the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) and
the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Subjective wellbeing does not prescribe what should
make people experience positive or negative emotions, nor does it prescribe what
makes for a ‘good life’, it’s an individual’s own estimation of how happy and satisfied
they are in a general sense. It’s like saying ‘overall, I’m pretty happy with life. I feel
pretty good’. You have a reading by Diener et al. to give you more context, it’s in the
AT1 folder. You will find a lot of personality and wellbeing literature on subjective
wellbeing generally, and satisfaction with life specifically.
Psychological wellbeing (HPS791 only):
Psychological wellbeing (PWB) is a complementary perspective to subjective wellbeing.
It builds on the definition of subjective well-being by incorporating various aspects of
human potential, and the ways in which individuals cope with existential challenges in
life. Psychological wellbeing was developed primarily in response to criticisms that
suggested SWB did not encompass a broad enough range of humanistic factors that give
meaning to the concept of ‘wellness’. The most widely adopted framework for
conceptualising PWB was developed by Carol Ryff and consists of six dimensions: self￾acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose
in life, and personal growth. You have a reading by Ryff and Keyes to give you more
context, it’s located in the AT1 folder. There is less psychological wellbeing literature
compared to subjective wellbeing, but it is a growing area within the personality and
wellbeing literature