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Friendship and Happiness: A Bidirectional Dynamic Process

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Friendship and Happiness

Abstract

A growing body of research exploring the relationship between friendship and happiness has found that these two variables are related in several ways. In recent efforts to understand the dynamics of this association researchers have developed models that use both personal characteristics and social experiences as mechanisms to explain the nature of this relationship. This association can be understood from a philosophical and a psychological perspective. Using several theoretical models and evidence from empirical studies, this chapter conceptualizes the bidirectional link that exists between happiness and friendship as a dynamic process. The chapter begins with several philosophical considerations regarding the Aristotelian perspective on happiness and well-being. Following this, the concept of friendship and its relation to well-being is examined. Next, models and theories explaining happiness are discussed both from philosophical and psychological perspectives. Finally, evidence from studies relating friendship and happiness is presented and analyzed in order to characterize the dynamic processes inherent to this association.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

    Lina María Saldarriaga

  2. Concordia University, Montréal, Québec

    William M. Bukowski

  3. Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales, Conicet, Mendoza, Argentina

    Carolina Greco

Authors
  1. Lina María Saldarriaga
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  2. William M. Bukowski
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  3. Carolina Greco
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Correspondence to Lina María Saldarriaga .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

    Melikşah Demir

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Saldarriaga, L., Bukowski, W., Greco, C. (2015). Friendship and Happiness: A Bidirectional Dynamic Process. In: Demir, M. (eds) Friendship and Happiness. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9603-3_4

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