Examining Adolescents’ Well-being: How Do the Orientations to Happiness Relate to Their Leisure Time Activities?

Abstract

Three ways of achieving happiness—life of pleasure, life of engagement, and life of meaning (Seligman, 2002)—have been examined among adult samples. However, very few studies have investigated these orientations to happiness in non-adult populations. Numerous studies have found that different ways of spending leisure time affect the psychological well-being of adolescents. Bringing these two perspectives together, the aim of the present study is to identify the extent to which orientations to happiness are related to well-being and choice of leisure time activities in a sample of adolescents from eight European countries.

Keywords

• orientations to happiness
• free time
• leisure
• well-being
• adolescence