Life events and well-being: a retrospective study with Spanish young adults, comparing stressful life events lists and codified free remembering in the last year

Abstract

In this article we review the literature over life events and their impact on well-being. The temporal period of impact, the impact differences according to the valence or whether the events are positive or negative, as well as their relationship with the hedonic and eudaemonic well-being is reviewed. Likewise, the influence of personality, age, gender, and social status is reviewed in the life events experience. In an empirical study with two samples of the Basque Country, we examined the free remembering of life events in the last year in one sample, and the recognition of them in the other one. A list of life events inspired on Holmes and Rahe Abstract (1967) and a categorization code-list remembered from the CEVI program. It is described examining its content validity. 14 events that were present in both samples were compared. As usual, in memory studies, recognition is greater than remembering/memory (10 times greater). The evaluations of the valence of the remembered and recognized events do not differ. The percentage of memory and recognition are positively associated (r = .32).The association between life events and well-being is stronger when the data are collected by recognition, in the case of negative effects. The recognized negative life events and the valuation of these are associated with lowest well-being. The positive life events remembered are associated with greater well- being, confirming the construct validity. Evaluation is associated more strongly than the frequency of events with well-being. Results are discussed based on the relationship between life events and well-being.

Keywords

• hechos de cambio vital
• curso de vida
• bienestar
• recuerdo libre
• reconocimiento.