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Personality and the happiness of others : a study among 13- to 15-year-old adolescents

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Francis, Leslie J., Rolph, Jenny, Rolph, P. (Paul) and Robbins, Mandy. (2010) Personality and the happiness of others : a study among 13- to 15-year-old adolescents. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, Vol.2 (No.2). pp. 241-249. ISSN 1758-0846

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-0854.2010.01032.x

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the level of concern for the happiness of others among a sample of 13- to 15-year-old adolescents in England (N=3,095) and to test the theory that concern for the happiness of others occupies a different psychological space (within Eysenck’s three dimensional model of personality) from the space occupied by personal happiness. The data demonstrated a high level of concern for the happiness of others, with 84% of the adolescents saying that, ‘It is important to me to make other people happy’. While high levels of personal happiness are generally shown to be associated with low neuroticism and high extraversion (stable extraversion), these data demonstrated high levels of concern for the happiness of others tend to be associated with high neuroticism, high extraversion, high social conformity, and low psychoticism.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education ( -2013)

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Teenagers -- Psychology, Teenagers -- Attitudes, Happiness in adolescence

Journal or Publication Title:

Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being

Publisher:

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

ISSN:

1758-0846

Official Date:

July 2010

Dates:

Date	Event
July 2010	Published

Volume:

Vol.2

Number:

No.2

Page Range:

pp. 241-249

Identification Number:

10.1111/j.1758-0854.2010.01032.x

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

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