It has been revealed at what age a person is happiest
German scientists have used a comprehensive meta-analytic review to find out when people are happiest.In a new study, researchers from Ruhr University Bochum conducted a study in which they analyzed data from 460,902 people. They focused on how people's three main factors of subjective well-being changed: life satisfaction; positive emotional states (as much as possible); and negative emotional states (as little as possible).
The results of the study showed that life satisfaction decreases between the ages of 9 and 16, then increases until age 70 and then decreases again until age 96. Meanwhile, positive emotional states showed an overall decrease between ages 9 and 94, while negative emotional states fluctuated between ages 9 and 22 and then decreased until age 60, after which they increased again.
According to the scientists, the results of the study show a positive trend over a large period of life when looking at life satisfaction and negative emotional states. The slight decrease in satisfaction between the ages of 9 and 16 is attributed to changes in body and social life during adolescence, according to the researchers.
In very late adulthood, all components of subjective well-being tended to worsen rather than improve. The authors of the study attribute this to the fact that very old people experience reduced physical performance, poorer health, and fewer social contacts; "not least because their peers pass away," explains Prof. Susanne Bücker, an author of the study.
The results of the study are published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.