Ryan T. Howell

Health benefits: Meta-analytically determining the impact of well-being on objective health outcomes

Abstract This research synthesis integrates findings from 150 experimental, ambulatory and longitudinal studies that tested the impact of well-being on objective health outcomes. Results demonstrated that well-being positively impacts health outcomes (r=0.14). Well-being was found to be positively related to short-term health outcomes (r=0.15), long-term health outcomes (r=0.11), and disease or symptom control (r=0.13). Results from the experimental studies demonstrated that inductions of well-being lead to healthy functioning, and inductions of ill-being lead to compromised health at similar magnitudes. Thus, the effect of subjective well-being on health is not solely due to ill-being having a detrimental impact on health, but also to well-being having a salutary impact on health. Additionally, the impact of well-being on improving health was stronger for immune system response and pain tolerance, whereas well-being was not significantly related to increases in cardiovascular and physiological reactivity. These findings point to potential biological pathways, such that well-being can directly bolster immune functioning and buffer the impact of stress.

The relation of economic status to subjective well-being in developing countries: a meta-analysis.

The current research synthesis integrates the findings of 111 independent samples from 54 economically developing countries that examined the relation between economic status and subjective well-being (SWB). The average economic status-SWB effect size was strongest among low-income developing economies (r = .28) and for samples that were least educated (r = .36). The relation was weakest among high-income developing economies (r = .10) and for highly educated samples (r = .13). Controlling for numerous covariates, the partial r effect size remained significant for the least-educated samples (pr = .18). Moderator analyses showed the economic status-SWB relation to be strongest when (a) economic status was defined as wealth (a stock variable), instead of as income (a flow variable), and (b) SWB was measured as life satisfaction (a cognitive assessment), instead of as happiness (an emotional assessment). Findings were replicated with a meta-analysis of the World Values Survey data. Discussion centers on the plausibility of need theory, alternative explanations of results, interpretation of moderators, and directions for future research.

The mediators of experiential purchases: Determining the impact of psychological needs satisfaction and social comparison

Once basic needs are satisfied, the relation between income and subjective well-being is small, and materialism leads to diminished well-being. This study attempts to determine: (1) whether experiential purchases, as opposed to materialistic purchases, are likely to increase well-being and (2) whether these increases are likely to be due to increased satisfaction of psychological needs and/or decreased social comparison. Participants indicated that experiential purchases represented money better spent, brought more happiness to themselves, and brought more happiness to others. Path models demonstrated that experiential purchases had an indirect effect on ones well-being through two independent paths: (1) increased relatedness, which then led to increased vitality, and (2) decreased social comparison. Discussion focuses on why vitality and social comparison affect well-being.

Reliability of Bidimensional Acculturation Scores

Understanding score reliability is a necessary step in examining the validity of acculturation instruments. Thus, the authors evaluate the aggregate reliability of three multigroup, bidimensional acculturation instruments: General Ethnicity Questionnaire— Abridged, Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and Vancouver Index of Acculturation. Reliability generalization techniques are used to analyze 51 internal consistency estimates and 6 sample characteristics for these instruments. Overall, reliability estimates for all three instruments appear to be robust. However, the ranges of reliability estimates across diverse samples vary greatly, which has implications for the interpretation of substantive outcomes and acculturation instrument selection. In addition, variability in reliability estimates is associated with scale length, gender, and ethnic composition of sample. Implications for acculturation research and measurement are discussed.

The preference for experiences over possessions: Measurement and construct validation of the Experiential Buying Tendency Scale

There is growing support that money spent on experiential items increases an individuals happiness. However, there is minimal research on the causes and long-term consequences of the tendency to make experiential purchases. Given the importance of experiential buying for improving well-being, an understanding of the preference for experiential purchasing is imperative. Thus, we developed the Experiential Buying Tendency Scale (EBTS) to measure habitual experiential purchasing. Across eight samples (n = 9634), the EBTS was developed, and shown to be reliable, valid, and predictive of consumer behavior and psychological well-being. An experiential purchasing tendency was related to higher extraversion, openness, empathic concern, and reward seeking. Further, non-materialistic values predicted a preference for experiential purchasing, which led to increased psychological need satisfaction, and, ultimately, increased subjective well-being. The discussion proposes that experiential purchasing may be a function of ones sensitivity to rewards, emotional responsiveness to events, and appreciation of the worlds beauty.

