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Regrets and Subjective Well-Being: A Life Course Approach

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine age and gender differences in the contents of regrets, and the association between regrets and subjective well-being. The sample consisted of 176 participants ranging in age from 19 to 82 years. The results showed that young adults (19–29 years) named regrets related to relationships and leisure more often than middle-aged (30–54 years) and older adults (55–82 years), whereas regrets related to work and family were more salient among middle-aged and older adults. Furthermore, gender comparison revealed that regrets concerning relationships and family were more frequent among women than among men. Related to subjective well-being, results showed that regrets concerning education and work were negatively associated with life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms associated with self-related regrets.

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  1. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

    Markku Jokisaari

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Jokisaari, M. Regrets and Subjective Well-Being: A Life Course Approach. Journal of Adult Development 11, 281–288 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JADE.0000044531.11605.d5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JADE.0000044531.11605.d5

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