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Table 3 Descriptive statistics of personal, behavioural and social variables for the happy and unhappy groups

From: What differs between happy and unhappy people?

Variables (theoretical range)

Happy

N = 400

Unhappy

N = 400

Statistical testa

η 2p

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Happiness (0–10)

10.0 (0)

2.5 (1.44)

  

Personal variables

 

Life satisfaction (0–10)

8.9 (1.77)

3.2 (2.08)

F1,767 = 1455.86***

0.66

Health (1–5)

4.1 (0.97)

2.9 (1.14)

F1,767 = 181.23***

0.19

Personal Wellbeing Index (0–10)

8.1 (1.38)

4.5 (1.82)

F1,767 = 832.35***

0.52

Behavioural variables

 

Leisure activities (1–8)

 

 Visiting cultural events

2.7 (0.97)

2.2 (1.06)

F1,767 = 9.80**

0.02

 Active socializing and going out

2.9 (1.59)

2.3 (1.42)

F1,767 = 2.92 ns

0.00

 Family and home activities

5.4 (0.93)

4.9 (1.15)

F1,767 = 36.80***

0.05

 Involvement in the community (1–3)

1.4 (0.64)

1.2 (0.53)

F1, 767 = 3.64*

0.01

Social variables

 

National Wellbeing Index (0–10)

5.4 (2.08)

3.6 (1.71)

F1,769 = 155.52***

0.17

Trust in people (0–10)

5.0 (2.59)

3.5 (2.09)

F1,769 = 75.67***

0.09

Trust in the institutions (1–4)

 

Government institutions

1.9 (0.67)

1.7 (0.63)

F1,769 = 19.33***

0.03

Public institutions

2.5 (0.66)

2.2 (0.66)

F1,769 = 51.13***

0.06

Non-government institutions

2.3 (0.65)

2.1 (0.67)

F1,769 = 19.18***

0.02

  1. ns non-significant
  2. p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001
  3. aThree MACNOVAs were performed for personal, behavioural, and social variables separately to test the differences between happy and unhappy groups. The overall Wilks’s lambda for each MANCOVA was significant, p < 0.001. The tests of significance for individual dependent variables are presented. In all analyses the covariates were age, income and education level; η 2p  = Partial eta-squared, effect size measure