Subjective well-being. Sex-specific effects of genetic and environmental factors
Section snippets
Sample
The data were collected in Norway in 1992. Based on the Norwegian Birth Registry, comprising all births since 1 January 1967, a total of 3996 like- and unlike-sexed twin pairs aged 18–25 were identified and were mailed a questionnaire. Responses were obtained from 2570 (of which 2562 had valid responses on the measures studied) complete pairs (64%) and 724 twins for which their co-twin did not respond, altogether 5864 individuals (74%). Zygosity was determined on the basis of seven questions
Results
Descriptive statistics and intraclass correlations for the five subsamples (i.e. MZM, MZF, DZM, DZF, and DZU) are shown in Table 1.
Men scored, on average, higher than women (P<0.001), and MZ twins scored higher than DZ twins (P<0.001). However, neither sex nor zygosity explained more than 1% of the variance in SWB. There were no differences in variances across sex or zygosity groups.
The pattern of intraclass correlations across the sex and zygosity groups revealed greater similarity among MZs
Discussion
This study explored genetic and environmental factors in subjective well-being, and focussed specifically on sex-differences in such factors. Whereas numerous previous studies have identified different correlates and predictors of subjective well-being, little attention has been paid to the issue of genetic versus environmental contributions to human happiness. Individual variance in human phenotypes generally arise from four broad sources of influence, that is, additive genetic factors,
References (43)
- et al.
Optimism, pessimism and mental health: a twin/adoption analysis
Personality and Individual Differences
(1992) Gender differences in relationship awareness and marital satisfaction among young married couples
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
(1992)- et al.
Etiology of individual differences in reading performance. A test of sex limitation
Behavior Genetics
(1995) - et al.
Genetic and environmental influences on MMPI factor scales: joint model fitting to twin and adoption data
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
(1998) - et al.
Genetic and environmental effects on openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness: An adoption/twin study
Journal of Personality
(1993) - et al.
Genetic mediation of the relationship between social support and psychological well-being
Psychology and Aging
(1991) - et al.
Integrating bottom-up and top-down theories of subjective well-being: the case of health
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
(1993) Personal goals and subjective well-being: a longitudinal study
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
(1993)- Cantor, N., & Sanderson, C. A. (1999). Life task participation and well-being: the importance of taking part in daily...
- et al.
Optimal experience in work and leisure
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
(1989)