Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modelling change in perceived quality of life (PQOL)

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Almost all previous research on PQOL has examined static relationships. This paper, based on two waves of an Australian panel study (N=677), investigates change. We estimate a model in which changes in PQOL are seen as depending directly on changes in satisfaction with particular domains of life (marriage, job, etc.), which in turn are affected by life events occurring within these domains. This model accords with a “bottom-up” rather than a “top-down” theory of PQOL or well-being (Diener, 1984).

Chief interest lies in the strong relationships between domain specific events and changes in domain satisfactions. In previous research life events have been directly linked to PQOL, or to physical or mental illness. The different result here arises from estimating a more appropriate model with an additional link (changes in domain satisfactions) in the chain. From a methodological standpoint, the paper suggests that life events inventories can be valuable research instruments and that recent validity criticisms (e.g. Schroeder and Costa, 1984) have been overstated.

The second part of the paper deals with relationships between personality traits, social support and life events. We test hypotheses about links between (1) personality and subsequent life events (2) the “buffering” effects of personality and social support on the impact of adverse events (3) the effects of events on personality. Personality traits apparently do affect the subsequent incidence of life events. Extraversion is associated with favourable subsequent events, and neuroticism with adverse events. Internal locus of control apparently wards off adversity. An alternative hypothesis that these relationships are due to biassed reporting (i.e. personality traits are associated with degrees of bias) appears to be false.

Contrary to findings from cross-sectional data, our panel results indicate that neither personality traits nor social support “buffer” the impact of adverse events on PQOL. Finally, life events appears to have small but statistically significant effects in modifying adult personality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Bibliography

  • Appleby, M. H. (ed.): 1971, Adaptation Level Theory (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Abbey, A. and Andrews, F. M.: 1985, ‘Modeling the psychological determinants of life quality’, Social Indicators Research 16, pp. 1–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F. M. and McKennell, A. C.: 1980, ‘Measures of self-reported well-being’, Social Indicators Research 6, pp. 73–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, F. M. and Withey, S. B.: 1976, Social Indicators of Well-Being (Plenum, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Antonovsky, A.: 1974, ‘Conceptual and methodological problems in the study of resources and stressful life events’, in Dohrenwend, B. S. and Dohrenwend, B. P. (eds.), Stressful Life Events: Their Nature and Effects (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Antonovsky, A.: 1979, Health, Stress and Coping (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco).

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, T.: 1982, ‘The stability and validity of QOL measures’, Social Indicators Research 8, pp. 113–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Averill, J. R.: 1983, ‘Personal control over aversive stimuli and its relationship to stress’, Psychological Bulletin 80, pp. 286–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brickman, Philip: 1975, ‘Adaptation level determinants of satisfaction with equal and unequal outcome distributions in skill and chance situations’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 32, pp. 191–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brickman, Philip D., Coates, Dan and Janoff-Bulman, R.: 1978, ‘Lottery winners and accident victims: Is happiness relative?’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 36, pp. 917–927.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohrnstedt, G. W.: 1969, ‘Observations on the measurement of change’, in Borgatta, E. F. (ed.), Social Methodology (Jossey-Bass, San Francisco).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohrnstedt, G. W.: 1975, ‘Structural equations and the analysis of “change”’, presented at the 28th annual meeting of the Gerontological Society, Louisville, Ky.

  • Block, M. and Zautra, A.: 1981, ‘Satisfaction and distress in a community: A test of the effect of life events’, American Journal of Community Psychology 9, pp. 165–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brickman, Philip and Campbell, Donald T.: 1971, ‘Hedonic relativism and planning the good society’, in Appleby, M. H. (ed.), Adaptation Level Theory: A Symposium (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P. E. and Rodgers, W. L.: 1976, The Quality of American Life (Sage, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Caplan, G.: 1974, Support Systems and Community Mental Health (Behavioural Publications, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Converse, P. E., Alwin, D. and Martin, S.: 1984, Marriage Termination and Felt Wellbeing (forthcoming).

