PSYCHOLOGY
CENTRE FOR WORKTOWN STUDIES
ENJOYMENT AND WELLBEING
so
John Haworth PhD & Sandie McHugh
John Haworth is Visiting Professor, and Sandie
McHugh is Research Associate, University of Bolton
The Politics of Wellbeing - 17th July 2015
A National Centre for What Works in Wellbeing is now
established www.whatworkswellbeing.org
Wellbeing has been viewed variously as
happiness
satisfaction,
enjoyment,
contentment,
engagement,
fulfilment,
resilience,
flourishing.
Wellbeing is also viewed as a process, something we do together,
and as sense making, rather than just a state of being.
Well-being is seen to be complex and multifaceted, and may take
different forms.
Haworth, J.T. and Hart, G. (eds) (2007/2012) Well-being: individual,
community and social perspectives. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
For further information, key links, and papers, see my website
www.wellbeing-esrc.com
Research shows that enjoyment is important for wellbeing.
Enjoyment of life appears to contribute to healthier and more active old
age, (Steptoe et al 2014) with significant implications for individuals and
society. There may be direct links between enjoyment and biological
processes that influence physical function.
Research using the Experience Sampling Method (Siddiquee, Sixsmith,
Lawthom and Haworth 2014) where participants were signalled on a
mobile phone several times a day for seven days and took a photo of their
activity and answered several questions at each signal, shows a
significant association between enjoyment, happiness, interest and visual
interest. The study replicates several earlier studies (Haworth 1997).
It indicates that enjoyment can come from low, moderate and high
challenge activities.
It also shows that high enjoyment (score 3 on a 3 point scale) in relation to
both work and leisure is greater when moderate challenge and high
challenge are met with equal skill, traditionally termed ‘flow’.
Delle Fave and Massimini (2003) note that creative activities in leisure,
work and social interaction can give rise to ‘flow’ or ‘optimal’ experiences,
and that these experiences foster individual development and an increase
in skills in the lifelong cultivation of specific interests and activities.
While high challenge met with equal skill (flow) is not always enjoyable, when
it is enjoyable, this seems to be beneficial for subjective wellbeing, as
measured by standard questionnaires.(Clarke and Haworth 1994)
Research by Haworth, Jarman, and Lee (1997), using the Experience
Sampling Method, also indicates the important role of enjoyment in wellbeing, linking personal factors (locus of control) and situational factors
(Principal Environmental Influences). This is particularly interesting as The
Office of National Statistics (ONS) in the UK in its ‘Approach to measuring
wellbeing’ is ‘Aiming to build a deeper understanding of how internal
psychological factors and personal attributes can mediate external
determinants and contributions of individual wellbeing’ (Beaumont 2011).
The research was done using the Experience Sampling Method, and path analysis.
The study suggested that enjoyment and feelings of control might enhance internal
locus of control, which in turn may lead to enhanced wellbeing either directly or
through greater access to PEIs. These situational factors are features of the
environment, such as opportunity for control, externally generated goals, opportunity
for interpersonal contact, are considered to interact with characteristics of the person
to facilitate or constrain psychological well-being or mental health.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) (www.ons.gov.uk) is
developing new measures of national wellbeing. It has added
four questions on happiness, satisfaction, anxiety, and
worthwhile activities to its annual Integrated Household Survey.
The pilot monthly Opinion Survey conducted in August 2011 by
the ONS also included a measure of enjoyment, which showed
wider variations than happiness in the sample. The question on
enjoyment asked: ‘Overall how much enjoyment did you
experience yesterday?’ answered on a 10 point scale from 0 no
enjoyment at all to 10 as much enjoyment as possible. The mean
rating was 6.4, compared to a mean rating of 7.4 to the question
‘Overall how happy did you feel yesterday’. Enjoyment correlated
0.58 with happiness. For enjoyment, nearly 20% had a rating of
under 5, while 35% or more had a rating of between 8 and 10.
Obviously there are significant differences in enjoyment amongst
sections of the populatuon
The role of enjoyment in personal wellbeing, should be
investigated using a variety of methods in local, national and
international studies
What is Happiness in Bolton 2014
We team up
with University
of Bolton.
• Web survey (305)
• Paper questionnaires
(184)
2014 Happiness respondents (n489)
• Females 65% (n484)
• 61% employed (with SE - 68%).
Retired 12%. (n484)
• Age - Mean 44
• Largest groups aged 35-44,
21%% , 45-54, 24% (n455)
Mean ranking (1-10) in importance of 10 aspects of
happiness
Humour
Security Leisure
Know
Equality
Beauty
Action
Leadership
Politics
Religion
How often really happy?
How often would you describe yourself as
really happy?
Every day
24%
Several times
week.
48%
Few times
Month
21%
rarely ever
6%
2014 Happier weekdays, weekend, or all the same?
(n486)
57% same, 39% weekends, 4% weekdays
Is luck anything to do with
happiness?
• 41% said yes it does.
(N 456)
• Comments indicate opportunities and life chances.
Yes. The circumstances you were born into, your genetic inheritance
and health
Yes. You are lucky if born with an optimistic personality.
No. You make your own luck.
No. Happiness comes from within.
2014 Are you happiest in Bolton or away from Bolton?
Do you find it easier to be happier when you at home in Bolton or
on holiday or staying away from Bolton?
