Happiness among Athlete, Artiste and Non-Athlete/Non-Artiste College Students

In a world where stress has dominion over human life and has become an obstacle to development, the importance of happiness is emphasized. Happiness is a crucial ingredient of well-being and the most valuable goal of human life. Regardless of individual differences, the desire for happiness is widespread. Happy people are more productive, efficient, and healthy. Due to the increasing competition, pressures of society, workload, and expectations, college students are increasingly susceptible to mental health issues and it has become a serious concern. It is believed that extracurricular activities influence the happiness and well-being of students, however, little research has been done on this in Kerala. Information from 180 participants, 60 from each category of the athlete, artiste, and nonathlete/non-artiste students from various colleges of Kerala was collected using a convenient sampling method with the objective being to find whether there is a significant difference in happiness between athlete, artiste, and nonathlete/non-artiste college students and also whether there is a gender difference in happiness within each of the three groups in the study. The survey method, employing The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire by Argyle and Hills (2002) was used to collect data. Analysis of data was done using t-test and ANOVA. The results revealed that all three groups have an average level of happiness and there is no significant difference in happiness between athlete, artiste, and non-athlete/non-artiste college students. No significant difference in happiness among athletes or nonathletes/non-artistes based on gender was found. However, there is a significant difference in happiness among artiste college students based on gender.