretical construct that can account for these characteristics. This is followed by a discussion of the relationship between SWB and depression. The chapter ends with recommendations for measurement scales.

Perception of Quality of Life by Chinese elderly persons with stroke.

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to initiate an investigation into the conceptualization of Quality of Life (QOL) for Chinese elderly people with stroke, living in the community in Hong Kong, and to explore whether a unique definition for this population might be needed. Method : Focus group interviews were conducted with seven elderly people with stroke and six healthy elderly individuals from community-based elderly centres in Hong Kong. A content analysis was conducted on interview data to determine the conceptual characteristics of QOL for participants with stroke, and to compare QOL components valued by both groups. Results : Results appeared to support the assumptions in the literature about the multi-dimensionality of the QOL concept, its inclusion of both subjective and objective components, the interrelatedness of components and their integrated contribution to global QOL. The QOL components identified reflected a global QOL definition which included non-health-related life aspects such as money and housing. Similarities and differences were evident in the QOL components identified by both groups. These differences seemed to be best explained by the effects stroke had on the former group. Conclusions : The findings suggest that a QOL definition unique to Chinese elderly people with stroke may be warranted. Further research and refinement of the QOL conceptualization for this population are the necessary precursors to accurate QOL measurement and the planning and delivery of effective health services to help them achieve optimal QOL.

Defining quality of life for Chinese elderly stroke survivors

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the constituents and conceptual characteristics of the quality of life (QOL) of Chinese elderly stroke survivors, living in the community in Hong Kong. Method: A triangulated approach was used to identify the QOL components for this population. This process involved a comparison of QOL components gathered from three different methods, namely, focus group interviews, review of the literature and the contents of the generic Hong Kong Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (CWHOQOL-HK). Five health professionals were involved in the comparison process. A percentage of inter-judge agreement was used to determine the reliability of the comparisons made between the judges. Results: This study identified 36 components considered to contribute to the QOL of Chinese elderly stroke survivors in Hong Kong. The conceptual characteristics of their QOL generally concurred with those identified in the literature. Conclusion: Both similarities and differences were found in the QOL components identified in this study when compared to those identified in studies of Western populations who are elderly and had a stroke. The contents of the CWHOQOL-HK scale were found to lack adequacy in representing the QOL of Chinese elderly stroke survivors in Hong Kong. Recommendations are given, based on the findings of this study, to overcome this limitation for its application as a QOL measure for this population.

Cluster housing and the freedom of choice: a response to Emerson (2004)

Comments on the study of people with an intellectual disability. Inferiority of the standard of various objectively measured variables for the people living in cluster housing; Behavior of people living in cluster housing; Consideration of a study that compared pensioners with socialites on the extent of their social networks.

The motivation to maintain subjective well-being : a homeostatic model

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the homeostatic model for the motivation to maintain subjective well-being (SWB). Motivation arises from conditions that challenge the maintenance of SWB and is strongly linked with two aspects of the model: personality and needs. The general idea of the proposed homeostatic system is that SWB is managed, for each individual, within a set-point range. Each person has a built-in set-point for their normal level of SWB and their perceived SWB is normally held within a narrow range around this setting. At the level of individuals, homeostasis predicts that people who suffer some event that depresses their SWB below the threshold should improve their levels of SWB over time. It is found that, if the initial level of SWB fell within the normal range of values, improved extrinsic circumstances will not be reflected in higher levels of SWB. It is found that under extrinsic threat conditions, on the other hand, the control of SWB is predicted to shift, first, to the homeostatic system of buffers and then when homeostasis is defeated to the threatening agent itself, as it causes SWB to fall below its normal range.

Measuring Subjective Wellbeing: The Personal Wellbeing Index – Intellectual Disability

This chapter describes an instrument to measure the subjective wellbeing of people who have an intellectual disability. The Personal Wellbeing Index – Intellectual Disability (PWI-ID) is a parallel version of the regular PWI used for general population samples. Both scale versions have well-developed manuals, which are free to download, normative data, and acceptable psychometric properties. The description provided in this chapter begins with an explanation of subjective wellbeing, both within the broader context of life quality and also as it relates to the theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis. The scale is then described with an emphasis on formal administrative procedures, and some illustrative results are presented. It is concluded that the PWI-ID represents a state-of-the-art instrument to measure subjective wellbeing in this population.

Quality of Life Down-Under: The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index

This paper describes changes in the wellbeing of Australians as measured through the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index. This project has been in progress for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Each of 17 surveys has collected geographically representative data from 2,000 new respondents on both the Personal Wellbeing Index and the National Wellbeing Index. In addition, over the last nine surveys, people have been asked about their perceived likelihood of a terrorist attack in Australia. The variations in wellbeing over the 17 surveys are interpreted in term of data norms, Homeostatic Theory and possible causal agents. It will be shown that some of the wellbeing measures show no systematic variation over time, while others change quite markedly. However, with a few exceptions, it is usually not clear what might be causing such variation. It is concluded that the results generally conform to the predictions of homeostasis but much work remains to be done in order to understand the kinds of factors that influence such changes in population wellbeing.