How is Happiness Related to Network of Social Relationships?

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between happiness and network of social relationships. Network of relationships inventory-relationship quality version (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985) and subjective happiness scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) was administered on 100 undergraduate college students at Gangtok, Sikkim within age range of 17 to 23 years. Pearson's correlation showed that happiness was significantly positively related with companionship, approval and satisfaction with opposite-gender best-friends, emotional support of mother, satisfaction with same-gender best-friends and siblings. However, happiness was found to be negatively correlated with criticism and pressure of girl/boy friend, criticism of mother and siblings, dominance of father, and exclusion of best friends (same/opposite gender), girl/boy friend, siblings, mother and father.