Well-being: An array of approaches
Leijssen Mia. (Manuscript MOOC.
Mia.leijssen@kuleuven.be
)
In psychology, philosophy and medical science many scientific studies deal with well-being and how
to define it. Researchers are unable to agree on the exact meaning of this complex concept.
Some prefer to limit themselves to measuring '
objective' well-being. Here, the quality of life of a
person or a section of the population is charted by means of objective criteria such as income, level
of education, health, and life expectancy. But with this kind of measurement, no account is taken of
what individuals themselves consider to be important for their well-being.
When a personal evaluation of well-being
is taken into consideration, we speak of '
subjective' well-
being. Research on 'subjective' well-being can be subdivided into two approaches: a
hedonic one, in
which the focus lies primarily on satisfaction and happiness; and a
eudaimonic
i
one, in which self-
realization and the fulfillment of a purpose in life are central themes.
The difference between these two approaches can be illustrated by comparing
the enjoyment of
eating a tasty meal with the satisfaction derived from helping someone. Both situations increase
one's feeling of well-being, have stress-reducing effects and positively influence one's physical and
mental health. The distinction between the two, however, is very relevant, and has even been
demonstrated in recent studies in the field of cellular biology.
ii
Eudaimonic well-being leads to more
antiviral cells being present in the body when compared to hedonic well-being. In this context, the
researchers speak of the intake of 'empty calories' for hedonic well-being, ‘calories’ without any
nutritional value. Eudaimonic well-being makes you better 'armed' against the inevitable 'attacks'
you will encounter during your life.
After bringing together numerous theories of personal
growth and mental health
iii
, Carol Ryff
iv
concluded that six categories of what she terms '
psychological' well-being can be distinguished: self-
acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life and
personal growth.
There is a danger that theories of well-being express predominantly Western values. This is why
some researchers
v
prefer to attach more weight to 'spontaneous views' on well-being. Such