Development of a Subjective Well-Being Quaternary Scale in Consumption (SWB-QSIC)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a new way of measuring subjective well-being, incorporating 1) aspects of happiness and well-being that have been discarded in the West due to development of modern rationalism, and 2) aspects of consumption. After defining a conceptual model consisting of four perspectives: bricolage, engineering, serendipity, and lean, we developed the Subjective Well-Being Quaternary Scale in Consumption (SWB-QSIC), based on the model. We then examined the relationship between the SWB-QSIC and a major subjective well-being scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), developed by Diener, Emmons, Larsen and Griffin (1985). We also examined the relationship between the SWB-QSIC and the frequency of leisure time activities, as an actual consumer behavior. Our results may provide a different perspective to the current trend of marketing studies in Japan, which often follow the trends of subjective well-being studies in North America.

Keywords

• happiness
• bricolage
• engineering
• serendipity
• lean