The Set Point Theory of Well-Being Has Serious Flaws: On the Eve of a Scientific Revolution?
The Set Point Theory of Well-Being Has Serious Flaws: On the Eve of a Scientific Revolution?
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DOI：
10.1007/s11205-009-9559-x
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发表时间：
2010-05-01
影响因子：
3.1
通讯作者：
Headey, Bruce
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Headey, Bruce
设定点理论是主观幸福感领域的主要研究范式。它已经被扩展和完善了30年，以吸收新的成果。该理论的核心是，成年人的设定点不会改变，除非在面对重大生活事件时暂时改变。总是有一些“不一致的数据”，包括一些事件是如此悲惨（例如，一个人的孩子的死亡），人们永远不会恢复他们的设定点的证据。这是可能的驳回这些事件作为“例外”和维护的理论。然而，一些新的发现正在出现，这不能被视为“例外”，似乎需要大量的修改或更换设定点理论。其中许多调查结果是基于德国社会经济小组调查（SOEP 1984-），该调查提供了关于生活满意度的最长可用时间序列。设定点的概念尽管具有中心地位，但往往没有精确的定义。本文提出了三种可供选择的工作定义。根据所使用的定义，发现在20多年的时间里，14-30%的德国小组成员记录了他们的设定点的巨大和明显的永久性变化。这种幅度的变化与目前所理解的设定点理论不相容。SWB研究人员现在面临的挑战是开发一种既能解释变化又能解释稳定性的理论。
Set-point theory is the main research paradigm in the field of subjective well-being (SWB). It has been extended and refined for 30 years to take in new results. The central plank of the theory is that adult set-points do not change, except temporarily in the face of major life events. There was always some 'discordant data', including evidence that some events are so tragic (e.g. the death of one's child) that people never regain their set-point. It was possible to dismiss these events as 'exceptions' and maintain the theory. However, several new findings are emerging, which cannot be dismissed as 'exceptions' and which appear to require substantial revisions or replacement of set-point theory. Many of these findings are based on the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey (SOEP 1984-), which provides the longest available time series on life satisfaction. Despite its centrality, the concept of the set-point is often not precisely defined. In this paper three alternative working definitions are offered. Depending on which definition is used, it is found that over 20 years 14-30% of German panel members recorded large and apparently permanent changes in their set-points. Changes of this magnitude are not compatible with set-point theory as currently understood. The challenge for SWB researchers now is to develop a theory which can account for change as well as stability.