Summary: The自由時間が増えると初めは幸福度が上がるが、ある一定以上の自由時間が増えると、それを有意義に使わないと主観的な幸福度が低下する可能性がある。
Having too little or too much time is linked to lower subjective well-being. Sharif, M. A., Mogilner, C., & Hershfield, H. E. (2021). Having too little or too much time is linked to lower subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 121(4), 933–947. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000391
Many people living in modern society feel like they do not have enough time and are constantly searching for more. But is having limited discretionary time actually detrimental? And can there be downsides of having too much discretionary time? In two large-scale data sets spanning 35,375 Americans and two experiments, we explore the relationship between the amount of discretionary time individuals have and their subjective well-being. We find and internally replicate a negative quadratic relationship between discretionary time and subjective well-being. These results show that whereas having too little time is indeed linked to lower subjective well-being caused by stress, having more time does not continually translate to greater subjective well-being. Having an abundance of discretionary time is sometimes even linked to lower subjective well-being because of a lacking sense of productivity. In such cases, the negative effect of having too much discretionary time can be attenuated when people spend this time on productive activities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
[Mystery of Deep Psychology Too Much Free Time Reduces Happiness! |@DIME At Dime] Previous studies have shown that the less free time people have in a day, the lower their level of happiness, but does an abundance of free time directly lead to an increase in happiness? A study published in September 2021 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by a research team from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania highlights, through surveys and experiments, the disadvantages of having too much discretionary time at one’s disposal. The study highlights the disadvantages of having too much discretionary time at one’s disposal through surveys and experiments.
- The research team analyzed the relationship between self-discretionary time and happiness for 35,375 people through data on how Americans consume their time between 2012 and 2013 and from 1992 to 2008.
- The results of the analysis showed that the longer the amount of discretionary time in a day, the higher the level of happiness, but it reached a plateau at 2 hours, and the level of happiness level remained unchanged. However, it reached a plateau at 2 hours, and the level of happiness level leveled off.
- Why does too much free time decrease happiness? According to the researchers, it is because people spend their increased free time on unproductive activities, which impairs their subjective well-being. In other words, spending time in a wasteful manner negatively affects self-assurance. Ironically, this leads to stress, which in turn reduces happiness.
- In fact, in another experiment, when people engaged in productive activities (e.g., exercise, hobbies, running, etc.) during their leisure time, their subjective well-being did not decline even as their free time increased.
- In other words, even if you have more free time, there is no problem if you can devote that time to things that you find meaningful, but if you are aware that you are wasting your ample time, your subjective level of happiness will slowly decline.
relevance - waste of time
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