A validation of well-being and happiness surveys for administration via the Internet.

Internet research is appealing because it is a cost- and time-efficient way to access a large number of participants; however, the validity of Internet research for important subjective well-being (SWB) surveys has not been adequately assessed. The goal of the present study was to validate the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X; Watson & Clark, 1994), and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) for use on the Internet. This study compared the quality of data collected using paper-based (paper-and-pencil version in a lab setting), computer-based (Web-based version in a lab setting), and Internet (Web-based version on a computer of the participant’s choosing) surveys for these three measures of SWB. The paper-based and computer-based experiment recruited two college student samples; the Internet experiments recruited a college student sample and an adult sample responding to ads on different social-networking Web sites. This study provides support for the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the Internet format of the SWLS, PANAS-X, and SHS. Across the three experiments, the results indicate that the computer-based and Internet surveys had means, standard deviations, reliabilities, and factor structures that were similar to those of the paper-based versions. The discussion examines the difficulty of higher attrition for the Internet version, the need to examine reverse-coded items in the future, and the possibility that unhappy individuals are more likely to participate in Internet surveys of SWB.

The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and Its Shortened Form: A Meta-Analytic Inquiry Into Score Reliability

Meta-analytic methods provide a framework around which an inquiry into MAST and SMAST score reliability was completed. Of the 470 measurement opportunities observed between 1971 and 2005, 62 (13.2%) were coupled with accurate reliability information. Weighted reliability estimates centered on. 80 suggesting that the MAST and SMAST generally produce scores of similar and adequate reliability for most research purposes. However, the variability of internal consistency estimates shows that at times these tools will not produce reliable scores, particularly among female and nonclinical respondents. Multiple regression equations provide practical guidelines to improve reliability estimates for the future use of these instruments.

Validating a brief measure of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory

Zimbardo and Boyd (1999) developed the 56-item Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). It has become the leading measure used in the study of subjective time. In this article, we report an abbreviated ZTPI that only includes 15 total items (SZTPI-15). We tested the psychometric characteristics of the SZTPI-15 by focusing on: (a) convergent and discriminant validity, (b) external validity, (c) test–retest reliability and (d) self-peer ratings. On the basis of these tests, the results demonstrated that the short version was less reliable than the standard ZTPI but showed impressive psychometric convergence with the standard ZTPI.

The hidden cost of value-seeking: People do not accurately forecast the economic benefits of experiential purchases

In spite of the experiential advantage, people consume material items in the pursuit of happiness. We conducted three studies to determine if people commit forecasting errors when deciding between purchasing life experiences and material items. Study 1a showed that people expect life experiences to result in more well-being, whereas material items are forecasted to be a better use of money. However, Study 1b demonstrated that people enjoy greater well-being from life experiences and consider them to be a better use of money. Study 2, a four-week longitudinal study, corroborated this economic misforecast. Study 3 demonstrated that seeking to make good use of one’s money, compared to prioritizing happiness, is more important during material consumption, and when people attempt to maximize economic value, instead of their happiness, they are more likely to consume material items. We suggest that prioritizing value may encourage people to prefer material items instead of life experiences.

Score Reliability of Adolescent Alcohol Screening Measures: A Meta-Analytic Inquiry

ABSTRACT This study describes the reliability reporting practices in empirical studies using eight adolescent alcohol screening tools and characterizes and explores variability in internal consistency estimates across samples. Of 119 observed administrations of these instruments, 40 (34%) reported usable reliability information. The Personal Experience Screening Questionnaire—Problem Severity scale generated average reliability estimates exceeding 0.90 (95% CI = 0.90–0.96) and the Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale generated average score reliability estimates below 0.80 (95% CI = 0.67–0.85). Average reliability estimates of the remaining instruments were distributed between these extremes. Sample characteristics were identified as potentially important predictors of variability in the reliability estimates of all the instruments and all instruments under evaluation generated more reliable scores in clinical settings (M = 0.89) as opposed to nonclinical settings (M = 0.82; r effect size (38) = 0.29, p < .10). Clinicians facing instrument selection decisions can use these data to guide their choices and researchers evaluating the performance of these instruments can use these data to inform their future studies.