“Life Satisfaction” and “Happiness”: How to Combine Them in Measuring Subjective Well-Being?

“Life Satisfaction” and “Happiness”:
How to Combine Them in Measuring Subjective Well-Being?


Kuchenkova A.V.

Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Senior Researcher, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia a.v.kuchenkova@gmail.com

Tatarova G.G.

Dr. Sci. (Sociol.), Prof., Chief Researcher, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia tatarova-gg@rambler.ru

ID of the Article:

Rubric: Methodology and methods of sociological studies

For citation:

Kuchenkova A.V. , Tatarova G.G. “Life Satisfaction” and “Happiness”: How to Combine Them in Measuring Subjective Well-Being?. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2026. No 6. P. 13-29



Abstract

This article examines the problem of measuring subjective well-being, particularly the joint use of the indicators “life satisfaction” and “happiness”. It substantiates the practical expediency of introducing a “logical” index derived from these indicators. The proposed index, as a generalized (overall, integral) indicator of subjective well-being, offers several advantages over existing ones. These include its “procedural transparency”, which facilitates the assessment of the degree of consistency in responses to questions about happiness and life satisfaction, and the ability to overcome the shortcomings of “summation” (which arise when forming “arithmetic” indices). Based on this index, four typological groups are identified that are internally homogeneous in the nature of subjective well-being, including a group whose members are characterized by ambivalence in their assessments of subjective well-being. As a tool, the index simplifies the search for the determinants of subjective well-being, the determination of the dynamics of indicator changes, and the typological analysis of the population based on the nature of subjective well-being.


Keywords
subjective well-being; generalized indicator of subjective well-being; life satisfaction; happiness; logical index; typological group; qualitative homogeneity

References

Almakaeva A. M., Nastina E. A., Dogusov A. V. (2025) Dynamics of Happiness and Life Satisfaction Under Conditions of Exogenous Shocks. Sotsiologicheskiy zhurnal [Russian Sociological Journal]. Vol. 31. No. 2: 29–50. DOI: 10.19181/socjour.2025.31.2.2; EDN: MPMQGO. (In Russ.)

Andreenkova A. V., Andreenkova N. V. (2019) Comparative Analysis of Life Satisfaction Determinants in Russia and in Europe. Diskurs [Discourse]. Vol. 5. No. 1: 67–81. DOI: 10.32603/2412-8562-2019-5-1-67-81; EDN: YLMYEL. (In Russ.)

Bessokirnaya G. P., Bolshakova O. A., Karakhanova Т. M. (2023) Experience of Investigating the Spiritual and Moral State of Russian Society. Sociologicheskaja naukai social’naja praktika [Sociological Science and Social Practice]. Vol. 11. No. 3: 6–36. DOI: 10.19181/snsp.2023.11.3.1; EDN: LCMOLE. (In Russ.)

Diener E., Scollon Ch.N. et al. (2000) Positivity and the Construction of Life Satisfaction Judgments: Global Happiness is not the Sum of its Parts. Journal of Happiness Studies. Vol. 1. No. 2: 159–176.

Diener E., Diener C. (1996) Most People are Happy. Psychological Science. Vol. 7. No. 3: 181–185.

Huppert F. A., So T. T.C. (2013) Flourishing across Europe: Application of a New Conceptual Framework for Defining Well-Being. Social Indicators Research. Vol. 110. No. 3: 837–861. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-011-9966-7.

Information and Analytical Bulletin (INAB). (2020) No. 1. Subjective and Objective Well-being in Modern Russian Society: Results of Empirical Research. DOI: 10.19181/INAB.2020.1; EDN: MDGGPD. URL: https://www.isras.ru/index.php?page_id=1198&id=9089 (accessed: 20.02.2016). (In Russ.)

Inglehart R. (1997) Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic and Political Change in 43 Societies. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Inglehart R. F., Peterson C. et al. (2008) Development, Freedom and Rising Happiness: A Global Perspective 1981–2007. Perspectives on Psychological Science. Vol. 3. Nо. 4: 264–285.

