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Measuring Lay Conceptions of Well-Being: The Beliefs About Well-Being Scale

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Abstract

A number of explicit conceptions of well-being have been provided by philosophers and psychologists, but little is known about laypersons’ conceptions of well-being. Two studies investigating the content and measurement of lay conceptions of well-being are presented. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic procedures, the 16-item Beliefs about Well-Being Scale (BWBS) was developed to measure lay conceptions of well-being along four theoretically-meaningful dimensions: (1) the Experience of Pleasure, (2) Avoidance of Negative Experience, (3) Self-Development, and (4) Contribution to Others. Initial evidence concerning the reliability and validity of the BWBS indicated that this new scale has acceptable psychometric properties. In both studies, associations between each subscale, representing the above four dimensions, and multiple self-report measures of experienced well-being were also examined. Each subscale was significantly associated with well-being, with Self-Development and Contribution to Others indicating stronger associations with measures of well-being than either Experience of Pleasure or Avoidance of Negative Experience. Implications for future research using this economical new scale are discussed.

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Notes

  1. We define happiness narrowly to reflect a subjectively-determined positive mental state. This state could be cognitive (e.g., life satisfaction), affective (e.g., positive mood), or a mix of the two (Brulde 2007). The concept of well-being is considered here to be more general than happiness (see also Ryff 1989), reflecting both subjectively-determined positive mental states and experiences that are objectively good for the person (e.g., Kagan 1992). Happiness is thus considered here to be an important component of well-being, but is not synonymous with well-being.

  2. Given the exploratory nature of the current study, PCA with varimax rotation was used. However, this type of analysis assumes that factors are uncorrelated, and there exists theoretical rationale suggesting the emerged factors of the BWBS may be related. Accordingly, we reexamined the data using principle-axis factor analysis with oblique, direct oblimin rotation (deltas = 0). These analyses produced results that were virtually identical to those found above.

  3. The lack of evidence supporting the convergent validity of the Avoidance of Negative Experience subscale puts the overall validity of this subscale into question. As indicated by the descriptive statistics of the BWBS (see Table 4), a different pattern of responses are observed for this subscale when compared to the other BWBS subscales, raising further questions concerning the appropriateness of including it in the BWBS. However, the current studies represent only the early phases of psychometric evaluation of the BWBS, and there exist theoretical reasons for retaining the Avoidance of Negative Experience dimension. Accordingly, this subscale is at this point included in the BWBS, but additional research will be conducted to address the above concerns.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. 3415, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY, 82071, USA

    Ethan A. McMahan & David Estes

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  1. Ethan A. McMahan
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Correspondence to Ethan A. McMahan.

Appendix: Beliefs About Well-Being Scale

Appendix: Beliefs About Well-Being Scale

1.1 BWBS

Instructions: Different people have different beliefs about what factors are involved in the experience of high well-being and ‘the good life’. Please indicate the degree to which you believe that each of the items is a necessary and required aspect of the experience of high well-being and living the good life by circling the appropriate number.

The experience of well-being and the good life necessarily involves:

1. A great amount of pleasure

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

2. Experiencing a great deal of sensual pleasure

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

3. Living in ways that benefit others

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

4. Not experiencing hassles

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

5. Making the world a better place

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

6. Working to achieve one’s true potential

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

7. Not experiencing negative emotions

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

8. The identification and cultivation of one’s strengths

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

9. Experiencing euphoria and pleasure

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

10. Being a positive influence within the community

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

11. The exertion of effort to meet life’s challenges

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

12. Pleasurable experiences

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

13. Contribution to society

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

14. A lack of unpleasant experiences

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

15. A high degree of self-knowledge

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

16. A lack of painful experiences

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Strongly Disagree

Neutral

Strongly Agree

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McMahan, E.A., Estes, D. Measuring Lay Conceptions of Well-Being: The Beliefs About Well-Being Scale. J Happiness Stud 12, 267–287 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-010-9194-x

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