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Journal of Happiness Studies

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02-09-2016 | Research Paper

Personality, Positivity and Happiness: A Mediation Analysis Using a Bifactor Model

Authors: Marco Lauriola, Luca Iani

Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies | Issue 6/2017

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Abstract

Recent studies suggested an important role of neuroticism and extraversion facets as incremental predictors of subjective well-being outcomes. Research has shown that positive cognitions mediated the relation between personality traits and well-being. The present study examined the relationship between neuroticism and extraversion, measured as general and group factors, and subjective happiness through a general positivity factor. 770 community participants (69.4 % females; M = 55.34; SD = 16.01) completed personality, satisfaction with life, optimism, self-esteem, and subjective happiness scales. A bifactor model was used to parse general and specific variance components for multifaceted constructs. The general positivity factor completely mediated neuroticism-subjective happiness relationships and overlapped with general neuroticism, whilst it partially mediated extraversion-subjective happiness ones. Other paths to happiness involved cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Assertiveness, activity level and excitement-seeking had a weak relationship with subjective happiness and only through positivity. Gregariousness and friendliness had neither direct nor indirect effects on subjective happiness. Life satisfaction had a twofold role as a component of positivity as well as providing an independent contribution to variance in subjective happiness. In keeping with previous research, neuroticism acted as a sort of general negativity factor. Cheerfulness and extraversion made an incremental contribution to variance in subjective happiness. Our findings support the utility of a multifaceted approach to study pathways from personality to well-being. Theoretical and practical implications for promoting well-being were discussed.

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We actually tested the more comprehensive model, but it failed to reach convergence due to high number of parameters to be estimated; this problem is more likely to arise when many general and specific factors are used as predictors (Chen et al. 2012).

We applied a correction factor to the omega formula for correlated scale component errors (see Raykov 2012).

Chen et al. (2013) found a similar pattern for negative affect in a bifactor model of subjective well-being.

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Title: Personality, Positivity and Happiness: A Mediation Analysis Using a Bifactor Model
Authors: Marco Lauriola
Luca Iani
Publication date: 02-09-2016
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies / Issue 6/2017
Print ISSN: 1389-4978
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7780
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9792-3

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