A Study of Contributory Factors of Happiness

The present study, intending to determine contributory factors of happiness, undertakes following variables: attachment pattern, ego functions, emotional intelligence, inner-other directedness and meaning in life as intrinsic factors and number of stressful life events in last one year as extrinsic factor. The sample was clustered into four age groups: Group-I(21 -30)years, Group-II(31-40)years, Group-III(41-50)years, Group-IV(51-60)years, each group comprising 50 males and 50 females. Personal Information Schedule, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, Relationship Scale Questionnaire, Ego Functions Assessment Scale Modified, Assessing Emotions Scale, Inner-Other Directedness Social Preference Scale, Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire were administered. Results reveal no significant gender difference regarding happiness. Significant age differences have been found in happiness; and in fearful attachment pattern, judgment, sense of reality, drive control, object relations, thought process, defensive functioning, stimulus barrier, synthetic-integrative functioning of ego functions, presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life. In group-I, Presence of meaning in life, emotional intelligence, secured attachment pattern; in group-II, presence of meaning in life, emotional intelligence, inner-other directedness, secured attachment pattern; in group-III, presence of meaning in life, secured attachment pattern, thought process, emotional intelligence; in group-IV presence of meaning in life, emotional intelligence, synthetic-integrative functioning, secured attachment pattern, inner-other directedness were found to be contributory to happiness.