  • Costa, P. T. and McCrae, R. R.: 1980, ‘Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 38 (4), pp. 688–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cobb, S.: 1974, ‘A Model for life events and their consequences’, Dohrenwend, B. A. and Dohrenwend, B. P. (eds.), Stressful Life Events: Their Nature and Effects, pp. 151–156 (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Conley, J. J.: 1984, ‘Longitudinal consistency of adult personality: Self-reported psychological characteristics across 45 years’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 47, pp. 1325–1333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, James C. and Gotlib, I. H.: 1983, ‘The role of cognition in depression: A critical appraisal’, Psychological Bulletin 94, pp. 472–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawes, R. M. and Corrigan, B.: 1974, ‘Linear models in decision making’, Psychological Bulletin 81, pp. 95–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E.: 1984, ‘Subjective well-being’, Psychological Bulletin 95.3, pp. 542–575.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. S.: 1973, ‘Life events as stressors: A methodological inquiry’, 14, pp. 167–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. S. and Dohrenwend, B. P.: 1978, ‘Some issues in research on stressful life events’, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 166, pp. 7–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, Otis Dudley: 1975, ‘Does money buy satisfaction?’, Social Indicators Research 2, pp. 267–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H. J. and Eysenck, S. B. G.: 1977, Personality Structure and Measurement (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S.: 1984, ‘Personal control and stress and coping processes: A theoretical analysis’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 46, pp. 839–852.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, E. L. and Comstock, G. W.: 1976, ‘Life events and subsequent illness’, American Journal of Epidemiology 104, pp. 146–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, E. A. and Jackson, J. E.: 1977, Statistical Methods for Social Scientists (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B. W. and Wearing, A. J.: 1981, Australians' Priorities, Satisfactions and Well-Being (DCWS, University of Melbourne).

  • Headey, B. W., Holmstrom, E. L. and Wearing, A. J.: 1984a, ‘Well-being and ill-being: Different dimensions?’, Social Indicators Research 14.2, pp. 115–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B. W., Holmstrom, E. L. and Wearing, A. J.: 1984b, ‘The impact of life events and changes in domain satisfactions on well-being’, Social Indicators Research 15, pp. 203–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B. W., Holmstrom, E. L. and Wearing, A. J.: 1985, ‘Models of well-being and illbeing’, Social Indicators Research (forthcoming).

  • Henderson, S., Byrne, D. G., and Duncan-Jones, P.: 1981, Neurosis and the Social Environment (Academic Press, Sydney).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoelter, J. W.: 1983, ‘The analysis of covariance structures’, Sociological Methods and Research 11, pp. 325–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, T. H. and Rahe, R. H.: 1967, ‘The social readjustment rating scale’, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 99, pp. 213–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J. H. and Sarason, I. G.: 1979, ‘Moderator variables in life stress research’, in Sarason, I. G. and Spielberger, C. D. (eds.), Stress and Anxiety, Vol. 6, pp. 151–167 (Washington DC, Hemisphere).

    Google Scholar 

  • Joreskog, K. G. and Sorbom, D.: 1984, Lisrel VI: Analysis of linear structural relationships by the methods of maximum likelihood (Scientific Software Inc., Mooresville, 2nd ed.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Juster, F. Thomas and Land, Kenneth C.: 1981, ‘Social Accounting Systems (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1984, 46, Issue on “stress and coping”.

  • Kaplan, B. H., Cassell, J. C. and Gore, S.: 1977, ‘Social support and mental health’, Medical Care 15, (5), Supplement, pp. 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C.: 1979, ‘Stressful life events, personality and health: An inquiry into hardiness’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 37, pp. 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. G., Maddi, S. R. and Kahn, S.: 1982, ‘Hardiness and health: A prospective study’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 42, pp. 168–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C. and Puccetti, M. C.: 1983, ‘Personality and social resources in stress resistance’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 45, pp. 839–850.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kish, L.: 1965, Survey Sampling (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C. and Greenberg, D. F.: 1981, Linear Panel Analysis (Academic Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefcourt, H. M.: 1976, Locus of Control: Current Trends in Theory and Research (Halstead, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefcourt, H. M.: 1973, ‘The function of the illusions of control and freedom’, American Psychologist 28, pp. 417–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liem, R. and Liem, J.: 1978, ‘Social class and mental illness reconsidered: The role of economic stress and social support’, Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 9, pp. 139–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liker, J. K., Augustyniak, S. and Duncan, G. J.: ‘Using difference equations to model change’, American Sociological Association Annual Convention, Detroit, August, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, J. S.: 1983, Covariance Structure Models (Sage, Beverly Hills).

