Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress

W. Wilson's (1967) review of the area of subjective well-being (SWB)advance d several conclusions regarding those who report high levels of "happiness. " A number of his conclusions have been overturned: youth and modest aspira tions no longer are seen as prerequisites of SWB. E. Diener's (1984) review placed greater emphasis on theories that stressed psychological factors. I n the current article, the authors review current evidence for Wilson's con clusions and discuss modem theories of SWB that stress dispositional influe nces, adaptation, goals, and coping strategies. The next steps in the evolu tion of the field are to comprehend the interaction of psychological factor s with life circumstances in producing SWB, to understand the causal pathwa ys leading to happiness, understand the processes underlying adaptation to events, and develop theories that explain why certain variables differentia lly influence the different components of SWB (life satisfaction, pleasant affect, and unpleasant affect).