PREDICTORS OF HAPPINESS IN MARRIED-COUPLES

The relative importance of 17 potential predictors of happiness was ex amined in a sample of 1207 married couples who had completed a general -purpose marriage questionnaire. Predictors included measures of extra version, neuroticism, health, education, employment, financial situati on, satisfaction with housing, number of children, relationships with family and friends, and a scale measuring quality of marriage. The str ongest predictors of happiness were quality of marriage, and, to a les ser extent, neuroticism. Causal modelling using LISREL showed quality of marriage to be of overriding importance. Of the remaining significa nt predictors entered into the model, three (neuroticism, children and family) exerted a direct influence on happiness; neuroticism also aff ected happiness indirectly through its effect on quality of marriage, as did extraversion, partner's neuroticism, satisfaction with housing, and relationships with in-laws. This model fitted the data very well for both women and men. and accounted for almost all the variance in h appiness.