SATISFACTION WITH LIFE AS A WHOLE: SATISFACTION WITH LIFE AS A WHOLE: What informs this judgment? What informs this judgment?

Yvonne MacKayYvonne MacKay

Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), 2005 –Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), 2005 –

DEAKIN UNIVERSITYDEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Supervisor: Prof. Bob Cummins Supervisor: Prof. Bob Cummins

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““if we feel fine, we gather we must be satisfied” if we feel fine, we gather we must be satisfied” Veenhoven, 1996, (p.10)Veenhoven, 1996, (p.10)

“there can be top-down influences “there can be top-down influences on how bottom-up information is used”, on how bottom-up information is used”, Diener, Lucas, Oishi & Suh, 2002 (p.443)Diener, Lucas, Oishi & Suh, 2002 (p.443)

HEURISTIC

SYSTEMATIC

Affect

SWB

Affect

SWBCognition

Through which pathway does Affect influence satisfaction with “life as a whole”?

Influenced by:

- The complexity of the judgment

- The personal relevance of the judgment

Through which pathway does Affect influence satisfaction with “life as a whole”?

Influenced by:

- The complexity of the judgment

- The personal relevance of the judgment

Hypothesis:

The very high complexity of the “life as a whole” question will lead to heuristic processing dominating. However, as there are features of the question which seem likely to encourage systematic processing, it is also expected that some systematic processing will be detected.

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals

of satisfaction

Affect

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals

of satisfaction

Affect

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Affect

Satisfaction with “life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals

of satisfaction

Affect

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals

of satisfaction

Affect

= .75B = .85 *** (SE = .06)

= .15B = .19 ** (SE = .06)

= .79B = .71 *** (SE = .03)

Study 2:

Will individual factors moderate the presence of heuristic and systematic processing?

Unpleasant affect

Pleasant affect

Systematic Heuristic

Unpleasant affect

Pleasant affect

Systematic Heuristic

High Activation

Low Activation

Heuristic

Systematic

Unpleasant affect

Pleasant affect

Systematic Heuristic

High Activation

Low Activation

Heuristic

Systematic

S

S

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

S

S

= .11B = .16 (SE = .14)

= .44B = .37 *** (SE = .06)

= .49B = .82 *** (SE = .20)

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

S

S

= .11B = .16 (SE = .14)

= .44B = .37 *** (SE = .06)

= .49B = .82 *** (SE = .20)

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

= .35B = .53 (SE = .30)

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

= .59B = .95 ** (SE = .30)

= .20B = .18 (SE = .13)

S

S

= .11B = .16 (SE = .14)

= .44B = .37 *** (SE = .06)

= .49B = .82 *** (SE = .20)

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

= .35B = .53 (SE = .30)

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

= .59B = .95 ** (SE = .30)

= .20B = .18 (SE = .13)

= .47B = .77 *** (SE = .18)

= .17B = .17 * (SE = .08)

= .56B = .91 *** (SE = .21)

S

S

= .11B = .16 (SE = .14)

= .44B = .37 *** (SE = .06)

= .49B = .82 *** (SE = .20)

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

= .35B = .53 (SE = .30)

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

= .59B = .95 ** (SE = .30)

= .20B = .18 (SE = .13)

= .47B = .77 *** (SE = .18)

= .17B = .17 * (SE = .08)

= .56B = .91 *** (SE = .21)

= .65B = .85 *** (SE = .07)

= .13B = .15 ** (SE = .05)

= .61B = .74 *** (SE = .05)

S

S

= .11B = .16 (SE = .14)

= .44B = .37 *** (SE = .06)

= .49B = .82 *** (SE = .20)

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

= .35B = .53 (SE = .30)

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

= .59B = .95 ** (SE = .30)

= .20B = .18 (SE = .13)

= .47B = .77 *** (SE = .18)

= .17B = .17 * (SE = .08)

= .56B = .91 *** (SE = .21)

= .65B = .85 *** (SE = .07)

= .13B = .15 ** (SE = .05)

= .61B = .74 *** (SE = .05)

S

S

= .11B = .16 (SE = .14)

= .44B = .37 *** (SE = .06)

= .49B = .82 *** (SE = .20)

Affect Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

Cognitive appraisals of

satisfaction

= .35B = .53 (SE = .30)

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Satisfaction with

“life as a whole”

Affect

Affect

Affect

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

= .59B = .95 ** (SE = .30)

= .20B = .18 (SE = .13)

= .47B = .77 *** (SE = .18)

= .17B = .17 * (SE = .08)

= .56B = .91 *** (SE = .21)

= .65B = .85 *** (SE = .07)

= .13B = .15 ** (SE = .05)

= .61B = .74 *** (SE = .05)

S

S

Estimates of Total Effects

= .33

= .47

= .64

= .73

S

S

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

S

S

S

S

Summary

The finding that affect strongly predicts satisfaction with “life as a whole” is conditional upon the pleasantness and activation levels of respondent’s affective states - Affect is a relatively strong predictor in samples experiencing pleasant affect, particularly when activation levels are high - Affect is a relatively weak predictor in samples experiencing unpleasant affect, particularly when activation levels are low

The finding that affect predominantly influences satisfaction with “life as a whole” via heuristic processing is conditional upon the pleasantness and activation levels of respondent’s affective states - Heuristic processing is dominant in the samples experiencing pleasant affects - Systematic processing is dominant in the sample experiencing unpleasant affect and low activation - Neither heuristic or systematic processing are significant in the sample experiencing unpleasant affect and high activation

Thank-youThank-you