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 websitewww.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 well-being, 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 would you describe yourself as really happy?

Every day Several times Few times rarely ever week. Month

24% 48% 21% 6%

How often really happy?

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% (5-7)

•Low enjoyment 12%

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

• 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