happiness decreases in secondary school, a longitudinal study of finnish early adolescents a...

Happiness Decreases in Secondary School,

a Longitudinal Study of Finnish Early Adolescents

A COMPARISON OF GLOBAL AND SCHOOL-RELATED HAPPINESS BETWEEN THE 12- AND 15-YEAR-OLD

C

PhD,University Lecturer in Special Education in Department of Teacher Education in University of

Helsinki, Finland

RESEARCH QUESTIONS• How happy are the 12- and the 15-year-olds (n=727 and n=339, respectively) globally and in the school-context?

• Are there differences between the genders?• Are there differences between the 6th and 9th graders?

• What would increase the happiness of 6th and 9th graders?

• What is the correlation between success in school (GPA) and global and school happiness in the 9th graders?

Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara, June 2015

The Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) &The School Children’s Happiness Inventory

(SCHI)• SHS is a 4-item test aimed at measuring global happiness,

scale 1-7 (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999). In general, I consider myselfNot a happy person - - - - - - - a very happy person

• SCHI is a context-related questionnaire on happiness (Ivens, 2007), 15 positive and 15 negative SWB items (e.g., “I felt relaxed”, or “I wanted to give up”), scale 1-4. In the Finnish version, 25 items.


SHS

SCHI

Descriptive Statistics for Happiness Measures in the 6th Graders


Girls Boys Difference__________________________________________________________________________

n M SD n M SD t p __________________________________________________________________________SHS (1-7) “global” 375 5.30 .88 352 5.30 .87 .102 n.s.SCHI (1-4) “school” 377 3.28 .46 355 3.31 .43 -.762 n.s.__________________________________________________________________________

Descriptive Statistics for Happiness Measures in the 9th Graders

Girls Boys Difference_______________________________________________________________________

n M SD n M SD t p ______________________________________________________________________SHS (1-7) “global” 182 5.00 1.05 157 5.05 1.00 -.72 n.s.SCHI (1-4) “school” 182 3.04 .54 157 3.16 .51 -2.10 <.05_______________________________________________________________________ Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara, June 2015

Comparison of Happiness measures in the 6th and 9th Grade

6. grade 9. grade difference

n M SD n M SD t p

SHS ”global” 727 5.30 0.88 339 5.01 1.01 4.89 < .001

SCHI ”school” 732 3.30 0.44 339 3.09 0.53 6.51 < .001


Change in global happiness


F df p η2Global happiness

time 23.28 1 .000 .02gender n.s.

time*gender n.s.

R2a = .02

Mean of Global Happiness (scale 1-7)

Time

GirlsBoys

Change in school-related happiness


F df p η2School-related happiness

time 40.71 1 .000 .04gender 5.47 1 .019 .01

time*gender n.s.

R2a = .04

Mean of School-Related Happiness (scale 1-4)

Time

GirlsBoys

What would increase my happiness?

6. GRADE GIRLS% BOYS% ALL% • success in school• more free time• success in a hobby• a girl/boy friend• more friends• a pet• more money• better looks• a new hobby• peaceful family life• better health• becoming a celebrity


What would increase my happiness?

6.GRADE GIRLS% BOYS% ALL% • success in school* 52. 3 43.0 47.6• more free time^ 36.3 47.8 41.9• success in a hobby 40.6 39.4 40.0• a girl/boy friend 37.4 41.1 39.2• more friends* 41.1 29.3 35.4• a pet* 41.4 29.1 35.4• more money 31.0 37.4 34.1• better looks* 34.5 19.6 27.2• a new hobby* 27.1 17.9 22.6• peaceful family life 23. 6 19.6 21.6• better health 12.2 11.2 11.7• becoming a celebrity 11.4 8.9 10.2


9. gradeGirls %

(182) Boys % (157) All %(339)

better success in school 59,9 61,1 60,5

more money 61,0 58,6 59,9

more free time 53,8 58,0 55,8

a girl/boy friend 51,6 47,8 49,9

clear plans for future* 57,7 40,8 49,9

better looks* 52,7 33,1 43,7

more friends 45,1 36,3 41,0

better success in a hobby 36,8 33,8 35,4

people would be equal everywhere* 44,5 14,6 30,7

peaceful family life25,8 29,3 27,4

a new hobby 29,7 24,8 27,4

I would dare to be myself 24,7 18,5 21,8

climate change would end 24,7 17,8 21,5

better health 19,8 17,8 18,9

becoming a celebrity 13,7 21,0 17,1

A pet 19,8 13,4 16,8

improved spiritual life 18,1 14,6 16,5

my close ones would stop using alcohol and/or other drugs 16,5 15,9 16,2

I would stop using alcohol and/or other drugs 10,4 8,3 9,4


Correlation between happiness and GPA

• Global happiness and GPA, r = .18, p<.001• School-related happiness and GPA, r = .18, p

< .001

• Division in two groups according to the grades (scale 4-10)

• Group 1: GPA < 8.5• Group 2: GPA ≥ 8.6


GPA more important for the girls

• In the girls, • SHS, t(180) = -3.42, p < .01

M(girls ≥8.6) = 5.36, SD = 0.95, n = 55M(girls <8.6) = 4.80, SD = 1.04, n = 127

• SCHI, t(180) = -4.25, p < .001M(girls ≥8.6) = 3.29, SD = 0.49, n = 55 M(girls <8.6) = 2.93, SD = 0.53, n = 127


GPA less important for the boys

• In the boys,• SHS, t(155) = 1.13, p > .05

M(boys ≥8.6) = 4.87, SD = .96M(boys <8.6) = 5.09, SD = .98.

• SCHI, t(155) = 1.06, p > .05M(boys ≥8.6) = 3.07, SD = .55M(boys <8.6) = 3.18, SD = .50


Summary• Overall, children are happy!• However, happiness decreases during

puberty• Especially, in the school-context• Especially, in the girls• The correlates of happiness do not

change much during the junior high school

• GPA gains in importance, so does free time, money and looks


Discussion 1/2

• Decrease in happiness during puberty is not unexpected: – Neuroendocrinological changes– Developmental tasks– Greater stress– New demands and challenges


Discussion 2/2• Why do girls become unhappier?

– Multichallenged?– Good marks– Good behavior– Good looks– Too conscientious

Still, less autonomy, less freedom?


http://blogs.helsinki.fi/lmuusita

http://blogs.helsinki.fi/lmuusita

happiness decreases in secondary school, a longitudinal study of finnish early adolescents a...

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