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Studies

Sears & Barbee (1977): study US 1921

Publication

Author(s):
Sears, P.S.; Barbee, A.H.
Title:
Career and Life Satisfactions among Terman's Gifted Women.
Source:
Stanley, J.C.;George, W.C.;Eds.:"The Gifted and the Creative", J.Hopkins University Press, 1977, Baltimore, USA, 28 - 72

Investigation

Public
Gifted women (IQ >135), followed 50 years, California, USA, 1921-72
Sample
Non-probability purposive sample
Respondents
N = 671
Non Response
Attrition in 1972: 25%
Assessment
Interview: face-to-face
Repeated interviews and questionaires

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
Self report on 2 questions:         

A. "How important was each of the following goals in life in the plans you  made for yourself in early adulthood?"
-  occupational success
-  family life
-  friendships
-  richness of cultural life
-  total service to society.
1 less important to me than to most people
2
3
4
5  of prime importance to me

B. "How successful have you been in the  pursuit of these goals?"
1  little satisfaction in this area
2
3
4
5  had excellent fortune in this respect

Computation: General Satisfaction 5 is the quotient obtained by multiplying the planned goal (early adulthood) by the reported success in attaining that goal, adding the five of these multiplied areas and dividing them by the sum of the planned goals for each of the areas.

                Pa.Sa + Pb.Sb + Pc.Sc + Pd.Sd + Pe.Se
                -----------------------------------------------------------------
                            Pa + Pb + Pc + Pd + Pe
   Pa = planned goal a (1-5)
   Sa = success goal a (1-5)
Classification:
C-ASG-h-mq-v-5-a
Author's label:
General Satisfaction 5
Full text:
Self report on single question: following enumeration of lifegoals in six areas, the last of which was 'joy in living'

" How successful have you been in pursuit of that goal.....?"
(joy in living)
5  had excellent fortune in this respect
4
3
2
1  found little satisfaction in this area
Classification:
M-PL-h-sq-v-5-b
Author's label:
Joy in Living Satisfaction

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding Age