Subjective well-being: Is it still relevant?

Rising above the exclusive focus by the discipline of psychology on pathology, the last decade has witnessed an increasing attention to how positive psychology has embraced the so far neglected positive aspects of life. Since then significant consideration is given to different measures of well-being and its role in applied research. In the pursuit of well-being researchers have taken the concept from subjective well-being to psychological well-being. However, there always remain a debate on a meaningful conceptual distinction between subjective well-being and psychological well-being. The study aims at moving beyond this debate and explores the theoretical foundation of subjective well-being and its relation with psychological well-being. Alongside, the relevancy of the two-component configuration of subjective well-being constituting cognitive and affective dimensions is also demonstrated. It is argued that these components, although distinct concepts, are tied in a reciprocal relationship to make a higher order subjective well-being.