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Correlational findings

Study Seidlitz & Diener (1993): study US 1988 /2

Public
Psychology students, selected for earlier happiness, followed 11 month, USA, 198?-8?
Sample
Respondents
N = 54
Non Response
Drop-out: T0-T1: 28%, T1-T2: 41%
Assessment
Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Questionnaire completed in class

Correlate

Authors's Label
Balance of recalled life-events; 3 yrs (free recall)
Our Classification
Operationalization
Subjects were asked to recall and list as many positive (or negative) life-events as they could in 3 minutes.
- T1: events in the last 3 years
- T2: events in the 3 years before T1.
Random order of positive- and negative tests.

Assessed at T1 and T2 (11 month interval) The period in which the reported events took place is the same at both assesments.

Observed Relation with Happiness

Happiness Measure Statistics Elaboration / Remarks A-AOL-g-sq-v-11-a r = +.30 p < .05 A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a DM = + positive recall     
- happy Ss:      T1: 9.5   T2: 11.3    
- unhappy Ss     T1: 7.8   T2:  8.2 A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a DM = - negative recall     
- happy Ss:      T1: 5.6   T2: 6.1    
- unhappy Ss     T1: 6.5   T2: 6.3 A-AOL-g-sq-v-11-a rpc = +.22 ns rpc controled for current mood A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a DM = + recall balance    
- happy Ss:      T1: 4.0   T2: 5.2    
- unhappy Ss     T1: 1.2   T2: 1.9
     
Time-effect ns A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a r = +.50 p < .001 T1 happiness with T1 balance of recalled events A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a r = +.45 p < .01 T1 happiness with T2 balance of recalled events A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a r = +.49 p < .001 T2 happiness with T1 balance of recalled events A-AOL-g-mq-*-*-a r = +.37 p < .01 T2 happiness with T2 balance of recalled events