Place happiest (n = 385)
Does material wealth = happiness
2014 - 77%
(n487) said
NO to
.
Do you think that your happiness is directly linked to the
amount of material possessions and wealth that you have?
“…..and simple things like going out for a
walk with the dog etc. you don’t need tons
of material things to be happy”
2014 How much in general do you enjoy your daily
life?
(n487)
Respondents indicated on scale 1-10 enjoyment. Mean = 7
• High enjoyment
50%
• Moderate enjoyment
38%
• Low enjoyment
12%
(5-7)
Respondents reporting “High Enjoyment”
• 51% of women (n318) , 48% of men (n155)
• Over 50% in ages 35-74. Largest percentage
61% age 65-74. (n223)
• 47% (n327) of employed respondents.
• 71% (n61) of those retired
Respondents reporting “High Enjoyment”
• 54% (n259)of those who do NOT think luck has
anything to do with happiness.
• 85% (n118) of those who report being happy every
day.
• 55% (n278) who are happy both weekends &
week days.
• 60% (n170) those happiest in Bolton.
Characteristics of reported enjoyment and happiness
• High enjoyment of life related to:– Happiest “same” no preference for weekends.
– Happiest in Bolton
– Find happiness every day
– Luck is NOT anything to do with happiness
– Happiness is NOT linked to material
possessions.
– Retired and students more likely to
experience high enjoyment. Those between
ages 26-34 less likely to do so.
For discussion
• Highest enjoyment – those with feeling of
control and resilience?
• Time of week & place less important for
enjoyment than living each day.
• More proactive? Recognition that good luck
and more wealth by themselves will not make
for a more enjoyable life?
Everyday Aesthetics and Wellbeing
VISUAL INTEREST
The study by (Siddiquee, Sixsmith, Lawthom and Haworth, 2014)
shows a significant association between enjoyment, happiness,
interest and visual interest. High visual interest scores came from
paid work, life work and leisure, with the greatest number coming from
leisure and included social activities, playing with children, walking,
reading, computer games, and watching TV.
Melchionne (2014) ‘ The Definition of Everyday Aesthetics’ published
in Contemporary Aesthetics, argues that the point of everyday
aesthetic activity is well-being.
He discusses everyday aesthetics as those aspects of our lives
marked by widely shared, daily routines or patterns to which we tend
to impart an aesthetic character. These can include, amongst other
things, social interaction, and going out into the world to work or on
errands, possibly selecting a path we may enjoy, which may have an
aesthetic character. The aesthetic satisfactions of everyday life may be
modest, but their pervasiveness makes them important. Wellbeing is
greatly dependent on everyday aesthetic life.
It would also be useful to investigate the role of enjoyment in
relation to Flourishing (Seligman 2011)
And in relation to Resilience (Fredrickson 2006)
Cederstrom and Spicer (2015) ‘The Wellness Syndrome’ Polity
Press, concentrates on the ways in which the pressure to be
well operates as a moralising command and obliterates
political engagement. If we are obsessed with wellness
individually, we will not be well together.
REFERENCES
Beaumont, J.(2011)Well-being-Discussion Papers on Domains and Measures. Office for
National Statistics Publication
Cederstrom, C& Spicer, A. (2015) The Wellness Syndrome. Cambridge:Polity Press.
Clewlow, S.A., From Bolton to Blackpool. (2010 unpublished paper, to obtain a copy
contact the author - saclewlow@yahoo.com)
Clarke, S.E., and Haworth, J.T. (1994) ‘Flow’ experiences in the daily life of sixth form
college students. British Journal of Psychology, 85, 511-523.
Delle Fave. A, and Massimini, F. (2003) Optimal experience in work and leisure among
teachers and physicians: individual and bio-cultural implications. Leisure Studies, 22, 4,
323-42
Fredrickson, B.L. (2006) The Broaden-and-Build theory of positive emotions. In
M.Csikszentmihalyi and I.S. Csikszentmihalyi (eds) A Life Worth Living: contributions to
positive psychology. Oxford: OUP
Gazely, I & Langhamer, C. (2013) The meanings of happiness in Mass Observation’s Bolton.
History Workshop Journal, Spring, 75, 1, 159-189.
Haworth, J.T. (1997) Work, Leisure and Well-being. London: Routledge.
Haworth, J.T., Jarman, M., and Lee, S. (1997) Positive subjective states in the daily life of a
sample of working women. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27, 4, 345-370.
References continued
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Haworth, J.T. and Hart, G. (eds) (2007/2012) Well-being: individual, community and
social perspectives. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Melchionne, K. (2015).The Definition of Everyday Aesthetics. Contemporary
Aesthetics.
http://www.contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article/php?article1D=663
Seligman, M, (2011) Flourish: a visionary new understanding of happiness and
wellbeing. London: Free Press
Siddiquee, A, Sixsmith, J, Lawthom, R., Haworth, J. (2014) Paid work, life-work and
leisure: A study of wellbeing in the context of academic lives in Higher Education.
Leisure Studies. DOI: 10.1080/02614367.2014.967711
Steptoe, A.,de Oliveira, C.,Demakakos, P.,and Zaninotto,P (2014) Enjoyment of life
and declining physical function at older ages: a longitudinal cohort study. Canadian
Medical Association Journal. Early release, published at www.cmaj.cs on January 20,
2014