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Feeling Important, Feeling Well. The Association Between Mattering and Well-being: A Meta-analysis Study

Author

Listed:
  • Monica Paradisi

    (University of Florence)

  • Camilla Matera

    (University of Florence)

  • Amanda Nerini

    (University of Florence)

Abstract

Perception of mattering, the feeling of being important to others (Rosenberg & McCullogh in Community Ment Health J 2:163–182, 1981), is receiving increasing attention as a factor that promotes well-being. Individual well-being has been defined in different ways, such as hedonic, as in a deep satisfaction with life (Diener & Lucas in Well-being: Foundations of Hedonic Psychology 213, 1999), eudaimonic, as in the realization of the true self (Ryff in Curr Dir Psychol Sci 4(4):99–104, 1995), and holistic, which is satisfaction across all domains of life (Prilleltensky et al., in J Community Psychol 43(2):199–226, 2015). The present study aims to systematize this body of literature on mattering and well-being to clarify whether the two constructs are linked independently from their conceptualization; to this end, a meta-analysis of 30 studies, following the PRISMA framework, was conducted. A significant medium effect size emerged between mattering and well-being (r = 0.41*** [95% CI 0.33, 0.49]), with eudaimonic well-being showing a higher effect size in association with mattering (r = 0.55*** [95% CI 0.46, 0.64]). The results indicate that mattering is a relevant construct when studying the positive functioning of individuals; in particular, mattering was found to be a key factor in the process of defining one’s sense of worth and purpose in life.

Suggested Citation

  • Monica Paradisi & Camilla Matera & Amanda Nerini, 2024. "Feeling Important, Feeling Well. The Association Between Mattering and Well-being: A Meta-analysis Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-27, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:25:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10902-024-00720-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-024-00720-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Melikşah Demir & Ayça Özen & Aysun Doğan & Nicholas Bilyk & Fanita Tyrell, 2011. "I Matter to My Friend, Therefore I am Happy: Friendship, Mattering, and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(6), pages 983-1005, December.
    2. Nirian Martin & Leandro Pardo, 2009. "On the asymptotic distribution of Cook's distance in logistic regression models," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(10), pages 1119-1146.
    3. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Heidi Lepper, 1999. "A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 137-155, February.
    4. Wight, Richard G. & LeBlanc, Allen J. & Meyer, Ilan H. & Harig, Frederick A., 2015. "Internalized gay ageism, mattering, and depressive symptoms among midlife and older gay-identified men," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 200-208.
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