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, R. and Faulkenberry, G. D.: 1978, ‘Aspirations, achievements and life satisfactions’, Social Indicators Research 5, pp. 133–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markus, G. B.: 1979, Analysing Panel Data (Beverly Hills, Sage).

    Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C.: 1979, ‘Life changes, illness and personal life satisfaction in a rural population’, Social Science and Methodology 13, pp. 175–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C.: 1982, ‘The satisfaction and happiness of some senior citizens in rural Ontario’, Social Indicators Research 11, pp. 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paykel, E. S., Myers, J. K., Dienelt, M. N., Klerman, G. L., Lindenthal, J. J. and Pepper, J. P.: 1969, ‘Life events and depression: A controlled study’, Archives of General Psychiatry 21, pp. 753–760.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearlin, L. I. et. al: 1981, ‘The stress process’, Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 22, pp. 337–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, C. and Seligman, M. E. P.: ‘Causal explanations as a risk factor for depression: Theory and evidence’, Psychological Review 91, pp. 347–374.

  • Rahe, R. H.: 1974, ‘The pathway between subjects' present life changes and their nearfuture illness reports’, in Dohrenwend, B. S. and Dohrenwend, B. P. (eds.), Stressful Life Events (Wiley, New York), pp. 73–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahe, R. H. and Arthur, R. H.: 1978, ‘Life change and illness studies’, Journal of Human Stress 4, pp. 3–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahe, R. H. and Lind, E.: 1971, ‘Psychological factors and sudden cardiac death: A pilot survey’, Journal of Psychosomatic Research 15, pp. 19–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers, W. L.: 1983, ‘Density, crowding and satisfaction with the residential environment’, Social Indicators Research 10, pp. 75–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodin, J. and Langer, E. J.: 1977, ‘Long term effects of a control relevant intervention with the institutionalised aged’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 35, pp. 897–902.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selye, H.: 1956, The Stress of Life (McGraw Hill, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Selye, H.: 1971, ‘The evolution of the stress concept’, in Levi, L. (ed.), Society, Stress and Disease, Vol. 1 (Oxford University Press, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Shroeder, D. H. and Costa, P. T.: 1984, ‘Influence of life event stress on physical illness: Substantive effects or methodological flaws?’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 46, pp. 853–863.

    Google Scholar 

  • Surtees, P. G. and Ingham, J. G.: 1980, ‘Life stress and depressive outcome’, Social Psychiatry 15, pp. 21–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P.: 1972, ‘Learned Helplessness’, Annual Review Of Medicine 23, pp. 407–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. and Weiss, J.: 1980, ‘Coping behaviour: Learned helplessness, psychological activity and learned inactivity’, Behavioural Research and Therapy 18, pp. 459–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steele, G. P., Henderson, S. and Duncan-Jones, P.: 1980, ‘The reliability of reporting adverse experiences’, Psychological Medicine 10, pp. 301–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warheit, G. J.: 1979, ‘Life events, coping, stress and depression symptomatology’, American Journal of Psychiatry 136, pp. 502–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, A. W., Ware, J. W., and Donald, C. A.: 1981, ‘A model of mental health, life events and social supports applicable to general populations’, Journal of Health & Social Behaviour 22, pp. 324–336.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Political Science Department, University of Melbourne, 3052, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

    Bruce Headey, Tomasz Glowacki, Elsie Holmstrom & Alexander Wearing

Authors
  1. Bruce Headey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomasz Glowacki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elsie Holmstrom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alexander Wearing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Headey, B., Glowacki, T., Holmstrom, E. et al. Modelling change in perceived quality of life (PQOL). Social Indicators Research 17, 267–298 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319315

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319315

Keywords

Search

Navigation