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Data on Orientation to Happiness in Higher Education Institutions from Mexico and El Salvador

Author

Listed:
  • Domingo Villavicencio-Aguilar

    (Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Guaymas 85400, Mexico)

  • Edgardo René Chacón-Andrade

    (Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador, San Salvador 1770, El Salvador)

  • Maria Fernanda Durón-Ramos

    (Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, Guaymas 85400, Mexico)

Abstract

Happiness-oriented people are vital in every society; this is a construct formed by three different types of happiness: pleasure, meaning, and engagement, and it is considered as an indicator of mental health. This study aims to provide data on the levels of orientation to happiness in higher-education teachers and students. The present paper contains data about the perception of this positive aspect in two Latin American countries, Mexico and El Salvador. Structure instruments to measure the orientation to happiness were administrated to 397 teachers and 260 students. This data descriptor presents descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation), internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), and differences (Student’s t-test) presented by country, population (teacher/student), and gender of their orientation to happiness and its three dimensions: meaning, pleasure, and engagement. Stepwise-multiple-regression-analysis results are also presented. Results indicated that participants from both countries reported medium–high levels of meaning and engagement happiness; teachers reported higher levels than those of students in these two dimensions. Happiness resulting from pleasure activities was the least reported in general. Males and females presented very similar levels of orientation to happiness. Only the population (teacher/student) showed a predictive relationship with orientation to happiness; however, the model explained a small portion of variance in this variable, which indicated that other factors are more critical when promoting orientation to happiness in higher-education institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Domingo Villavicencio-Aguilar & Edgardo René Chacón-Andrade & Maria Fernanda Durón-Ramos, 2020. "Data on Orientation to Happiness in Higher Education Institutions from Mexico and El Salvador," Data, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-5, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jdataj:v:5:y:2020:i:1:p:27-:d:336555
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christopher Peterson & Nansook Park & Martin Seligman, 2005. "Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: the full life versus the empty life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 25-41, March.
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