Inglehart R., Foa R. et al. (2013) Understanding the Russian Malaise: The Collapse and Recovery of Subjective Wellbeing in Post-communist Russia. Higher School of Economics. Series WP BRP 32/SOC/2013 “Basic Research Program Working Papers Series: Sociology”.

Kamalov E. A., Ponarin E. D. (2020) National Pride and Subjective Well-Being of Russians. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskiye i sotsial’nyye peremeny [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 1: 177–205. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2020.1.08; EDN: PGLZFG. (In Russ.)

Kozyreva P. M., Nizamova A. E., Smirnov A. I. (2015) Happiness and its Determinants. Part I. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 12: 120–132. EDN: VGMFXH. (In Russ.)

Kozyreva P. M., Smirnov A. I. (2017) Happiness Meaningful and Spontaneous. Sociologicheskaja nauka i social’naja praktika [Sociological Science and Social Practice]. Vol. 5. No. 4: 65–91. DOI: 10.19181/snsp.2017.5.4.5520; EDN: YMAEQF. (In Russ.)

Kuchenkova A. V., Tatarova G. G. (2024) Subjective Well-Being: the Problem of Analyzing Population Qualitative Heterogeneity (Part 1). Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 4: 14–25. DOI: 10.31857/S0132162524040029; EDN: PMJHXT. (In Russ.)

Leontiev D. A. (2019) Happiness and Well-Being: Toward the Construction of the Conceptual Field. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskiye i sotsial’nyye peremeny [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 1: 14–37. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2020.1.02; EDN: TBBDGH. (In Russ.)

Monusova G. A. (2012) Subjective Well-being and Age: Russia in the Context of International Comparisons. In: XII Intern. Scien. Conf. on Economic and Social Development. Book 3. Moscow: VSHE: 98–109. (In Russ.)

Osin E. N., Leontiev D. A. (2020) Brief Russian-Language Instruments to Measure Subjective Well-Being: Psychometric Properties and Comparative Analysis. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskiye i sotsial’nyye peremeny [Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes]. No. 1: 117–142. DOI: 10.14515/monitoring.2020.1.06; EDN: FLYPFH. (In Russ.)

Rojas M. A. (2005) Conceptual-referent Theory of Happiness: Heterogeneity and its Consequences. Social Indicators Research. Vol. 74: 261–294. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-004-4643-8.

Saris W. E., Andreenkova А. (2000) Following Chances in Living Conditions and Happiness in Post-Communist Russia: The Russet Panel. Journal of Happiness Studies. No. 2: 95–109.

Sharma N., Shruti A., Veenhoven R. (2025) Does Happiness Foster Social Bonds? A Research Synthesis Using an Online Finding Archive. Journal of Happiness Studies. Vol. 26: 43. DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00747-6.

Shirokanova A. A. (2020) Trends of Subjective Well-being in Russia: 1998–2018. Vestnik SPbGU. Sotsiologiya [Bulletin of St. Petersburg University. Sociology]. Vol. 13. No. 1: 4–24. DOI: 10.21638/ spbu12.2020.101; EDN: JXMNDE. (In Russ.)

Tatarova G. G., Kuchenkova A. V. (2016) Indicators of Subjective Well-being as Characteristics for Typology Building. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 10: 21–32. EDN: NSAODB. (In Russ.)

Tatarova G. G., Kuchenkova A. V. (2020) “Life Satisfaction” and “Personal Happiness” in the Sociological Studies of Subjective Well-being. In: Gorshkov M. K. (ed.) Reforming Russia: Yearbook. Iss. 18. Moscow: Novyy khronograf: 565–589. DOI: 10.19181/ezheg.2020.24; EDN: FRWRDQ. (In Russ.)

Trotsuk I. V. (2020) We are Happy, Prosperous, or Pretending: A Social Request for Methodological Reflection. In: Living in Russia. Live in Peace. Sociology of Everyday Life. Ed. by A. V. Kuleshova. Moscow: VTsIOM: 107–112. (In Russ.)

Veenhoven R. (1984) Conditions of Happiness. Dordrecht; Boston: Reidel.

Veenhoven R. (2001) Are the Russians as Unhappy as they Say they are? Comparability of Self-reports across Nations. Journal of Happiness Studies. Vol. 2: 111–136.

Content No 6, 2026