Theorists have long maintained that people react to major life events but then eventually return to a setpoint of subjective well-being. Yet prior research is inconclusive regarding the extent of interindividual variability. Recent theoretical models suggest that there should be heterogeneity in long-term stress responding (Bonanno, 2004; Muthén & Muthén, 2000). To test this idea, we used latent growth mixture modeling to identify specific patterns of individual variation in response to three major life events (bereavement, divorce, and marriage). A four-class trajectory solution provided the best fit for bereavement and marriage, while a three-class solution provided the best fit for divorce. Relevant covariates predicted trajectory class membership. The modal response across events was a relatively flat trajectory (i.e., no change). Nevertheless, some trajectories diverged sharply from the modal response. Despite the tendency to maintain preevent levels of SWB, there are multiple and often divergent trajectories in response to bereavement, divorce, and marriage, underscoring the essential role of individual differences.
Stepping Off the Hedonic Treadmill: Individual Differences in Response to Marriage, Divorce, and Spousal Bereavement
Résumé
en
Theorists have long maintained that people react to major life events but then eventually return to a setpoint of subjective well-being. Yet prior research is inconclusive regarding the extent of interindividual variability. Recent theoretical models suggest that there should be heterogeneity in long-term stress responding (Bonanno, 2004; Muthén & Muthén, 2000). To test this idea, we used latent growth mixture modeling to identify specific patterns of individual variation in response to three major life events (bereavement, divorce, and marriage). A four-class trajectory solution provided the best fit for bereavement and marriage, while a three-class solution provided the best fit for divorce. Relevant covariates predicted trajectory class membership. The modal response across events was a relatively flat trajectory (i.e., no change). Nevertheless, some trajectories diverged sharply from the modal response. Despite the tendency to maintain preevent levels of SWB, there are multiple and often divergent trajectories in response to bereavement, divorce, and marriage, underscoring the essential role of individual differences.
Auteur(s)
Anthony D. Mancini1
, George A. Bonanno2
, Andrew E. Clark3, 4, 5
1
Pace University
( 177800 )
- États-Unis
Pace University ( 366009 )
2
Columbia University [New York]
( 75524 )
- Columbia University in the City of New York, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6902
- États-Unis
3
PSE -
Paris School of Economics
( 301309 )
- 48 boulevard Jourdan 75014 Paris
- France
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne ( 7550 )
;
École normale supérieure - Paris ( 59704 )
;
Université Paris Sciences et Lettres ( 564132 )
;
École des hautes études en sciences sociales ( 99539 )
;
École des Ponts ParisTech ( 301545 )
;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( 441569 )
;
Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement ( 577435 )
4
PSE -
Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques
( 139754 )
- 48 boulevard Jourdan 75014 Paris
- France
École normale supérieure - Paris ( 59704 )
;
Université Paris Sciences et Lettres ( 564132 )
;
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique USC1336 ( 92114 )
;
École des hautes études en sciences sociales ( 99539 )
;
École des Ponts ParisTech ( 301545 )
;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR8545 ( 441569 )
5
IZA -
Institute for the Study of Labor
( 142142 )
- Allemagne
IZA ( 379379 )
Comité de lecture
Oui
Vulgarisation
Non
Langue du document
Anglais
Nom de la revue
Journal of Individual Differences
(ISSN : 1614-0001)
Publié par Hogrefe
Revue non référencée dans Sherpa-Romeo
National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program grant (to Anthony Man- cini); National Institutes of Health grant, R01MH073595-01A1 (to George Bonanno)
Domaine(s)
Sciences de l'Homme et Société/Economies et finances
Indexation contrôlée
mariage
statut conjugal
bien-être
différence individuelle
réaction
Mots-clés
en
Bereavement, Divorce, Individual differences, Latent growth mixture modeling, Marriage, Major life events, Well being
Anthony D. Mancini, George A. Bonanno, Andrew E. Clark. Stepping Off the Hedonic Treadmill: Individual Differences in Response to Marriage, Divorce, and Spousal Bereavement. Journal of Individual Differences, 2011, 32 (3), pp.144-152. ⟨10.1027/1614-0001/a000047⟩. ⟨halshs-00654610⟩