CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

SLEZÁČKOVÁ, A., ČEJKOVÁ, E., DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Š., POTGIETER, J., CHOUBISA, R., SINGH, K., JARDEN, A., & HOWARD, F. (2014). A Link Between Well-being and Life Values among University Students: Cross-cultural Comparison of Czech, Indian, New Zeland, and South African Samples. Conference 32nd Psychologické dny, Olomouc, Czech Republic, September 11-13, 2014.

Abstract: The study is part of an international project Social Capital and Well-being (SoCaWe) that focuses on research of well-being, social capital and life values. The main objective is to compare the well-being of respondents from four different countries with various cultural backgrounds, and to reveal the relationships of life values with subjective well-being, both its cognitive (life satisfaction) as well as emotional (frequency and intensity of experienced happiness) dimensions. Another goal is to reveal relationships between discrepancy of life values (i.e. the difference between the importance and the satisfaction with value) with the level of life satisfaction and happiness. The research sample consisted of 574 undergraduate students from four countries: Czech Republic (N = 165), India (N = 168), New Zealand (N = 131) and South Africa (N = 110). Data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire in 2012 and 2013. The methods used were The Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985), The Valued Living Questionnaire (Wilson, 2010), and The Happiness Measures (Fordyce, 1988). The results show that the level of life satisfaction in Czech, Indian and New Zealand students does not significantly differ. Life satisfaction is significantly higher in South African students. Respondents from South Africa also experience the highest frequency of happiness, while Indian students experience happiness most intensively. Detailed analysis revealed culturally specific links and differences in subjective well-being and life values.

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SLEZÁČKOVÁ, A., DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Š., POTGIETER, J., SINGH, K., CHOUBISA, R., JARDEN, A., & HOWARD, F. (2014).  Subjective Well-being and Social Capital: Their Link and Comparison Between Czech, Indian, South African and New Zealand University Students. 7th European Conference on Positive Psychology, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 1-4, 2014.

Abstract: According to the World Database of Happiness (Veenhoven, 2013) New Zealand is one of the happiest countries in the world, whereas Czech Republic, South Africa and India belong among middle ranking countries. Also the Social Capital Index (Legatum Institute, 2013) shows that New Zealand has one of the highest level of social capital in the world, while Czech Republic and South Africa belong among upper middle ranking countries and India ranks at the bottom. In our cross-cultural study we compare subjective well-being and social capital among Czech, Indian, South African and New Zealand university students and explore the link between the variables of interest. Our sample consists of 165 Czech, 168 Indian, 110 South African and 131 New Zealand university students. Quantitative results from the SWLS (Diener et al., 1985), The Happiness Measure (Fordyce, 1988) and the Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire (Grootaert et al., 2004), were complemented by a qualitative methodology. Our research reveals interesting results: The level of life satisfaction of Czech, Indian, and New Zealand students does not differ across the countries. Life satisfaction is significantly higher among South African students. South African students also experience happiness most frequently, while Indian students experience happiness most intensively. Female university students from all four countries show more satisfaction with their lives than male students. Social capital reflects cultural characteristics respecting our specific sample. In Czech, Indian and New Zealand sample the social capital tends to be intertwined with respondents´ life satisfaction, whereas in South African sample is social capital rather linked to respondents´ happiness.

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DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Š., SLEZÁČKOVÁ, A., SINGH, K., CHOUBISA, R., JARDEN, A., & HOWARD, F. (2013). Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being Among University Students: Their Link and a Comparison of Czech, New Zealand and Indian Samples.  2nd International Conference on Positive Psychology In the Czech Republic, Brno, May 22-24, 2013.

Abstract: Results of various international surveys on happiness show that New Zealand belongs among the happiest countries in the world, whereas India ranks at the bottom. According to The Legatum Institute, there is a big difference between these two countries in social capital. In our cross-cultural study we compare the level of subjective well-being and social capital among Czech, Indian and New Zealand university students and we explore the link between social capital and subjective well-being. Our sample consists of 131 New Zealand, 165 Czech and 168 Indian university students. Questionnaires used in our research SWLS (Diener et al., 1985), The Happiness Measure (Fordyce, 1988) and Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire (Grootaert et al., 2004) were complemented by a qualitative methodology. Our research reveals unexpected results: Indian students experience happiness most intensively and the level of life satisfaction of college students does not differ across the cultures. Qualitative analysis revealed cultural differences in determinants f subjective well-being. Social capital reflects cultural characteristics respecting a specific sample. 

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